Lenore Skenazy

Lenore Skenazy

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Let Grow/Free‑Range Kids founder; advocates independence-building parenting.

It’s OK If Preschoolers Skip Extracurricular Classes
SocialMay 10, 2026

It’s OK If Preschoolers Skip Extracurricular Classes

Thank god, this article -- and common sense -- say that not all preschoolers want to be in soccer, ballet or ANY class. And that is FINE. (Maybe what's weird is...classes for prescoolers?)

By Lenore Skenazy
Fiction Misused: Over‑Supervision Harms Kids, Not Chaos
SocialMay 7, 2026

Fiction Misused: Over‑Supervision Harms Kids, Not Chaos

Soon everyone will be watching @Netflix's new Lord of the Flies. So let me repeat what the great Peter Gray says about that story: IT. IS. FICTION. We can't use it as a reason to give kids less freedom because "this is what...

By Lenore Skenazy
Surveillance Parenting Mistakes Real Freedom for Illusion
SocialMay 6, 2026

Surveillance Parenting Mistakes Real Freedom for Illusion

MY GOD...this is so good. @ryancvet on surveillance childhood: "The baby isn’t sleeping in the parents’ room, but the monitor tracks oxygen, heart rate, and breathing. "The parent isn’t at daycare, but photos arrive in their app every hour. "The parent isn’t asking...

By Lenore Skenazy
Give Kids Responsibility, Not Therapy, to Build Resilience
SocialMay 6, 2026

Give Kids Responsibility, Not Therapy, to Build Resilience

Here's the "Overprotective Parent" article itself, which is good, and manages to not hector parents, who have been EXHORTED to overprotect for at least a generation: https://t.co/ti73asw25k

By Lenore Skenazy
Dignity of Risk Extends to Non‑Speaking Autistic Individuals
SocialMay 6, 2026

Dignity of Risk Extends to Non‑Speaking Autistic Individuals

Everyone deserves "The dignity of risk"--including kids & including non-speaking people w/ #autism. Here's the story of one: A "speller" (person who communicates by pointing to letters) on an inadvertent mini-adventure at a conference: https://t.co/VLOJ97ntO1

By Lenore Skenazy
Give Kids Independence, Responsibility, and Free Play
SocialMay 2, 2026

Give Kids Independence, Responsibility, and Free Play

This is why @LetGrowOrg recommends 3 things for all kids: more Independence, responsibility and free play. These have been leached out of kids' lives and the resulting anxiety and depression have been treated like mental illnesses. They are not...

By Lenore Skenazy
Turn Off Gemini’s 48‑Hour Follow‑Up Reminders
SocialApr 27, 2026

Turn Off Gemini’s 48‑Hour Follow‑Up Reminders

Gemini, how do I get Gemini to stop nattering at me in my text messages? I dint want to be reminded to "follow up" with friends just because they haven't texted in 48 hours. https://t.co/bOjHRK9GuX

By Lenore Skenazy
Overprotective Parenting Turns Simple Walks Into Surveillance
SocialApr 21, 2026

Overprotective Parenting Turns Simple Walks Into Surveillance

Here's what is so painful about childhood (& parenting) today: "Last week, my grandson asked permission to walk to the store 3 blocks away. His mother checked the GPS tracker on his phone, reminded him about stranger danger, and set a...

By Lenore Skenazy
Letting Go: Countering Parenting Surveillance and Restoring Trust
SocialApr 20, 2026

Letting Go: Countering Parenting Surveillance and Restoring Trust

Interviewed by the wise and deep Ruby Trugade about "the rise of surveillance in parenting, and how this puts cultural trust into question... And why letting go may be one of the most important acts of care. https://t.co/xhrkS9cAPk https://t.co/VoZESpKsoQ

By Lenore Skenazy
Police Twice Check Kansas Family After Kids Left Alone
SocialApr 9, 2026

Police Twice Check Kansas Family After Kids Left Alone

Their Children Were Alone Outside. So Police Visited the Family—Twice. (This was in a Kansas town of 5000!) https://t.co/EDZeahzN8z via @reason #LetGrow

By Lenore Skenazy
Astronauts Reveal Awe: Embrace Feeling Small
SocialApr 7, 2026

Astronauts Reveal Awe: Embrace Feeling Small

The Overview Effect: What We Can Learn From Astronauts About the Importance of Feeling Small, by @sambmd Good advice on getting more awe into your life: https://t.co/mAAM4VEEe4

By Lenore Skenazy
Nature's Interconnectedness Shapes Kids' Future Vision
SocialMar 29, 2026

Nature's Interconnectedness Shapes Kids' Future Vision

Need a shot of inspiration? Here's 3 mins of @Ashoka founder Bill Drayton on seeing the interconnectedness of everything in nature, and how getting into the woods as a KID shaped him. Kids need a chance to explore the REAL world. https://t.co/3hAsZUdNre

By Lenore Skenazy
Free‑Range Childhood Vanishes Amid Parental, Legal, Social Pressures
SocialMar 25, 2026

Free‑Range Childhood Vanishes Amid Parental, Legal, Social Pressures

"The Quiet Disappearance of the Free-Range Childhood" When can a kid play outside alone? 2 parents, 1 stranger & the state collide. By @BigThink & Stephen Johnson Sums up a lot of the work of Diane Redleaf, Peter Gray, @JonHaidt, @DavidDelugas & me! https://t.co/ialHO40DHR

By Lenore Skenazy
Stand By Me’s Hidden Melancholy Signals Lost Free‑range Childhood
SocialMar 22, 2026

Stand By Me’s Hidden Melancholy Signals Lost Free‑range Childhood

I wrote on "Stand by Me," too. @SarahAWildman's piece is better: "The End of the Free-Range, Device-Free ‘Stand By Me’ Childhood" "I thought I remembered the film well--the quest, the camaraderie. But [recently] I realized I had missed the melancholy." https://t.co/mmoVLaYg35

By Lenore Skenazy
Lenore Skenazy | Pulse