About Lenore Skenazy
ParentingIs There a Way to Stop Worrying About My Kids?
It's tough to stop worrying as a parent, but if you can learn how, you'll be so much better off. Plus, your kids will be better off, too.
ParentingShould I Let My Child Cross the Street Alone?
At Let Grow, we believe in kids. We believe they can be taught to be safe when they're out and about, even from a young …
ParentingShould 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.
NewsIs 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 …
ParentingCan 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 …
NewsRule of Thumb: A Child’s Age Should Equal the Number of Hours They Train in a Sport Each Week
A New York Times article states it starkly: Too many children are risking injuries, even lifelong health problems, because they practice too intensively in a …
NewsHow We Are Treating Kids as Mirrored By How We Treat the Very Old: Crippling Them with Caution
Hospitals' fear of elderly people falling is so great that they are preventing them from walking, reports The Washington Post. This is ostensibly for the …
NewsThe Phrase That Changed an Entire High School Track Program: “Something Terrible Could Have Happened!”
What happens when a high school student gets lost on a practice run through the suburbs? A cross-country coach has a story to tell: "SOMETHING …
NewsThis Star Trek: Voyager Clip Could Have Been Written By Us, It Is So “Let Grow”
Ignore the first few seconds and then -- bask in two minutes of Star Trek: Voyager going where many of us have gone before, back …
NewsUpdate: Our Current Legislative Work to Make Sure Giving Kids Some Independence Is Not Mistaken for Neglect
Let Grow works to make it normal, safe and LEGAL to give children reasonable independence. After getting the first “Free-Range Parenting” law passed in Utah …
NewsHow to Tell a Story: Q&A with Master Storyteller Antonio Sacre
Antonio Sacre is an award-winning storyteller and author-in-residence at the UCLA Lab school. His popular children’s books include A Mango in the Hand. His goal is to inspire …
NewsLet Grow’s “Think for Yourself” Scholarship Winners Announced
At Let Grow, we believe that kids can handle so much more than society gives them credit for. That includes the ability to process ideas …
NewsNY Post Publishes “Think for Yourself” Winner’s Essay: We’d Been Best Friends — Until The Election
It's not just adults whose relationships got strained, often to the breaking point, by the 2016 election. High school senior Carter Moore in Anchorage won …
News“Don’t Shield Me From Controversial Books” Writes Scholarship Winner in EdWeek
Eilise McLaughlin of Tucson, AZ, was reading Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" for school when she heard about our Think for Yourself essay contest. Her …
NewsFewer and Fewer Kids Get Lost at the Fair Today. Ever Lose Track of Yours?
Oh dear, what can the matter be Oh dear, what can the matter be? Oh dear, what can the matter be? Johnny's so long at …
NewsFour Surprising, Science-Backed Benefits of Free Play
Neve Spicer is a veteran preschool teacher, child development researcher, and mom of three. She is also the founder and chief editor at WeTheParents, a …
NewsIf I Let My Kids Eat Pizza for a Week, Should They Be Placed in Foster Care?
One of the basic tenets of the Let Grow movement is that parents must be allowed to be "imperfect" -- because there's no such thing …
NewsThe Flip Side: Now Ruby Lou Reflects on Her Childhood Friendship with Peter Gray — 68 Years Later
We asked Ruby Lou, the girl who taught Peter Gray to ride a bike when he was 5 and she was 6, sending him off …
NewsHow a 6-Year-Old Girl Changed a 5-Year-Old Boy’s Life Forever — And He Just Got to Thank Her 68 Years Later
If Einstein reunited with the girl so pretty time flew and made him realize everything is relative... If Paul McCartney reunited with John Lennon for …
NewsEven Clingy Homebodies Can Be More Independent
Until you give your kid a little independence, the notion of letting go can be terrifying. After all, you have been with your child and …
Education & SchoolsBe Inspired By This Let Grow Project Success Story
When third grade teacher Gary Karlson heard about the Let Grow Project, he saw it as a way to make an important lesson meaningful at …
NewsOf Freud, Baby Food, Breastfeeding and Goats: Q&A With Parenting Historian Jennifer Traig
Act Natural: A Cultural History of Misadventures in Parenting is a shocking yet rollicking romp through parenting practices and beliefs from ancient times to the present, …
NewsSome Strategies for School-Year Success: Please Add Yours!
