Comments for FreeRangeKids

Comment on GET LOST by owlfarmer

owlfarmer — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:04:31 +0000

I don’t think I ever got lost, but I did get to wander all over a foreign country (Taiwan) as a ten to fifteen year-old. I learned the confidence to do this by reading, and I thought I’d recommend to you and the children of those who read your blog the ultimate stories of being free-range kids and/or getting lost: the adventure stories of the late British writer, Enid Blyton.

The parents of her protagonists allowed their kids to go off on caravan trips and hikes together (without parental supervision) and they frequently get lost in smugglers’ hideouts and such. These stories are available at http://www.enidblyton.net/ and are some of the most memorable summer reads of my childhood (now fifty years gone by).

Comment on Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone by Steve Harbula

Steve Harbula — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:27:11 +0000

Just saw this article in last month’s Funny Times and it really resonated with me. Some of my neighbors and I talked about this tonight, and we’re not sure how to handle it.

I wonder how much of our overprotection as parents is really protecting OURSELVES — however subconsciously — rather than just protecting our kids. Protecting ourselves against the potential guilt, shame and grief that would come from anything happening to our children, to the point where we see virtually NO risk as acceptable.

I wrote about the topic a little more on my own blog at http://atreefalling.blogspot.com/2008/07/can-our-kids-really-be-too-safe.html if anybody’s interested, but I didn’t want to put my whole post into a comment here.

Comment on For or Against? by Charlotte

Charlotte — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:34:21 +0000

i’m not a parent, i’m 17 and far from it!
but i totally agree, i have 5 other siblings, so in our house, there just wasnt enough time to worry or mollycoddle all of us, and i think its ridiculous. i have friends my age, whos parents STILL instist on driving them into the town center, if they have no-one to catch the bus with, and demand to know where and what there doing if they go out for a night. a year from adults and still, under bubble wrap by there parents.
i enjoyed my childhood, and because i was allowed to roam the streets and do what i wanted (within reason) i enjoyed it so much, i wanted it to last forever. the reason kids are wanting to grow up so fast is because thats the only way they’re gonna be able to get out and do what they want!
like i said, at age 17, and i still LOVE dressing up for halloween.
so i AM a free range kid, and i’m totally world wise, and ready to go out and make something of myself, i know my limits, i can fend for my self, and i’m not stupid. i happy to say i know myself, what i like and what i want, which cant be said for some other people my age.

Comment on Your childhood by caramello

caramello — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:21:54 +0000

The irony is that these helicopter parents from hell are often the same ones who claim they can’t get their kids to do anything they say. They act like they have no control over the situation if their kid is rude as a matter of course, for example. My friend’s kids are old enough to do more than mutter thank-you when given gifts. They sure as hell as old enough to write a thank-you note, a thank-you e-mail. But no. My friend shrugs and says, “They just don’t want to write notes. What can I do?” Duh. Why not make them write the notes? Oh, that’s right. It’s out of your control. You can’t force them to do something like that.

Comment on Fear Not! (Or At Least — Fear Less!) by caramello

caramello — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:11:36 +0000

Jumping in here. First time poster. Love the blog. Love Lenore.

What about these parent-policed parties after high school graduation ceremonies? HIGH SCHOOL graduation. You know, where many kids are EIGHTEEN? Some of these pollyanna shindigs are all-nighters, with a changing of the guard every few hours of another team of parents– so that not for one nanosecond are the kids unchaperoned.

As a kid who craved freedom, even though I often didn’t do anything interesting or scandalous with that freedom, I am still chafing years later at the excessive over-parenting going on these days.

Comment on GET LOST by janet

janet — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:02:47 +0000

When I was 18, I was at school in England for a year. My best friend was in France, and we were going to meet in Paris. This was in the 1980s, so no cell phones, no credit cards. I booked my train, but when I got to the station, it turned out that I didn’t reserve it correctly (pay phone cut me off before I got the reservation secured). So I took the next train. Didn’t know where my friend was staying, had no way of getting in touch with her, had never been to Paris, didn’t have a map or much money to stay somewhere.

The train I ended on was the last one that night. After crossing the Channel on the ferry, I ended up sitting next to a very nice woman in her 20s who was going to visit French friends. She insisted I stay with them overnight. Her friends worked at a bar, so we went to the bar and stayed there till closing time (3am), then went for a hair-raising “tour” of Paris in their car, went to their fourth-floor walkup apartment, and got to sleep in the wee hours. The next morning, I was the first one awake, wandered outside and found this amazingly wonderful open-air farmers’ market with enormous slabs of dried fish. It was such a great introduction to Paris.

I ended up going to the train station because I couldn’t figure out how else to find my friend, and she was there, waiting for me. “I thought you were coming in now!” She wouldn’t have been there if I’d taken the right train, anyway.

Comment on Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone by » Should I let my 8-yr-old son ride his bike outside unsupervised?

» Should I let my 8-yr-old son ride his bike outside unsupervised? — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:46:49 +0000

[...] Oh and you seen this? I like spirit of it. (Though I personally was no way in hell ready to ride the subway alone at age 9. But each child/family is different, so I’m cool with her choice.) Free range kids: why I let my 9 year old ride the subway alone [...]

Comment on GET LOST by Alana M

Alana M — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:45:42 +0000

Good stories and morals to remember. Getting lost is good sometimes, better as an adult though.

My parents had always been the plan it to death kind of people. My mom was shocked when I took the DC transit system by myself on a trip when I was 17 and also went on a giant roadtrip of OR, WA, BC, AL, MN, ID, and NV right after college, again by myself. I didn’t have a specific plan. I just got in the car and drove. Lots of good memories.

Comment on For or Against? by Marcy

Marcy — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:35:43 +0000

I believe in free range children. My 5 year old has and knows the limits where he can ride his trike, but within those limits he is free to go where he goes. I can see him if I go outside. He is constantly having other adults tell him that he is too far from home! It’s annoying to him because he’s not supposed to talk to people he doesn’t know. It’s annoying to me because he is NOT too far from home. Most of the people who tell him so are grandparents who probably walked to the store to buy food when they were his age. So irritating!

Comment on Ideas by janet

janet — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:27:56 +0000

Just discovered your site (via Mary Beth Hicks column). Find it delightful. I grew up in a city and was allowed to roam freely. My four boys generally roam about our area (Washington DC), eldest two often prefer to get to school alone. I wanted to let you know of a delightful place in St. Louis called the City Museum. My sister (who also has four boys) and I walked in and the 8 kids immediately disappeared up a metal climbing tube. The entire museum embraces free exploration with children making their own decisions. Seems right up your alley so I thought I’d let you know about it. Check out the photo tour at citymuseum.org. Thanks for your writing. It’s wonderfully refreshing.