Let Go To Let Grow (with Lenore Skenazy)

Lenore Skenazy's life completely changed after allowing her child to navigate the New York City subway alone at just 9 years old.

She went on to publish a book called Free-Range Kids which grew into a movement. Now, Lenore is the president of Let Grow, the national nonprofit she co-founded with three others, including Jonathan Haidt of "The Anxious Generation."

Her mission is to make it easy, normal and legal to give kids back some old-fashioned independence.

In this conversation, Lenore discusses the societal shift toward fear-based parenting and the decline of free play. She gives practical strategies for parents to encourage their children to take risks and develop much-needed confidence. Skenazy emphasizes the need for parents to let go and trust their children, highlighting the benefits of independence for both kids and parents.

Could the cure to an anxious generation be as easy as letting go?

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• Let Grow: https://letgrow.org/
• The Let Grow Experience (a free independence-building curriculum for teachers/schools)
• The Let Grow Play Club (free implementation guide for schools, YMCAs, churches, synagogues, etc., to create a time and place for kids to play and socialize in a no-phone zone)
• After Babel by Jonathan Haidt and Zach Rausch
• The Anxious Generation (NY Times Best Seller)