People sometimes assume that to "Let Grow" is to shrug and say, "Good luck, kid!" and sally forth for a latte while the child tries …
NewsHow Would We React If Baby Jessica Fell Down the Well Today?
"How dare that mom take her eyes off her baby! I hope mama rots in a jail cell every bit as dark and damp as …
NewsKids Aren’t “Addicted” to Technology, They’re Addicted to Getting Together
Don't blame technology for ruining kids, says danah boyd (she spells it that way -- lower case). boyd spent a decade traveling across America studying …
NewsYou Don’t Have to Play with Your Kids: Q&A with Anthropologist David Lancy
You don’t have to play with your kids if you don’t feel like it. That could be David Lancy’s most calming – and most controversial …
Education & SchoolsThe Surprising Educational Benefits of Dungeons and Dragons
In Texas, a group of kids who scored significantly higher than the rest of their district peers on a statewide test had magical powers to …
NewsDad Loses His Job and Admits it to His Kids as a Resilience-Builder
This meditation on job loss -- and perspective building -- comes from Jeff Nelligan, author of Four Lessons From My Three Sons: How You Can …
NewsOnline Predators: How Real a Threat to Kids Today? What Precautions Must Parents Take?
A recent piece we posted on our Facebook page from the website Fatherly asked readers how they felt about its approach to digital safety. Boy …
NewsProvidence Students Returning to School Well-Fed & Happy, Thanks to Genius Program
Almost 90% of Providence, Rhode Island's students qualify for a free lunch, but over the summer, when the lunch program migrated to the parks, most …
NewsTips for Walking to School from the 1950s, Starting with, “This is a School”
This blast from the increasingly distant past teaches kids how to walk to school and it has a gem of advice at the 3:04 mark. …
NewsHow Does it Feel to Raise Kids in Utah with its Free-Range Parenting Law?
What does it feel like to be a parent in Utah, the first (and so far only) state to pass the Free-Range Parenting law that …
NewsGirl, 9, Bitten by Shark Goes Back into the Water at Same Florida Beach!
You don't get more Let Grow than Maggie Crum, bitten by a shark in knee-deep water on her first vacation to New Smyrna Beach, FL, …
NewsKim Brooks in The New York Times: We Have Ruined Childhood — But a Let Grow Play Club Could Work Miracles
Kim Brooks, author of the absorbing, enraging book, "Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear," which just came out in paperback, has another scorcher …
NewsFeeling Down? Talk to a Stranger!
A reporter at The Wall Street Journal was feeling so scared on her flight's bumpy descent that she asked the lady next to her -- …
News“Adventure Playground Gone Too Far?” Asks TV Reporter. Response from Reality: No.
Two adventure playgrounds are up and running in Delta, a city of about 100,000 in British Columbia. An appalled dad who visited one expressed his …
NewsQ&A with Psychologist Mariana Brussoni on What Parents Must Begin to Understand about Play
Mariana Brussoni is Canada’s leading authority on why kids need free, unstructured time and how to make sure they get it. She is a developmental …
NewsDo Your Kids Participate in Youth Sports? Why or Why Not? Insights Requested!
A whopping 70% of kids will drop out of their sports programs by age 13. Here's a great Washington Post article by Julianna Miner positing …
NewsSick of Helicopter Parenting, Mom Creates Collection of Calming Articles for Her Friends, Including Us
Even before Amy Green became a mom 11 years ago, she started reading articles on parenting -- and felt clammy with fear and dismay. "I …
NewsParents of Girl Killed by Garbage Truck are Guilty of Letting her Scooter Alone a Block from Home, Says Coroner
Carla Neems, a month shy of turning 7, was scootering home from school when she was hit by a garbage truck and killed. A two-year …
NewsHow Can I Start Giving My Kid Some More Independence?
