freerangekids
- Mom hears her 5th grader is being bullied on the bus--wants to jump in. "No," he says. "I've got this." How'd he get so confident? When she (anxiously) started letting him ride his bike around, he MADE FRIENDS. Kids need INDEPENDENCE. @LetGrowOrg letgrow.org/mama-bear-an...
- From "Stand by Me" to "Stand by Mom" My piece on the classic film in today's Wall Street Journal: "After grabbing sleeping bags and canteens, they’re off, not a healthful snack in sight. No sunscreen, no adults, and no way to reach mom to say, 'I forgot my retainer.'” www.wsj.com/opinion/free...
- "When adults intervene unnecessarily in children’s lives—supervising their play, mediating their disputes—they effectively call the rehearsal off, increasing the odds that things will go poorly later on." By @SimonLewsen @TheWalrus thewalrus.ca/is-it-danger... #LetGrowOrg
- Georgia mom lets son, 6, scooter to park. Lady stops him: How old is he? Where are his parents? Kid gets scared--scooters home to get away. Lady follows him home, notes address. Child protective services arrives 3 days later. Cites mom for neglect. reason.com/2026/01/16/s... #LetGrowOrg
- GREAT piece by Casey A Smith on Reasonable Childhood bill hearing in Indiana yesterday! When it comes to investigating parents who let their kids do things unsupervised, said Rep. @JakeTeshka: “The standard should be danger, not disapproval.” indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/01/12/l... #LetGrowOrg
- The partying in the high school bathrooms got so bad (one had a BUBBLE MACHINE) that a kid wrote about it for the school paper. When it got edited to nothing, he posted it online. THEN -- (This won @LetGrowOrg's Think For Yourself essay contest): www.nydailynews.com/2026/01/01/b...
- Great piece by @jamesbmeigs on the OBVIOUS, OVERLOOKED alternative to phones: Give kids back REAL LIFE. Let them bike, shop, cook, wander...w/out US! All the things we curtailed, when trying to keep them "safe" from almost everything (except screens): www.wsj.com/opinion/free...
- Guy goes to Walmart looking for Tylenol. Asks a mom. Her kid looks like he's about to fall off cart. Places kid back on cart. SENT TO JAIL! 2 MOS! Mom accused him of trying to STEAL kid. Only camera footage saved him. QUIT ASSUMING KIDNAPPING IS COMMON! ca.news.yahoo.com/reached-grab...
- SUPER @Edutopia 2-min video on the SCIENTIFIC PROOF that kids need MORE recess--preferably unstructured and outdoors: edutopia.org/video/a-simp... (At LetGrow.Org we also recommend keeping schoolyards open for free play before and after school.)
- Giving kids some trust/independence is the ultimate gift. Here's how @EstherWojcicki did that, raising 3 super-successful girls. (Look up the CEOs of @YouTube and @23andMe, for instance.) Bonus: I asked her about the fact she got her kids pet rats. letgrow.org/why-letting-...
- A short, happy message about crime! www.freerangekids.com?p=31823&prev...
- PERCEPTION: "I CAN'T LET MY KIDS PLAY OUTSIDE -- CRIME IS SOARING!" REALITY: 2025 had "THE LARGEST ONE-YEAR DROP IN MURDER EVER RECORDED." jasher.substack.com/p/2025-year-...
- Impossible to resist @DavidEpstein's top 2025 life hacks, color of the year, and favorite appendix. Yep. And don't forget his biggest point, especially for KIDS: Do a LOT of different things & you gain the superpower of analogy (& discover yr passion). open.substack.com/pub/davideps...
- Gobsmacked and thrilled: "10 Essential TED Talks of 2025" My "Spend Less Time with Your Kids" is there! www.ted.com/playlists/89... (At Let Grow, we have ways of helping parents step back and be amazed by their kids. And all our materials are FREE!) @TEDTalks
- On yesterday's webinar, "Give the Gift of Independence," attendees came from Australia, Mexico, Canada, Kenya, Costa Rica, Holland, Brazil & Venezuela. PARENTS AROUND THE WORLD want to let their kids start doing more on their own! Here's our free guide: letgrow.org/four-weeks-g...
- .@JonHaidt & @Catherine_Price on @MorningJoe talking about their new book, The Amazing Generation. SO GOOD! Goal is not DEPRIVING kids of phones. It's about OPENING THE DOOR and LETTING THEM HAVE FUN & MEANING IN REAL LIFE. (@LetGrowOrg's goal, too!) www.ms.now/morning-joe/...
