Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark Stop Helicoptering! Raise Free-Range Kids & Beat Fear | Author Lenore Skenazy
Jun 13, 2025
Lenore Skenazy, founder of Let Grow and author of 'Free-Range Kids,' advocates for a radical shift in parenting. She shares her controversial experience of allowing her 9-year-old to navigate the NYC subway alone, sparking discussions on fear-based parenting. Lenore emphasizes the importance of trust and independence in children, challenging the media's role in amplifying parental fears. Explore the balance between safety and freedom, as she provides insights into fostering resilience and confidence in kids while embracing the free-range parenting revolution.
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Media Fuels Parental Fear
- Media amplifies rare dangers repeatedly, making the world seem more dangerous than it is.
- This leads parents to feel an impossible pressure to keep children perfectly safe.
Teach Kids the Three R's
- Teach kids the three R's: Recognize (no one touches private areas), Resist (run and shout), and Report (tell an adult).
- Encourage kids to talk to anyone but never go off with strangers for safety.
Son's Solo Subway Adventure
- Lenore's son wanted to prove his independence by navigating NYC subway alone at age nine.
- After careful preparation, he took the subway and bus confidently, feeling like a "regular New Yorker."