This is obviously a question we get a lot: Parents asking where and how to start Letting Grow. We’re always working on new initiatives to …
NewsFeeling Compassion Not Contempt For a Grieving Father
Juan Rodriguez, a doting upstate New York dad, forgot his twin one-year-olds in the back seat when he went to work as a Bronx social …
NewsSetting Your Kids Up to Fail at Summer Camp
Audrey "Sunshine" Monke and her husband Steve have owned and directed Gold Arrow Camp (Lakeshore, CA) for the past 34 years. Monke served as president …
ParentingEmbrace Imperfection With a Wabi-Sabi Parenting Style
Alan Levinovitz is a professor of religion and science at James Madison University and the married dad of a 6-year-old who cuts her own tomatoes. …
NewsOnly in the Netherlands: Why Parents Are Leaving Their Kids in the Woods Alone at Night
In the Netherlands, they drop kids off in the middle of the night in the middle of the woods and make them find their way …
NewsCrazy, Cool or None of Our Beeswax? Tom Brady Cliff Dives with His 6-Year-Old Daughter
Fact: We love talking about celebrities. Fact: We love judging parents. Fact: When the two combine -- watch out! Thus it was not surprising to …
NewsDodgeball: Unethical Tool of Child Oppression?
Dodgeball mis-educates kids into believing cruelty and domination are good -- says a paper presented at an academic conference in Canada. The National Post quotes …
NewsWhen Your Screaming Toddler Doesn’t Want to Leave the Playground
Adelia Moore is the author of Being the Grownup: Love, Limits and the Natural Authority of Parents. Here's her take on what it means to …
NewsMoving with Kids (to New York City)!
How does it feel to move to The Big Apple from a city of about 50,000 in Florida? Trevor Gehman is a student at Reformed …
NewsIndependence Builder: Send Your Kid to Get Change for a $5 Bill
This piece is a slightly shortened excerpt from the new book, "Four Lessons from My Three Sons: How You Can Raise Resilient Kids," by Jeff …
NewsLet My Kids Play Outside With All Those Strangers and Cars??? An Evidence-Based Response
Eager to let your kids play outside but afraid of traffic? Strangers ? Injuries? Our friends to the north -- our human friends, that is …
NewsHow to Throw a Neighborhood Chalk Party
A wonderful summer long-weekend awaits. Freedom is its theme. Why not set the kids free to organize a chalk party? . This fun idea comes …
NewsBoy with Autism, 7, Makes a Friend on First Flight without Mom
There's no big Let Grow message to this story, except for the fact that a mom let her son do something by himself, trusting him …
NewsStop Scaring Parents So Much! The Danger in Childhood Danger Statistics
In a culture shaped and shamed by terrifying clickbait, Stephanie Loomis Pappas is a professor turned write-from-home parent committed to debunking all the bad parenting …
NewsBackyard Adventure: Create a Mud Lab
First off: Don't worry! Your lab does not have to look this good! And this one probably looked a lot less good about two minutes …
NewsThis is Your Kid’s Brain on Play
This great piece on the science of free play will have you shooing the kids outside -- with friends or siblings -- faster than you …
NewsFatherly Interviews a Bunch of Let Grow Dads
Kudos to Adam Bulger at Fatherly for interviewing six Free-Range dads about how they approach the summer -- and giving their kids more independence. One …
NewsDear New York Post: Free-Range Parenting is Not About Negligence
"Free-Range Parents Let 4-year-old Play with Fire and Curse Like a Sailor.” That's the title -- and tenor -- of a piece that ran in …
NewsPeter Gray on The Three Parental Fears Preventing Kids from Playing
Do not miss this seminal piece by Let Grow co-founder Dr. Peter Gray on the Psychology Today blog analyzing the fears preventing parents from letting …
NewsAttention, School Superintendents! Your Favorite Magazine Discusses Let Grow
School Administrator Magazine asked Let Grow's president, Lenore, to write about the spike in childhood anxiety, its impact on students, and how Let Grow's initiatives …
ParentingAn Anthropologist Discusses the Benefits of Unstructured Play
This fantastic TEDx Talk by evolutionary anthropologist Dorsa Amir is music to our ears at Let Grow. Amir studied a modern foraging society in the …
NewsIt’s Not Easy Being Green: Formerly “All Natural” Mom Chills Out
If you're down on yourself for not doing everything "right," no matter what you feel "right" is -- cloth diapers, reading to your kids every …
NewsKid Wanders Off at Park, Mom Issued a Summons
From our mailbox: I just wanted to share something that happened to us today. Our group of homeschooling moms was forced to leave the state …
NewsEven a Psychologist Worried the First Time She Let Her Son Walk Alone
Today's post comes from Adelia Moore, the mother of four grown sons, grandmother of five, and a clinical psychologist whose new book Being the Grownup: …
NewsUm, Mom…Do You Have to Follow Me Everywhere?
