The Case for Letting Children Have Freedom
English: Times Square (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) BY JANE E. BRODY Lenore Skenazy, a New York City mother of two, earned the nickname “America’s Worst Mom” after reporting in a newspaper column that she had allowed her younger son, then 9, to ride the subway alone. The criticism she endured, including a threat of arrest for child endangerment, intensified her desire to encourage parents to give their children the freedom they need to develop self-confidence and resilience. One result was the publication in 2009 of her book “ Free Range Kids : How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts With Worry).” A second results is the Free Range Kids Project and a 13-part TV series , “ World’s Worst Mom .” In it, Ms. Skenazy rescues children from parents’ overprotectiveness by guiding the children through a sequence of once-forbidden activities and showing the parents how well the children do. Parents who subscribe to Ms.Skenazy’s approach include Danielle and Alexander Meiti...