On the Let Grow Podcast This Week: Are Kids in Other Countries More Independent?

By Let Grow on Sep 1, 2020

Read Time: 2 minutes

The Let Grow podcast is here. Supervision Not Required is a podcast featuring our president, Lenore Skenazy. She tackles topics like the importance of play, working through fears, and raising independent kids. She has a great lineup of parents and experts in these first six episodes. We hope you enjoy the podcast and find it to be a great resource to you in raising resilient, can-do kids. Plus if you’re looking for more ideas to let kids figure things out on their own, get our free Let Grow Independence Kit.

Episode Six: Christine Gross-Loh

When Christine Gross-Loh’s family moved to Japan, she was shocked to see kindergarteners walking on their own to school. Just a few months later her own first-grader was crossing 6-lane roads solo. Lenore asks author and world-traveler Christine what makes parents in other countries so confident.

Episode Five: Angela Hanscom

Pediatric occupational therapist Angela Hanscom was invited to observe a normal 5th grade class where she witnessed several of the students literally fall out of the chairs. What was going on? Angela discusses the rise of childhood sensory and motor issues with Lenore.

Episode Four: Jennifer Wallace

Several years ago, Jennifer Wallace’s 7-year-old son had been too afraid to cross the street, ride a bike, or chew gum—he called it a choking hazard. Lenore and Jennifer reminisce about the day Lenore came over, shooed the boy outside on his own, and changed the family forever.

Episode Three: David Epstein

David Epstein is the best-selling author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. He tells Lenore why having kids specialize in a sport or subject early won’t necessarily benefit them long term, and how most professional fields are ruled by those who tried lots of different things and found their path later in life.

Episode Two: Gary Karlson

Dad and educator Gary Karlson talks with Lenore about how the pandemic is changing parents, kids and teachers—and why he hopes things never go totally back to “normal.” He also reveals why he’s kind of glad his son is sneaking his phone into the bathroom.

Episode One: Peter Gray

You’ve probably heard that play is important, but what are kids getting out of it besides fun? (And sometimes it doesn’t even LOOK fun. It looks like a lot of arguing.) Lenore talks with psychologist Dr. Peter Gray, author of Free to Learn and co-founder of Let Grow. Discover what children can learn only when their parents aren’t around.

More episodes coming soon!