Just a little story to ponder on a Sunday, from our mailbox: As a high school graduation reward, we agreed to let our daughter take …
NewsResist the Summer Homework Packet!
This comes to us from Julia Saccente, a recently retired elementary teacher from New York who is an educational writer. She felt compelled to write …
NewsUpset? Disappointed? Worried? Ask Your Kids for Advice
This idea is radical -- and easy. When you're fretting about something, ask your kids for advice. That's a cool technique Adam Grant, the ubiquitous …
NewsAgain??? Mom Lets Kids Wait in Car 10 Minutes, Could Face Jail
Folks -- America has got to stop equating a rational parenting decision (letting your kids wait in the car a few minutes) with criminal wrongdoing. …
NewsDrilling Kids to “Succeed”
This comment on our post "Your Kid Doesn't Need to Specialize" bears re-posting! It comes from a reader named Steve Nations, a father of two …
NewsA Trick to Kiddie Empathy
This post from Psychology Today in 2012 is still relevant to anyone with young kids wondering how do they start understanding that other people have …
NewsTraveling with Toddlers — But Not the Usual Way
Caroline Van Hemert is a biologist, writer, researcher and adventurer whose journeys have taken her from the Arctic Ocean to the swamps of the Okavango …
NewsYour Kid Doesn’t Need to Specialize
In this charming New York Times essay, new dad David Epstein looks at the somewhat pervasive idea that our kids should specialize early in something …
NewsMom Lets Kids Wait in Car While She Gets Muffins. Bureaucrats Come Strip Search Her Kids
"How Dare She Run In for Muffins?" is a tale of what happens when helicopter parenting becomes the law of the land. It's in The …
NewsGoodbye, Little Red Riding Hood? Purging a School Library of “Sexist” Books
The Guardian reports that some schools in Spain are getting rid of (or considering getting rid of) the children's books it perceives as sexist: Several …
NewsChoking Up! (Literally, Figuratively)
Here's a reminder that kids are not just cute, they are capable -- when we trust them with real-world skills. This piece is by Cathy …
NewsThe Stealth Extracurricular
We love this description of a Let Grow Play Club in ex-urban New York, by Lisa Finn at Patch.com (boldface ours): NORTH FORK, NY — …
NewsMom Opened the Door and There He Was
Robin Phillips (pictured right) and her family are supporters of Let Grow. As Robin puts it, she is not a parent, but she was a …
Is There a Way to Stop Worrying About My Kids?
It's tough to stop worrying as a parent, but if you can learn how, you'll be so much better off. Plus, your kids will be better off, too.
Should I Let My Child Cross the Street Alone?
At Let Grow, we believe in kids. We believe they can be taught to be safe when they're out and about, even from a young …
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 …
Rule of Thumb: A Child’s Age Should Equal the Number of Hours They Train in a Sport Each Week
A New York Times article states it starkly: Too many children are risking injuries, even lifelong health problems, because they practice too intensively in a …
How We Are Treating Kids as Mirrored By How We Treat the Very Old: Crippling Them with Caution
Hospitals' fear of elderly people falling is so great that they are preventing them from walking, reports The Washington Post. This is ostensibly for the …
The Phrase That Changed an Entire High School Track Program: “Something Terrible Could Have Happened!”
What happens when a high school student gets lost on a practice run through the suburbs? A cross-country coach has a story to tell: "SOMETHING …
This Star Trek: Voyager Clip Could Have Been Written By Us, It Is So “Let Grow”
Ignore the first few seconds and then -- bask in two minutes of Star Trek: Voyager going where many of us have gone before, back …
Update: Our Current Legislative Work to Make Sure Giving Kids Some Independence Is Not Mistaken for Neglect
Let Grow works to make it normal, safe and LEGAL to give children reasonable independence. After getting the first “Free-Range Parenting” law passed in Utah …
How to Tell a Story: Q&A with Master Storyteller Antonio Sacre
Antonio Sacre is an award-winning storyteller and author-in-residence at the UCLA Lab school. His popular children’s books include A Mango in the Hand. His goal is to inspire …
Let Grow’s “Think for Yourself” Scholarship Winners Announced
At Let Grow, we believe that kids can handle so much more than society gives them credit for. That includes the ability to process ideas …
NY Post Publishes “Think for Yourself” Winner’s Essay: We’d Been Best Friends — Until The Election
It's not just adults whose relationships got strained, often to the breaking point, by the 2016 election. High school senior Carter Moore in Anchorage won …
“Don’t Shield Me From Controversial Books” Writes Scholarship Winner in EdWeek
Eilise McLaughlin of Tucson, AZ, was reading Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" for school when she heard about our Think for Yourself essay contest. Her …
Fewer and Fewer Kids Get Lost at the Fair Today. Ever Lose Track of Yours?
