Books for Kids

Have you ever noticed that pretty much every good children’s book or movie begins with getting the parents out of the picture? Disney often kills them off in the beginning, like in “Bambi” or “Frozen” , or sometimes the child just doesn’t do do what she’s told, like in “Moana.” “The Boxcar Children”,  “A Series of Unfortunate Events”, and many more popular series tell of adventures that kids have, on their own, no cell phone or GPS trackers, no parent hovering and warning of danger or strangers. Why is this literary device of removing adult supervision used so frequently? Well, it’s not a very interesting story to follow an 8-old-year’s real life now, with someone making their breakfast (don’t want them to burn their fingers on a Pop-Tart), handing them their backpack with their homework (that diorama took Mom forever!), buckling them in their car seat, chauffeuring them to school, handing the teacher their lovingly packed bento box, and on  and on…..every moment managed, directed, controlled by an adult.

So there are a million books about kids doing things on their own, but we thought we’d share a few suggestions if you are looking for something new!

 

Articles for Grown-Ups

Want to know more about what Let Grow is all about? Here you go!

Kids can do it themselves.

When adults step back, kids step up. Trust kids to do more and they will blossom.

Free play is fundamental.

Kids are born with the drive to play. When we let them organize their own games and solve the inevitable spats, they build the social-emotional skills they’ll need for life.

Children are resilient by nature.

Kids are smarter, safer and stronger than our culture gives them credit for. Let them make the most of their childhood.

Physical activity boosts child development.

 

Letting go is an act of bravery.

It takes courage to resist the pressure to overprotect your kids. Understand why it’s so important to try:

Our future depends on how we raise our kids now.

The world needs a generation of bold and adaptive thinkers. Find out how to raise independent kids to become resilient adults.