About Lenore Skenazy
Ask LenoreShould I Worry About All the Time My Kids Spend Doing Nothing?
It might seem like kids have a lot of wasted time and do nothing, but it's actually important for kids to have down time.
Ask LenoreIs the Coronavirus Crisis Going to Have a Long-Term Impact on Kids?
The long-term impact on kids of an unprecedented, worldwide, unstoppable bio-calamity? Yes, that does seem worth pondering. But before we go any further, let me …
Ask LenoreCan You Tell Me How to Entertain Kids During the Coronavirus Crisis?
Are you trying to figure out how to entertain kids? Get Lenore Skenazy's advice. Plus, learn why it's not actually your job to entertain them.
NewsReasonable Independence Law Could Soon Give Colorado Kids More Freedom
The Reasonable Independence Law was created to give kids more independence and freedom to roam. It will encourage kids to be kids again.
ParentingLife 360 Should Be Called “Life Sentence 360”
We need to stop normalizing child monitoring and surveillance. Let's show our kids and teens that we actually have some trust in them.
NewsWisconsin Town Set to Decriminalize Snowball Fights After a Ban of 50+ Years
This Wisconsin town has had a ban on snowballs for more than 50 years, but this could all change. Take a look at this epic town snowfall fight.
NewsHere are the 12 Best (and Worst) Let Grow Parenting Moments of 2019
Did you see all these great Let Grow 2019 moments? Take a look at some of the best (and worst) moments when it comes to childhood independence.
NewsBronx Kidnapping of 16-Year-Old Girl was (Thank Goodness) a Hoax
Did you hear about the Bronx kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl? It turns out it was a hoax. The girl says she faked it because of her overprotective mother.
NewsIn Defense of White Vans: They are Not Coming to Kidnap Our Kids, No Matter What it Says in Your Facebook Feed
Don't believe the hype you see on social media about white vans. Learn how one simple Facebook post quickly spiraled out of control.
NewsNew Therapy for Depressed and Anxious Teens: Start Doing MORE on Social Media
Social media gets a bad rap for making kids (and everyone else) anxious and depressed: Is everyone else having more fun? Going cooler places? Happier …
NewsFinns Find that The LESS Time Boys Spend in Physical Activity the WORSE Their Reading Ability!
When boys get less time to run around, they do worse on reading and math. That's the conclusion of a study done in Finland -- …
NewsHow One Family Got Their Young Kids to Start Going Outside On Their Own, Unsupervised — Without Freaking Out The Neighbors
The other day we asked readers to tell us how they're giving their kids more unstructured time, something that many families are eager to do. …
NewsHigh School Coach Sued after Freshman Ruins Ankle Sliding Into Third. Seven Years Later, the Trial Begins. Is This the End of Youth Sports?
Enormous kudos to Steve Politi for writing such a gripping story in NJ.com that my heart is STILL pounding. It begins: John Suk sits with …
NewsThis is Heavy: The Possible Connection Between Witch-Hunting in History and Mom-Blaming Today
After yesterday's post, about a mom being charged with child abuse after her 3-year-old son died in a freak escalator accident (as if all accidents …
NewsHeartless and Pointless: Mom Now Charged in Death of 3-Year-Old Who Fell Off Escalator at Airport in Freak Accident
What a horrible, horrible tragedy -- times two. Jiterria Lightner and her three kids, 4, 3 and 2, were at the Charlotte Airport on their …
NewsChildren Are Becoming Less Active in Their Elementary School Years, Ages 6 to Age 11. We’d Like to Hear Your Solutions
It's no surprise, perhaps, that kids are becoming less active once their school years begin. But it is a surprise that in the Oreo creme …
NewsWhy Are Young Americans Today So Much Less Trusting Than Older People Are?
Maybe it was always thus -- that the older you get, the more trust you develop. That's the most positive spin we can put on …
NewsHow Very Modern: The Post-Halloween NextDoor Discussion of What Kids Were Caught Doing, Thanks to Ring
Margaret describes herself as "a svelte mom of two living in the Midwest who likes to remember the days when mischievous kids were forgiven instead …
NewsWhen Playgrounds are So Boring Even the Kids Hate Them
Do your kids like the plastic playgrounds in your area? Is there an alternative? Share your frustrations -- and fabulous …
NewsCould the Recent Decline in Children’s Reading Skills Be Due to the Decline in Free Play?
This letter wondering if the decline in reading skills could be linked to a decline in plain old playing comes to us from Barbara Chutroo, a …
NewsA 7-Year-Old Girl Gets Lost on Her Way to School in the Big City, But She Knows What to Do!
From the land of uber-independent kids comes this email (edited to correct the grammar mistakes): Dear Let Grow: We are reading your blog here in …
NewsWhat Real-World Skills Do Kids Get From Halloween? Tell us!
Remember -- this is the one day of the year when kids get to practice being adults! They: 1 - Dress up for work. 2 …
NewsFour Halloween Facts to Fight Fears
The scariest thing about Halloween is how we have turned an age-old night of kids running around gathering candy and courage, into an adult-run, store-bought, …
NewsA Kidnapper at Recess? Not So Fast
When an 8-year-old girl Atlanta said that she had been almost abducted at school by a man who grabbed her off the slide at recess …
NewsA Young Man Thanks the Teachers Who Didn’t Destroy His Fantasy World
From Let Grow's youth correspondent, college freshman Dakota Antelman, comes this story of the value of non-interference. If you ever find yourself trying to explain …
Should I Worry About All the Time My Kids Spend Doing Nothing?