Oh dear, what can the matter be Oh dear, what can the matter be? Oh dear, what can the matter be? Johnny's so long at …
Four Surprising, Science-Backed Benefits of Free Play
Neve Spicer is a veteran preschool teacher, child development researcher, and mom of three. She is also the founder and chief editor at WeTheParents, a …
If I Let My Kids Eat Pizza for a Week, Should They Be Placed in Foster Care?
One of the basic tenets of the Let Grow movement is that parents must be allowed to be "imperfect" -- because there's no such thing …
The Flip Side: Now Ruby Lou Reflects on Her Childhood Friendship with Peter Gray — 68 Years Later
We asked Ruby Lou, the girl who taught Peter Gray to ride a bike when he was 5 and she was 6, sending him off …
How a 6-Year-Old Girl Changed a 5-Year-Old Boy’s Life Forever — And He Just Got to Thank Her 68 Years Later
If Einstein reunited with the girl so pretty time flew and made him realize everything is relative... If Paul McCartney reunited with John Lennon for …
Even Clingy Homebodies Can Be More Independent
Until you give your kid a little independence, the notion of letting go can be terrifying. After all, you have been with your child and …
Be Inspired By This Let Grow Project Success Story
When third grade teacher Gary Karlson heard about the Let Grow Project, he saw it as a way to make an important lesson meaningful at …
Of Freud, Baby Food, Breastfeeding and Goats: Q&A With Parenting Historian Jennifer Traig
Act Natural: A Cultural History of Misadventures in Parenting is a shocking yet rollicking romp through parenting practices and beliefs from ancient times to the present, …
Some Strategies for School-Year Success: Please Add Yours!
People sometimes assume that to "Let Grow" is to shrug and say, "Good luck, kid!" and sally forth for a latte while the child tries …
How Would We React If Baby Jessica Fell Down the Well Today?
"How dare that mom take her eyes off her baby! I hope mama rots in a jail cell every bit as dark and damp as …
Kids Aren’t “Addicted” to Technology, They’re Addicted to Getting Together
Don't blame technology for ruining kids, says danah boyd (she spells it that way -- lower case). boyd spent a decade traveling across America studying …
You Don’t Have to Play with Your Kids: Q&A with Anthropologist David Lancy
You don’t have to play with your kids if you don’t feel like it. That could be David Lancy’s most calming – and most controversial …
The Surprising Educational Benefits of Dungeons and Dragons
In Texas, a group of kids who scored significantly higher than the rest of their district peers on a statewide test had magical powers to …
Dad Loses His Job and Admits it to His Kids as a Resilience-Builder
This meditation on job loss -- and perspective building -- comes from Jeff Nelligan, author of Four Lessons From My Three Sons: How You Can …
Online Predators: How Real a Threat to Kids Today? What Precautions Must Parents Take?
A recent piece we posted on our Facebook page from the website Fatherly asked readers how they felt about its approach to digital safety. Boy …
Providence Students Returning to School Well-Fed & Happy, Thanks to Genius Program
Almost 90% of Providence, Rhode Island's students qualify for a free lunch, but over the summer, when the lunch program migrated to the parks, most …
Tips for Walking to School from the 1950s, Starting with, “This is a School”
This blast from the increasingly distant past teaches kids how to walk to school and it has a gem of advice at the 3:04 mark. …
How Does it Feel to Raise Kids in Utah with its Free-Range Parenting Law?
What does it feel like to be a parent in Utah, the first (and so far only) state to pass the Free-Range Parenting law that …
Girl, 9, Bitten by Shark Goes Back into the Water at Same Florida Beach!