- "My 8-y.o. has been experimenting w/ tiny moments of independence. The look on his face says it all. I realized that independence is an important thing to teach my children." - @BusinessInsider For help letting go, visit LetGrow.Org! bit.ly/3MzatDJ
- Bill Maher is singing the Free-Range Kids / Let Grow tune! Give kids back more independence, free play -- And acorns! lnkd.in/eqqUU7wk
- New legal troubles for dad convicted of a FELONY for letting his sons, 7 & 10, walk home from the store. Younger one ran into street, died. There but for the grace of God go any of us who have ever let our kids walk home. Now dad faces new hearing: reason.com/2025/12/04/n...
- How to Raise Confident Kids in an Age of Anxiety My chat with @TEDTalks' Whitney Pennington Rogers. I know that lots of parents feel HAPPIER after hearing how we have been almost BRAINWASHED into excessive fear for our kids by a culture of catastrophizing: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXBj...
- Teach your kids to TALK TO STRANGERS! It'll make them SAFER, writes Kaili Colford in @TodaysParent: www.todaysparent.com/family/i-let... @LetGrowOrg
- Fun listening! Me & Rusty Keeler @EarthPlay discuss: "From bus stop debates to AirTag sneakers, the cultural shift from trust to tracking, and how we can turn it around. You’ll hear why every child deserves the chance to say, 'I did it myself!'” rustykeeler.com/podcast/ep-2...
- BRILLIANT ARTICLE on what KIDS lose out on when we TRACK THEM: "Is it really about their safety — or is it about protecting our own peace of mind at their expense?" by Kathryn Jezer-Morton thecut.com/article/kids... @TheCUT #LetGrowOrg
- Why was ONLINE SPORTS GAMBLING legalized?! “Gambling today isn’t the occasional casino trip; it’s a high-speed, high-dopamine system on your phone. We’re seeing more people slip into addiction...because the platforms remove natural stopping points." addictionresource.net/blog/common-...
- Brilliant Dr. Samantha Boardman on "HOLIDAY STRESS" "By constantly discussing & preparing for holiday stress, we’re TRAINING OURSELVES TO EXPERIENCE IT. We’ve created a script that tells us the holidays should be overwhelming, & then we dutifully perform our part." bit.ly/3Kcy0cD
- . @JonHaidt and @BariWeiss discuss why kids don't need phones...but DO need independence! www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-LY... @LetGrowOrg
- A 19 yo Reflects on How Her Let Grow/ Free-Range Childhood Made her Strong: "Now, as someone on the cusp of being an adult, I do not doubt my abilities to travel freely as a young woman..." letgrow.org/let-grow-suc... #Occidental @LetGrowOrg
- SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCHERS! @JonHaidt and Yejin Park Roberts are hoping for more studies of the mental health impact of FREE PLAY! www.afterbabel.com/p/free-play-...
- You will love this! "I was so bored, I started a Play Club." 12 yo gets his friends together -- parents inside, kids outside -- and life gets BETTER! letgrow.org/i-was-so-bor... Tnx to @LetGrowOrg
- NYC! Great event Nov 20: A party / comedy / music night to benefit the Sprout Society. Their mission? "To end loneliness so no one has to go through life’s hardest moments & mental health challenges alone." Tkts $50: bit.ly/3JFud7i
- Honored to be the first "re-broadcast" ever, on pediatrician Dr. Jessica Hochman's "Your Child is Normal" podcast! "Why Giving Kids More Freedom Makes Them Stronger" podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e... Attn @LetGrowOrg
- Honored to be the first "re-broadcast" ever, on pediatrician Dr. Jessica Hochman's "Your Child is Normal" podcast! "Why Giving Kids More Freedom Makes Them Stronger" podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e... Attn @LetGrowOrg
- GREAT, hope-giving, mind-opening piece by @DrCamiloOrtiz & Julia Martin Burch: A primer on how independence can inoculate kids against anxiety! AND it makes life easier for PARENTS, too! You can start doing it today! open.substack.com/pub/bariweis... Inspired by @LetGrowOrg!