It might seem like kids have a lot of wasted time and do nothing, but it's actually important for kids to have down time.
Is the Coronavirus Crisis Going to Have a Long-Term Impact on Kids?
The long-term impact on kids of an unprecedented, worldwide, unstoppable bio-calamity? Yes, that does seem worth pondering. But before we go any further, let me …
Can You Tell Me How to Entertain Kids During the Coronavirus Crisis?
Are you trying to figure out how to entertain kids? Get Lenore Skenazy's advice. Plus, learn why it's not actually your job to entertain them.
Reasonable Independence Law Could Soon Give Colorado Kids More Freedom
The Reasonable Independence Law was created to give kids more independence and freedom to roam. It will encourage kids to be kids again.
Life 360 Should Be Called “Life Sentence 360”
We need to stop normalizing child monitoring and surveillance. Let's show our kids and teens that we actually have some trust in them.
Wisconsin Town Set to Decriminalize Snowball Fights After a Ban of 50+ Years
This Wisconsin town has had a ban on snowballs for more than 50 years, but this could all change. Take a look at this epic town snowfall fight.
Here are the 12 Best (and Worst) Let Grow Parenting Moments of 2019
Did you see all these great Let Grow 2019 moments? Take a look at some of the best (and worst) moments when it comes to childhood independence.
Bronx Kidnapping of 16-Year-Old Girl was (Thank Goodness) a Hoax
Did you hear about the Bronx kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl? It turns out it was a hoax. The girl says she faked it because of her overprotective mother.
In Defense of White Vans: They are Not Coming to Kidnap Our Kids, No Matter What it Says in Your Facebook Feed
Don't believe the hype you see on social media about white vans. Learn how one simple Facebook post quickly spiraled out of control.
New Therapy for Depressed and Anxious Teens: Start Doing MORE on Social Media
Social media gets a bad rap for making kids (and everyone else) anxious and depressed: Is everyone else having more fun? Going cooler places? Happier …
Finns Find that The LESS Time Boys Spend in Physical Activity the WORSE Their Reading Ability!
When boys get less time to run around, they do worse on reading and math. That's the conclusion of a study done in Finland -- …
How One Family Got Their Young Kids to Start Going Outside On Their Own, Unsupervised — Without Freaking Out The Neighbors
The other day we asked readers to tell us how they're giving their kids more unstructured time, something that many families are eager to do. …
High School Coach Sued after Freshman Ruins Ankle Sliding Into Third. Seven Years Later, the Trial Begins. Is This the End of Youth Sports?
Enormous kudos to Steve Politi for writing such a gripping story in NJ.com that my heart is STILL pounding. It begins: John Suk sits with …
This is Heavy: The Possible Connection Between Witch-Hunting in History and Mom-Blaming Today
After yesterday's post, about a mom being charged with child abuse after her 3-year-old son died in a freak escalator accident (as if all accidents …
Heartless and Pointless: Mom Now Charged in Death of 3-Year-Old Who Fell Off Escalator at Airport in Freak Accident
What a horrible, horrible tragedy -- times two. Jiterria Lightner and her three kids, 4, 3 and 2, were at the Charlotte Airport on their …
Children Are Becoming Less Active in Their Elementary School Years, Ages 6 to Age 11. We’d Like to Hear Your Solutions
It's no surprise, perhaps, that kids are becoming less active once their school years begin. But it is a surprise that in the Oreo creme …
Why Are Young Americans Today So Much Less Trusting Than Older People Are?
Maybe it was always thus -- that the older you get, the more trust you develop. That's the most positive spin we can put on …
How Very Modern: The Post-Halloween NextDoor Discussion of What Kids Were Caught Doing, Thanks to Ring
Margaret describes herself as "a svelte mom of two living in the Midwest who likes to remember the days when mischievous kids were forgiven instead …
When Playgrounds are So Boring Even the Kids Hate Them
Do your kids like the plastic playgrounds in your area? Is there an alternative? Share your frustrations -- and fabulous …
Could the Recent Decline in Children’s Reading Skills Be Due to the Decline in Free Play?
This letter wondering if the decline in reading skills could be linked to a decline in plain old playing comes to us from Barbara Chutroo, a …
A 7-Year-Old Girl Gets Lost on Her Way to School in the Big City, But She Knows What to Do!
From the land of uber-independent kids comes this email (edited to correct the grammar mistakes): Dear Let Grow: We are reading your blog here in …
What Real-World Skills Do Kids Get From Halloween? Tell us!
Remember -- this is the one day of the year when kids get to practice being adults! They: 1 - Dress up for work. 2 …
Four Halloween Facts to Fight Fears
The scariest thing about Halloween is how we have turned an age-old night of kids running around gathering candy and courage, into an adult-run, store-bought, …
A Kidnapper at Recess? Not So Fast
When an 8-year-old girl Atlanta said that she had been almost abducted at school by a man who grabbed her off the slide at recess …
A Young Man Thanks the Teachers Who Didn’t Destroy His Fantasy World
From Let Grow's youth correspondent, college freshman Dakota Antelman, comes this story of the value of non-interference. If you ever find yourself trying to explain …