You don't get more Let Grow than Maggie Crum, bitten by a shark in knee-deep water on her first vacation to New Smyrna Beach, FL, …
Kim Brooks in The New York Times: We Have Ruined Childhood — But a Let Grow Play Club Could Work Miracles
Kim Brooks, author of the absorbing, enraging book, "Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear," which just came out in paperback, has another scorcher …
Feeling Down? Talk to a Stranger!
A reporter at The Wall Street Journal was feeling so scared on her flight's bumpy descent that she asked the lady next to her -- …
“Adventure Playground Gone Too Far?” Asks TV Reporter. Response from Reality: No.
Two adventure playgrounds are up and running in Delta, a city of about 100,000 in British Columbia. An appalled dad who visited one expressed his …
Q&A with Psychologist Mariana Brussoni on What Parents Must Begin to Understand about Play
Mariana Brussoni is Canada’s leading authority on why kids need free, unstructured time and how to make sure they get it. She is a developmental …
Do Your Kids Participate in Youth Sports? Why or Why Not? Insights Requested!
A whopping 70% of kids will drop out of their sports programs by age 13. Here's a great Washington Post article by Julianna Miner positing …
Sick of Helicopter Parenting, Mom Creates Collection of Calming Articles for Her Friends, Including Us
Even before Amy Green became a mom 11 years ago, she started reading articles on parenting -- and felt clammy with fear and dismay. "I …
Parents of Girl Killed by Garbage Truck are Guilty of Letting her Scooter Alone a Block from Home, Says Coroner
Carla Neems, a month shy of turning 7, was scootering home from school when she was hit by a garbage truck and killed. A two-year …
How Can I Start Giving My Kid Some More Independence?
This is obviously a question we get a lot: Parents asking where and how to start Letting Grow. We’re always working on new initiatives to …
Feeling Compassion Not Contempt For a Grieving Father
Juan Rodriguez, a doting upstate New York dad, forgot his twin one-year-olds in the back seat when he went to work as a Bronx social …
Setting Your Kids Up to Fail at Summer Camp
Audrey "Sunshine" Monke and her husband Steve have owned and directed Gold Arrow Camp (Lakeshore, CA) for the past 34 years. Monke served as president …
Embrace Imperfection With a Wabi-Sabi Parenting Style
Alan Levinovitz is a professor of religion and science at James Madison University and the married dad of a 6-year-old who cuts her own tomatoes. …
Only in the Netherlands: Why Parents Are Leaving Their Kids in the Woods Alone at Night
In the Netherlands, they drop kids off in the middle of the night in the middle of the woods and make them find their way …
Crazy, Cool or None of Our Beeswax? Tom Brady Cliff Dives with His 6-Year-Old Daughter
Fact: We love talking about celebrities. Fact: We love judging parents. Fact: When the two combine -- watch out! Thus it was not surprising to …
Dodgeball: Unethical Tool of Child Oppression?
Dodgeball mis-educates kids into believing cruelty and domination are good -- says a paper presented at an academic conference in Canada. The National Post quotes …
When Your Screaming Toddler Doesn’t Want to Leave the Playground
Adelia Moore is the author of Being the Grownup: Love, Limits and the Natural Authority of Parents. Here's her take on what it means to …
Moving with Kids (to New York City)!
