Author Dubbed ‘America’s Worst Mom’ Gives Advice
Lenore Skenazy — journalist, author, and founder of Free-Range Kids — gave a talk at Greenhill School this morning called “How did we get so afraid for our kids?”
After receiving backlash in 2008 for allowing her 9-year-old son to navigate the New York City subway system alone, Skenazy started a movement. She said there’s a fear in our society when it comes to raising children. Her talk cited examples of over-protective baby toys and imagined child predators around every street corner.
Skenazy challenged parents to participate in the Free-Range Kids project. A child will think of something outside of their comfort zone and then write about the experience, all with their parent’s permission. The goal is for the child to experience a newfound independence and ease the fear of the parents.
