Free range kids

The idea behind free range kids is to give our children the freedom to be children, instead of being ultra-paranoid all the time.

I have a friend who has kids, and every time I see them locked up in their car seats, I think of the seats as little jails. It just seems like locking them up is a bad idea.

This author doesn't go that far. In fact, she specifically reaffirms the virtues of car seats. But she does make a great point in articles like "Is snow going to kill your kid?" and "Why I let my 9-year old rise the subway alone".

I remember having similar freedom during my own childhood and it didn't hurt me. Would it hurt your kids to give them more freedom and less structure? Are we infantilizing our kids by taking them everywhere and filling their days with constant structured activities?

From their manifesto: "Free Range Kids believes in safety, but we also believe that a lot of parents are going overboard, creating quivering masses of helplessness instead of independent humans."

Filed under: free range kids and child care