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    My Free-Range Lecture At Yale

    Hi Readers!
    This is an hour-long lecture I gave at Yale last month, about everything Free-Range. Just thought I’d put it up here. Looking at it has taught me a couple of things, perhaps most saliently:  My green jacket is way less cool than I thought it was. Also: Need haircut!

    Anyway — here you go.  (Somehow I couldn’t embed the video itself):

    http://bit.ly/48NA8h

    — Lenore

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    15 Comments

    3. Gary S on

      I watched it on my Mac, had to click the MediaPlayer link but it worked just fine. And yes, the green was a little scary. Wouldn’t let you near my kid :-p

    5. Dot Khan on

      The audio is out of sync with the video. (I worked as a professional video camera man for 20 years)
      Ironically, I was in New Haven the day you made your lecture.Too bad most lectures at Yale aren’t open to the public or at least not publicized that they are.

    6. Melissa on

      I like the scarf a lot. It’s pretty. And your speech was great too! Just got the book today. Can’t wait to dig in!

    7. Jacqui on

      What’s really crazy is that you’re regarded as a revolutionary, because you are so normal! You’re like an advocate of normal behavior in this funny world where above-normal expectations are making everyone more and more stressed out. Please keep just being witty and down to earth!

    10. Deb on

      Listened to most of it – family is needing my attention so will finish tomorrow. Loved what I saw – almost 30 min. I need to hear that voice of sanity over and over. It is indeed very hard to shake those images the media has put into my head.

    12. Karl on

      Watched the video. My comments:

      The green jacket wasn’t too bad. The scarf was a bit much. A lighter colored top would really highlight your dark hair. 🙂

      Years ago I used to go up to a barn to ride horses. There was a sign there that read, “Fun first. Safety second”.

      I watch CSI as entertainment. I never thought it had anything to do with reality. I consider that show(s) to be something of a good example for girls. You can be “hot”. You can be all techno. You can be into math and science. You can still be cool.

      “Safety Industrial Complex”. I love it.

      My first time on the subway alone was when I was 12 or 13. My grandma gave me five bucks and said, “Go to the ball game”. Five bucks for train fare, ball park tickets (Cubs), and a hotdog, that tells you how long ago that was.

      Until watching this clip, I had no idea how pervasive this whole helicopter parent thing has become. I almost always had to walk to school. No metal detectors at the school house door. There were consequences for asking a parent for a ride to school. “Why didn’t you get up on time?”

      Something that just crossed my mind. When I was 14, a friend and I started a rental unit cleaning business in Chicago. Oh my God! This meant not only traveling into other neighborhoods. It also meant going in to vacant apartments with landlords who we’ve never met. The horror! It is truly a blessing that nothing ever happened to us. Well, nothing besides making $$$. Can kids start little businesses like that anymore? I’ve been self employed my entire adult life. Heheh, in New York they say, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere”. In Chicago they say, “If you can’t make it here, you’ll never make it anywhere”.

      By the way, I took my first 800 mile round trip train trip when I was 15. Should my parents have been arrested? When I was 16, I accompanied my 13 year old sister on the same trip but on the bus. You know what kind of people ride the bus, don’t you?

      Keep up the fight, Lenore. Western Civilization needs you!

    13. Bethany on

      Loved the lecture. Made my helicoptering parent of a husband listen to about the last 15 minutes. He didn’t like what you had to say. (Well, you know, just exactly where was she getting those numbers? And we’d have to do more research and see if those numbers are really acurate and reliable.)

      Arguement ensued followed with more explaination of your background. Relayed the 9 -year-old-on-the-subway story which really bothered him. At which point I just laughed and reminded him that at the age of ten he was driving a 15-passenger van full of church members around a small town in Mexico. Never one to question his parents judgement or safety standards, this put a whole new light on things.

      I told him although I can’t imagine letting our son ride the subway by himself at 9 (because we don’t have anything of the sort where we live) at the same time I can’t imagine letting my son at 10 drive a van full of congregants (because I don’t live in a rural town in Mexico). However, of the two, I thought I’d let him ride the subway first because at least then I’d only be “risking” my son’s life vs. his life plus anyone on the street or in the vehicle with him.

      So, although this very long conversation meant I was up until 2am, I slept much better knowing that I had made a break-through w/ dh. Who knows? Maybe next time I let my kids jump off the couch w/out holding their hands, he won’t worry (quite as much). Thanks for the conversation starter!

    14. Steve on

      Hi Lenore,

      Excellent presentation ! I really enjoy your energetic speaking style.

      Anyone interested in advertising the Free Range Cause should send a link to this video to all their friends, especially school teachers and principals.
      Keep up the great work!

    15. Mariana Evica on

      Really appreciate your work, Lenore; I’m so sorry I didn’t catch you at Yale, since I live about 30 minutes away. Next time you’re going to be in Connecticut, give us the high sign!