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, as 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,” The Narnia Chronicles and so many more chronicle the adventures that kids have on their own, not a cell phone, tracker, or nanny in sight. Some strangers are dangers, some are friends.

Why is this no-parent trope so common? Because it’s not that fascinating to follow an 8-old-year as mom or dad wakes them up, makes breakfast and drives them to school,  handing them their backpack as they wave goodbye.

There are a million books about kids doing things on their own. Here’s our “stub” of a list. Please share your own faves in the comments!

My Side of the Mountain
Harriet the Spy
From the Mixed Up Files…
When You Reach Me
Walk Two Moons
The Narnia Chronicles

Little Women

 

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.