Learn to raise independent, can-do kids with a new edition of the book that started a movement
In the newly revised and expanded Second Edition of Free-Range Kids, New York columnist-turned-movement leader Lenore Skenazy delivers a compelling and entertaining look at how we got so worried about everything our kids do, see, eat, read, wear, watch and lick -- and how to bid a whole lot of that anxiety goodbye. With real-world examples, advice, and a gimlet-eyed look at the way our culture forces fear down our throats, Skenazy describes how parents and educators can step back so kids step up. Positive change is faster, easier and a lot more fun than you'd believe. This is the book that has helped millions of American parents feel brave and optimistic again - and the same goes for their kids.
Using research, humor, and feisty common sense, the book shows:
- How parents can reject the media message, "Your child is in horrible danger!"
- How schools can give students more independence -- and what happens when they do. (Hint: Teachers love it.)
- How everyone can relax and successfully navigate a judge-y world filled with way too many warnings, scolds and brand new fears
Perfect for parents and guardians of children of all ages, Free-Range Kids will also earn a place in the libraries of K-12 educators who want their students to blossom with newfound confidence and cheer.
Table of Contents:
Foreword xi
Introduction to the Introduction xv
The Actual Introduction Already xvii
1 Know When to Worry 1
Play Dates and Axe Murderers: How to Tell The Difference
2 Turn off the News 11
Go Easy On The Law and Order, Too
3 Avoid Experts 23
Who Knew You Were Doing Everything Wrong? . . . .
Them!
4 Boycott Baby Knee Pads 35
And the Rest of the Kiddie Safety-Industrial Complex
5 Don't Think Like a Lawyer 47
Some Risks Are Worth It
6 Ignore the Blamers 57
They Don't Know Your Kid Like You Do
7 Eat Chocolate 69
Give Halloween Back to the Trick-or-Treaters
8 Study History 81
Your Ten-Year-Old Would Have Been Forging Horseshoes
(or at Least Delivering Papers)
9 Be Worldly 95
Why Other Countries Are Laughing at Zee Scaredy-Cat
Americans
10 Get Braver 107
Quit Trying to Control Everything. It Doesn't Work
Anyway.
11 Relax 121
Not Every Little Thing You Do Has That Much Impact
On Your Child's Development
12 Fail! 133
Easy! Educational! Fun!
13 Lock Them Out 145
Make Them Play--Or Else!
14 Listen to Your Kids 157
They Don't Want to Be Treated Like Babies
(Unless They Are Still Crawling, Etc.)
15 Take the Long View 167
Wasting Time Is Not a Waste Of Time
16 Trust Strangers 179
Even the Folks Who Put the Faces on the Milk Cartons
Aren't Too Worried
17 De-Fang Anxiety 191
Independence Is the New Prozac
18 Embrace (Some) Tech 207
We All Scream for iScreens
Calling All Educators 223
Conclusion 243
Acknowledgments 249
Sources 251
About the Author 263
Resources and Connecting 265
The Free-Range Kids Card 267
Index 269
"This book transformed the way I think about childhood, parenthood, freedom, and fear."
―Kim Brooks, author, Small Animals: Parenthood in the Age of Fear
Free-Range Kids is the best kind of manifesto: smart, funny, rigorous, sane, impassioned, and bristling with common sense. If you're a parent, or planning to become one, read this book. You have nothing to lose-apart from your anxiety.
―Carl Honoré, author, In Praise of Slowness and 30 Days to Slow
"It still amazes me it took an activist like Skenazy to decriminalize activities I took for granted as a kid. I felt lucky to discover Skenazy while my kids were still young. I hope subsequent generations will benefit from her work."
―Bethany Ball, author, What to Do About the Solomons and The Pessimists
Free-Range Kids makes the perfect baby shower gift.
―Nancy McDermott, author, The Problem with Parenting
Moral insight without moralizing―how rare is that?
―Amity Shlaes, author, The Forgotten Man
"Lenore Skenazy is a national hero."
―Mary Roach, author, Fuzz, Stiff, and Bonk
Read this book―Mommy said you could.
― Penn Jillette, Penn & Teller
LENORE SKENAZY After her column "Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone" created a media firestorm, Lenore got labeled "America's Worst Mom." Nice. She turned around and started the Free-Range Kids movement, lecturing around the world and hosting the reality show, World's Worst Mom. Now she's President of Let Grow, the nonprofit promoting childhood independence.
Jossey-Bass
Pub Date: June 16, 2021
0.94" H x 8.9" L x 5.98" W
304 pages
paperback