Let Grow Mission
We Are Leading the Movement for Childhood Independence
Let Grow believes today’s kids are smarter and stronger than our culture gives them credit for.
We reject the idea that they are in constant physical, emotional or psychological danger from creeps, kidnapping, germs, grades, flashers, frustration, failure, baby snatchers, bugs, bullies, men, disappointing playdates and/or the perils of a non-organic grape.
Somehow our culture has become obsessed with kids’ fragility and lost sight of their innate resilience. This concern grew out of good intentions, but treating kids as fragile is making them so!
That is bad for their future — and our country’s.
With a rapidly changing world ahead, young people need to be flexible, creative problem-solvers. They can’t solve many problems if there’s always an adult right there, solving them first.
That’s why Let Grow is creating a new path for parents, schools, and America itself — a path back to letting kids have some adventures, make things happen, and develop some self-reliance. We believe that:
- Kids aren’t fragile, they are “anti-fragile” — built not just to withstand some challenges, but to grow stronger once they do.
- The times are not more dangerous today than in decades past. In fact, America is at a 50-year crime low.
- Young people grow when exposed to the world around them, including the world of ideas.
- Free play is how kids learn a whole lot of crucial social-emotional skills.
- Doing a little less for our kids is not negligent or lazy. It is a vote of confidence in them.
The winners in business, love and life itself are comfortable with a bit of risk and disappointment. They listen, argue, work things out. They pivot.
They are future-proof.
At Let Grow, we recognize the enormous pressure to overprotect. The media and marketplace love to scare us all. And yet, in our hearts, we know that always helping our kids is hurting them.
Therefore, through our thought leadership, school programs, research, writing, public speaking and legislative advocacy, our mission is to give parents, educators, and communities the tools and confidence to step back, so kids can step up. We are making it easy, normal and legal to raise resilient, resourceful, independent kids.
When we let go we…Let Grow.