By Let Grow

Read Time: 4 minutes

Exactly a Year Ago My Tween Was on The Staten Island Ferry, Sinking

Today's post comes from social psychologist and collaboration guru Deb Mashek. Mashek has been a full professor of psychology at Harvey Mudd College and Executive Director of the national nonprofit,...
By Let Grow

Read Time: 5 minutes

I’m A Child Anxiety Therapist: Kids Need Independence

Got an anxious kid? Lots of us do! Here's some advice from Regine Galanti, PhD, a clinical psychologist and founder of Long Island Behavioral Psychology, a private practice in Nassau County. Regine...
By Let Grow

Read Time: 3 minutes

My 6-Year-Old’s First Solo Outing (And All The Adults Who Stopped Him)

Today's post comes to us from Seth Fickett, a mechanical engineer in Lancaster, PA. Seth loves making music, playing Ultimate Frisbee, and spending time with his wife and kids, Hey,...
By Let Grow

Read Time: 3 minutes

Should We Tell Kids It’s a Scary World?

Here's a note we got from a childcare worker in Texas -- and our response! Dear Let Grow: You helped me a few years ago when the state wanted me...
By Let Grow

Read Time: 5 minutes

Superintendent Michael Hynes: “It’s Easier Than You Think to Start a Play Club”

Today’s post comes from Michael Hynes, superintendent of the Port Washington, Long Island School District, just outside New York City. Dr. Hynes is a Fulbright Specialist, TEDx speaker, and author...
By Let Grow

Read Time: 2 minutes

Doonesbury and Us!

Doonesbury sums up a whole lot of our themes in the Sunday funny pages! In case it's too small to read, here's what it says: It's dinner time and Alex...
By Let Grow

Read Time: 1 minute

What Today’s Legos Tell Us About Childhood

This Instagram reel sums up what many people have shared with us over the years: As go Legos, so goes childhood. Lego evolved from its bucket-of-bricks days -- "You decide...
By Let Grow

Read Time: 5 minutes

A Gizmo Ate My Child’s Budding Resilience!

Today's post is reprinted from Frank James' Wild Nature Adventure blog. "Ranger James" started and runs the Lure of the Wild Nature Camps in Catonsville, Maryland.  Smart Devices are Hurting Smart...
By Let Grow

Read Time: 2 minutes

Why Did The Turkey Download this Page? To Get his Free Thanksgiving Jokes and More!

We have several Thanksgiving activity pages in our Give Thanks Kit. You'll find a jokes pages, a fill-in-the-blank sheet about the day, and thankful cards.
By Let Grow

Read Time: 2 minutes

What Happens When A Kid Falls Asleep on a Stranger?

Just a little reminder that the idea of "stranger-danger" is twisting our view of humanity. This video was sent to Let Grow by Rosalie Witt, an early childhood instructor, consultant,...
By Let Grow

Read Time: 4 minutes

Children Don’t Need Constant Supervision at the Park

The piece below originally appeared in the Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest, two leafy suburbs of Chicago. It was written in response to an earlier column by...
By Let Grow

Read Time: 1 minute

A Missing Child and The Terror We All Feel

As of this moment, a 9-year-old girl, Charlotte Sena, is missing in upstate New York. She was camping with her family on Saturday. Last seen, she was on a bike...