Spring Break
Free range kids
Protecting our kids from ever gaining independence
Lara Oliver
Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: Opinion
When I was 10 years old, I didn't own a cell phone. I didn't use anti-bacterial soap, my parents usually weren't sure where I was until dinner time, and I didn't have a babysitter watching over me - that's what my older sister was for. There was no tracking device in my backpack, my clothes or on my bike. I was frequently at the pool with only my friends to chaperone me, and my childhood dog is now considered "highly dangerous" around children.
Amazingly, I made it out alive.
If I was being raised now, I'm sure my parents would've been locked up by the neighbors and had child services called on my family. "She cooks by herself in the kitchen! She could've burnt the kitchen down or choked on her food! Lock up her mother!" echoes in my head, reminiscent of Helen Lovejoy on "The Simpsons."
Which is why I was so relieved to hear the story of Lenore Skenazy. Skenazy's nine-year-old son had been begging her to let him figure out his way home, and, after several weeks, she relented. With only $20, a Metrocard and some quarters, Skenazy dropped her son off at Bloomingdale's and, get this, he made it home alive. He was even ecstatic over the amount of independence she allotted to him. Her story made national news, even snagging her an appearance on morning talk shows to discuss her "crazy" decision. She has now since created a blog purely for sharing stories on the new style of "hyper parenting" that's become the norm in our society called Free Range Kids.
Skenazy's story was like a breath of fresh air to me. After desperately trying to convince the parents of children I babysit how dangerous it is to use anti-bacterial products on their children, seeing kids barely older than seven answer their phones in grocery stores and watching the number of children I see on bikes dwindle down to two in the neighborhood, I had almost given up hope on the defendants' style of parenting I grew up with.
Sadly, I know it was my generation that started this whole mess of implanted chips, anti-bacterial everything and Nancy Grace-style exploitation pieces on the news about all the different types of people who want to kidnap our children. I vividly remember being fingerprinted for "tracking cards" in my fourth grade class, complete with little photographs with our names that we could carry around in our (non-existent) wallets. Even at 10 years old, I couldn't help but think the only good these ID's could offer would be to identify our dead bodies. We were also the generation of children whose parents had non-stop news feeding to them. Networks like CNN, MSNBC and Fox News first came to fruition during my childhood and so did the practice of learning about every single abducted child in the entire country 24/7.
Amazingly, I made it out alive.
If I was being raised now, I'm sure my parents would've been locked up by the neighbors and had child services called on my family. "She cooks by herself in the kitchen! She could've burnt the kitchen down or choked on her food! Lock up her mother!" echoes in my head, reminiscent of Helen Lovejoy on "The Simpsons."
Which is why I was so relieved to hear the story of Lenore Skenazy. Skenazy's nine-year-old son had been begging her to let him figure out his way home, and, after several weeks, she relented. With only $20, a Metrocard and some quarters, Skenazy dropped her son off at Bloomingdale's and, get this, he made it home alive. He was even ecstatic over the amount of independence she allotted to him. Her story made national news, even snagging her an appearance on morning talk shows to discuss her "crazy" decision. She has now since created a blog purely for sharing stories on the new style of "hyper parenting" that's become the norm in our society called Free Range Kids.
Skenazy's story was like a breath of fresh air to me. After desperately trying to convince the parents of children I babysit how dangerous it is to use anti-bacterial products on their children, seeing kids barely older than seven answer their phones in grocery stores and watching the number of children I see on bikes dwindle down to two in the neighborhood, I had almost given up hope on the defendants' style of parenting I grew up with.
Sadly, I know it was my generation that started this whole mess of implanted chips, anti-bacterial everything and Nancy Grace-style exploitation pieces on the news about all the different types of people who want to kidnap our children. I vividly remember being fingerprinted for "tracking cards" in my fourth grade class, complete with little photographs with our names that we could carry around in our (non-existent) wallets. Even at 10 years old, I couldn't help but think the only good these ID's could offer would be to identify our dead bodies. We were also the generation of children whose parents had non-stop news feeding to them. Networks like CNN, MSNBC and Fox News first came to fruition during my childhood and so did the practice of learning about every single abducted child in the entire country 24/7.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
M
posted 4/15/08 @ 8:21 AM EST
This article is so true. I highly agree. If parents keep raising their kids in this seemingly facist way of sheltering them from everything that is bad in this world we will end up with a generation of weak minded adults. (Continued…)
eseau05
posted 4/15/08 @ 4:06 PM EST
Love this article. Growing up my parents philosophy during the summer was simple "In or Out" I either stayed out or stayed in, you know because "they weren't cooling the entire neighborhood", and it really shows the times because what kid wanted to stay in all day? that was punishment! right? Nintendo was new and really only something to do when it was raining outside. (Continued…)
Rachel
posted 4/15/08 @ 10:37 PM EST
I'm all for not over-protecting kids, but with the amount of pedophiles and sexual deviants out there can you really consider the lady that let her kid go out into the city alone a good mom? Parent's are supposed to protect their kids, letting her son go off alone is child neglect. (Continued…)
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