How does it feel to move to The Big Apple from a city of about 50,000 in Florida? Trevor Gehman is a student at Reformed …
Independence Builder: Send Your Kid to Get Change for a $5 Bill
This piece is a slightly shortened excerpt from the new book, "Four Lessons from My Three Sons: How You Can Raise Resilient Kids," by Jeff …
Let My Kids Play Outside With All Those Strangers and Cars??? An Evidence-Based Response
Eager to let your kids play outside but afraid of traffic? Strangers ? Injuries? Our friends to the north -- our human friends, that is …
How to Throw a Neighborhood Chalk Party
A wonderful summer long-weekend awaits. Freedom is its theme. Why not set the kids free to organize a chalk party? . This fun idea comes …
Boy with Autism, 7, Makes a Friend on First Flight without Mom
There's no big Let Grow message to this story, except for the fact that a mom let her son do something by himself, trusting him …
Stop Scaring Parents So Much! The Danger in Childhood Danger Statistics
In a culture shaped and shamed by terrifying clickbait, Stephanie Loomis Pappas is a professor turned write-from-home parent committed to debunking all the bad parenting …
Backyard Adventure: Create a Mud Lab
First off: Don't worry! Your lab does not have to look this good! And this one probably looked a lot less good about two minutes …
This is Your Kid’s Brain on Play
This great piece on the science of free play will have you shooing the kids outside -- with friends or siblings -- faster than you …
Fatherly Interviews a Bunch of Let Grow Dads
Kudos to Adam Bulger at Fatherly for interviewing six Free-Range dads about how they approach the summer -- and giving their kids more independence. One …
Dear New York Post: Free-Range Parenting is Not About Negligence
"Free-Range Parents Let 4-year-old Play with Fire and Curse Like a Sailor.” That's the title -- and tenor -- of a piece that ran in …
Peter Gray on The Three Parental Fears Preventing Kids from Playing
Do not miss this seminal piece by Let Grow co-founder Dr. Peter Gray on the Psychology Today blog analyzing the fears preventing parents from letting …
Attention, School Superintendents! Your Favorite Magazine Discusses Let Grow
School Administrator Magazine asked Let Grow's president, Lenore, to write about the spike in childhood anxiety, its impact on students, and how Let Grow's initiatives …
An Anthropologist Discusses the Benefits of Unstructured Play
This fantastic TEDx Talk by evolutionary anthropologist Dorsa Amir is music to our ears at Let Grow. Amir studied a modern foraging society in the …
It’s Not Easy Being Green: Formerly “All Natural” Mom Chills Out
If you're down on yourself for not doing everything "right," no matter what you feel "right" is -- cloth diapers, reading to your kids every …
Kid Wanders Off at Park, Mom Issued a Summons
From our mailbox: I just wanted to share something that happened to us today. Our group of homeschooling moms was forced to leave the state …
Even a Psychologist Worried the First Time She Let Her Son Walk Alone
Today's post comes from Adelia Moore, the mother of four grown sons, grandmother of five, and a clinical psychologist whose new book Being the Grownup: …
Um, Mom…Do You Have to Follow Me Everywhere?
Just a little story to ponder on a Sunday, from our mailbox: As a high school graduation reward, we agreed to let our daughter take …
Resist the Summer Homework Packet!
This comes to us from Julia Saccente, a recently retired elementary teacher from New York who is an educational writer. She felt compelled to write …
Upset? Disappointed? Worried? Ask Your Kids for Advice
This idea is radical -- and easy. When you're fretting about something, ask your kids for advice. That's a cool technique Adam Grant, the ubiquitous …
Again??? Mom Lets Kids Wait in Car 10 Minutes, Could Face Jail
Folks -- America has got to stop equating a rational parenting decision (letting your kids wait in the car a few minutes) with criminal wrongdoing. …
Drilling Kids to “Succeed”
This comment on our post "Your Kid Doesn't Need to Specialize" bears re-posting! It comes from a reader named Steve Nations, a father of two …
A Trick to Kiddie Empathy
This post from Psychology Today in 2012 is still relevant to anyone with young kids wondering how do they start understanding that other people have …
Traveling with Toddlers — But Not the Usual Way
Caroline Van Hemert is a biologist, writer, researcher and adventurer whose journeys have taken her from the Arctic Ocean to the swamps of the Okavango …
Your Kid Doesn’t Need to Specialize
In this charming New York Times essay, new dad David Epstein looks at the somewhat pervasive idea that our kids should specialize early in something …
Mom Lets Kids Wait in Car While She Gets Muffins. Bureaucrats Come Strip Search Her Kids
"How Dare She Run In for Muffins?" is a tale of what happens when helicopter parenting becomes the law of the land. It's in The …
Goodbye, Little Red Riding Hood? Purging a School Library of “Sexist” Books
The Guardian reports that some schools in Spain are getting rid of (or considering getting rid of) the children's books it perceives as sexist: Several …
Choking Up! (Literally, Figuratively)
Here's a reminder that kids are not just cute, they are capable -- when we trust them with real-world skills. This piece is by Cathy …
The Stealth Extracurricular
We love this description of a Let Grow Play Club in ex-urban New York, by Lisa Finn at Patch.com (boldface ours): NORTH FORK, NY — …
Mom Opened the Door and There He Was
Robin Phillips (pictured right) and her family are supporters of Let Grow. As Robin puts it, she is not a parent, but she was a …