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Just got this in the mail and had to share. And if you’re thinking about a holiday gift…here’s azdbbnzafr
the link! – L.
Ms. Skenazy,
I’m a first time mom. I found your book on a whim. It’s the best thing I’ve ever read. And I was an English major/teacher so I’ve read a lot. Shakespeare, Vonnegut, Homer… I liked you better.
While pregnant I read zero other parenting books. I only read yours. It gave me so much confidence as a new mom. Granted my son is only four months old so he won’t be playing outside unsupervised for awhile but when he does now I’m ready!
In the Internet age it’s easy to get caught up in the hype that other moms put out there, “If you let your child walk to the park/talk to a stranger/walk away from you in any public place they will be kidnapped and die.” It was overwhelming and for awhile I worried I was going to be a bad mother because I didn’t share those view points. Was there something wrong with me because I wanted to give my son a childhood like I had and believed was still possible? Once I read Free Range Kids I realized nope, nothing wrong with me!
Thank you so much for writing this book and giving me confidence as a new mom to be who I want to be and to raise my son how I want to raise him. Without fear!
Best,
Sarah G.
Wishing you everything good, Sarah, and the same to your lucky boy!
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6 Comments
Anxiety is worry about worry about worry. Media thrives on it. The more they can make you worry, the more people will tune into their tv program, the more newspapers/magazines they sell, or the more clicks they get for their web site.
Many parents are bombarded with the message that if they aren’t a nervous wreck with worry, then they are not good parents. I’m exaggerating but not by much.
Your book is fresh air. Not only does it ease the pressure and give children freedom to develop, but it does something else as well. A mental attitude is hereditary. Parents pass it to their children all the time. If they are a nervous wreck then chances are good that the children will be as well. If these children are still nervous wreck at the age when they have children, they’ll probably pass it on as well.
This is a big reason why the world has gotten so crazy in the last 40 years.
Your book is on our list of gifts to give to expectant parents.
“Free Range Kids” is THE book that inspired my husband and I to grant our kids the freedom and independence they deserve and need to develop into strong, smart, resilient people, AND to stand up for our rights to do so! I couldn’t recommend it more.
This is the best gift ever! For everyone on your list. Parents, grandparents, teenagers. School teachers, curriculum writers, use your imaginations!
Remind the recipients they can review the blogs! It’s a gift that keeps on giving!
I never read a single parenting book. I spent most of my time talking to grandmothers. Grandmothers who had several kids and a beaucoup of grandkids. Grandmothers who feed you to death and smack you with a stick and then give you a glass of iced tea to both drink and apply to the resulting bruise that arose from getting smacked with a stick. I figured if they had that many young’uns running around then they most likely knew a thing or two about the subject. Although I did get online to get a rough estimate of when to expect various milestones, ’cause after handling 15 kids grandmas’ memories get fuzzy about when various stuff happens.
Write another book in about 25-30 years and I’ll buy it. You should be a grandma by then. 😉
Kidding aside, I’m sure it’s been very helpful to a lot of people and not just the commenters here who’ve read it. I may pick it up if I can ever get some spare change. I kid use some tips on how to legally beat off the psycho fear-mongering people with a stick.
I’ve read Lenore’s book and passed it on to a friend. She passed it on, and so on.
Everyone wants to give advise on parenting, but no body knows what the hell they are talking about. My favorite advise was this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sycgL3Qg_Ak