Free-Range Kids

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.

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