- Ask any 3rd grade teacher & they'll tell you "up to 1/4 of their kids can’t read at grade-level or share markers w/out a meltdown. Half [can be] flagged for behavior/reading/ADHD issues, maybe thanks to eliminating movement & play in favor of academics." bit.ly/4hMiNvd
- Since when do towns get to declare the HOURS (& DATE) of Halloween?! It's not a state-sponsored activity. It's a TRADITION. @LetGrowOrg www.jsonline.com/story/life/2...
- "Overbooked and Overwhelmed" How a lack of PLAY time (not organized sports time) is stressing/depressing kids. @LetGrowOrg co-founder Peter Gray is, of course, cited! So is Vanessa Elias of #BlockPartyUSA! One week she counted 37 pick-up/drop-offs! www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/fa...
- Michigan mom fights school rule that says son, 7, cannot walk home alone from bus stop. He lives FOUR HOUSES away. Luckily, Mich is considering a Reasonable Childhood Independence bill that could help! @LetGrowOrg supports these bills! reason.com/2025/10/24/m... @Reason
- Zachary Christensen @Reason writes #Ohio is mulling a bill, SB 277, that says parents who let their kids walk/play outside, etc., won't be investigated for neglect. "The constant threat of government intervention has had a chilling effect on parents." reason.org/commentary/o...
- 11 schools rejected Carol Greider because her GREs weren’t high enough. P.S. She went on to win the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Takeaway for parents: Tests measure measurable things. Not creativity, kindness, resilience, joy. Or genius. www.acsh.org/news/2025/10...
- FREE, FUN EVENT FOR SINGLES IN NYC this SATURDAY Yes...it IS odd. Note time: DATE: Sat Oct 25 TIME: 11:59 pm PLACE: Grand Central info booth PRICE: Free WHAT *IS* IT? Midnight Midtown Mingle! Meet, eat (homemade!) cookies, stroll for an hr in Midtown. Join me!
- Yeah, this makes sense: MOM PLACED ON CHILD ABUSE REGISTRY FOR LETTING 13-YEAR-OLD BABYSIT (Luckily: Pennsylvania’s “Reasonable Independence for Children” bill pushes back on overzealous child neglect laws.) reason.com/2025/10/16/m...
- GREAT, REAL story: How 2 Dublin boys, 10 & 13, got themselves to NYC, evading authorities in 3 countries in 1985. They took a train, ferry, plane. They told gatekeeper, "Our parents are behind us." When "caught," they were put in a hotel w/ FIVE GUARDS. www.irishpost.com/history/the-...
- Headline: "NEW LEGISLATION COULD CREATE MORE REGULATIONS FOR CPS, PARENTS IN OHIO" Um, no. Subhead: "The bill aims to prevent unnecessary CPS investigations by clarifying that activities like unsupervised walking or biking are not child neglect" YES! bit.ly/46SAa8z
- Another stirring example of "I DID IT MYSELF!" This from a young man with Down Syndrome (and his proud parents): I LOVE THAT THESE VIDEOS ARE SWEEPING THE INTERNET!!! AT LAST!!! www.instagram.com/reel/DM-kWy7...
- What Every Parent Should Know About Online Gambling by my friend @LindaFlanagan2 “Your son...if he plays video games or likes sports, is almost certainly gambling in some way.” Chilling & informative: www.kqed.org/mindshift/65...
- Easy (Free) Way to Let Kids Learn About Money in Real Time – Starting Now: Simple set of questions helps kids decide “Should I buy or ask for this?” Or not! letgrow.org/let-kids-lea...
- Easy (Free) Way to Let Kids Learn About Money in Real Time – Starting Now: Simple set of questions helps kids decide “Should I buy or ask for this?” Or not! letgrow.org/let-kids-lea...
- Fun survey for young people 10-19 about their feelings toward nature. Quick, funny, and helpful to researchers. Please share! client.playverto.com/ashoka/you-a... @AshokaUS
- My inbox, always stunning me w/ new ways to underestimate humanity's resilience. Today's publicity pitch: "Halloween is one of the most exciting days of the year...but it can bring sugar rushes, itchy costumes, & classroom chaos." Sugar! Chaos! ITCHY COSTUMES! The horror!
- Pitch I just got: "While parents often baby-proof their homes with gates, car seats, and outlet covers, one overlooked step is using filtered water for bottles and baths." BATHS? Why not goat's milk? Or champagne? Gently melted water from the great Bering Glacier?
