Bill Maher: “Can We Give Kids a Break From Helicopter Parenting for One *&$#@ Day?”

The emails came in thick and fast: Did you see Bill Maher? He’s on your side! He sounds like you! You’d sound like him if you cursed a little more! (And spent 50 years in comedy.) WATCH IT NOW!

All this was occasioned by Maher’s Halloween rant on Oct 30.  Here it is.

“Could we give the kids a break from the helicopter parenting and safetyism for one godd**m day?” he opened.

He then admitted, as he always does, that he has no kids. But he WAS one once. And Halloween was sacred, right down to the plastic mask “held in place with a cheap rubber band that snapped ten minutes after you left the house.” 

And just possibly having subsequently read all about the importance of independence and free play here, or here, or even right here, he went on to say that though childless, “somehow I still know that unstructured outdoor activity is good. It sparks imagination, teaches problem solving, promotes face-to-face social interactions with other human peers.”

It’s almost as if humans need this experience to learn how to function. What’s more, they seem to like it! Said Maher: “I am so grateful I grew up in a time when parents were like, ‘Go, have your fun. Be back by Thanksgiving.’”

What about crime? 

Maher showed some amazing graphs of crime plummeting since the 1990s. (Want more? Check out our crime stats page.)

What about predators?

Maher noted that the vast majority of crimes against kids are perpetrated by people they know, not strangers.

Most saliently he pointed out that, “The CDC says 1 in 5 young adults has an anxiety disorder, and they didn’t get it from too much playing in the park.”

No?

“They got it from being locked in at home under 24-hour surveillance from safety mom. Sixty-two percent of American children up to age 12 say they’ve never walked or biked anywhere without an adult. [That’s from a survey Let Grow did with Jon Haidt!] Fifty percent of parents won’t let their kids go alone to another aisle in the grocery store. [That’s from a U Mich Poll inspired by Let Grow!] Folks, you’re chaperoning your kids to death. Having your mommy with you, going out with you on Halloween? It’s like having your wife at your bachelor party.”

En fin, Maher concluded (when the laughing died down), “If this is what it’s come to, just move Halloween to Zoom. Or lock the kids in a safe room and slide the candy under the door. Or you could just leave Halloween alone.”

And leave the kids alone sometimes too.

Let Grow here: If you’d like your kids to become a little better at problem-solving, have more confidence, and feel like they’re more capable, consider The Let Grow Independence Kit. Kids get real world practice at making things happen and dealing with some bumps along the way. And it’s FREE! Click here!