https://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mllh7jkcy226SO GOOD! By Steve Magness: "Playgrounds & free play are risk calibration tools....When risk is removed from play, kids are more prone to anxiety disorders, because they never develop the ability to cope with fear-inducing situations." The Risk of Comfort: https://stevemagness.substack.com/p/the-hidden-cost-of-comfort?r=6d8gwp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true11 May 2026 14:09 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllh7jkcy226https://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mljqluehbs2rThank you, Garry Trudeau! A Mothers Day gift for me and ALL MOMS! And KIDS! And it's funny!!! https://www.washingtonpost.com/doonesbury/strip/archive/2026/05/10 #Doonesbury10 May 2026 21:51 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mljqluehbs2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3ml2fo5nppc2xPARENTS w/ kids in sports -- or thinking about it! HILAROUS and MEGA IMPORTANT video for you starring Eli & Peyton Manning! Watch it! LOVE IT! You'll thank them, and so will your kids! https://youtube.com/watch?v=KSSXrefFQ8s @PositiveCoachUS @FBGreatMoments @Giants04 May 2026 19:26 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2fo5nppc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mkebomy7fk2xMAJOR STUDY FINDS: "Imaginative play is not just recreational but a foundational developmental tool that supports long-term mental wellbeing." LET'S STOP REPLACING IT WITH SCREENS & ADULT-LED ACTIVITIES! https://neurosciencenews.com/pretend-play-mental-health-30580/ H/T @sambmd #LetGrow26 Apr 2026 00:16 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkebomy7fk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mjxwxjmzcs2lHere'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 20-minute timer." https://experteditor.com.au/blog/x-im-65-and-i-cant-explain-to-my-grandchildren-what-it-was-like-to-grow-up-in-the-1960s-and-70s-not-because-its-hard-to-describe-but-because-what-im-describing-is-freedom-and-theyve-never-been-allowed/?shem=dsdf,sharefoc,agadiscoversdl,,sh/x/discover/m1/421 Apr 2026 02:32 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjxwxjmzcs2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mjwmaa27ic2hInterviewed 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://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lenore-skenazy-restoring-kids-freedoms/id1875726100?i=100076235462020 Apr 2026 13:48 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwmaa27ic2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mjnrh76toc27THANK GOODNESS! "In a survey of more than 1,600 parents, 82% agreed or strongly agreed that the benefits of tree-climbing outweigh potential injuries." @RichLouv https://www.childrenandnature.org/finding-nature-news/?utm_source=Children+%26+Nature+Network&utm_campaign=036e2c7714-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_08_05_08_50_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-94771892b2-39399657&mc_cid=036e2c7714&mc_eid=2ff459a3af#stat-sheet17 Apr 2026 01:27 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjnrh76toc27https://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mjhvfsvack2tRead this before signing your 3-year-old up for water polo! "I regret signing my kids up for so many activities when they were younger. They really didn't benefit from being rushed around." By Rachel Garlinghouse for Business Insider (reprinted at Yahoo--no paywall) https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/regret-signing-kids-many-activities-220703739.html14 Apr 2026 17:22 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjhvfsvack2thttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mjcl5io7yc2b"The first few times Ari cut himself he was so upset that he told his mom [Dana]. But when Dana reported it to his therapist, the response was, 'So many kids are self-harming that we don’t necessarily raise it to an ‘emergency’ unless they have a plan to commit suicide.'” https://nypost.com/2026/04/12/opinion/how-one-mom-saved-her-teen-from-online-groomers/12 Apr 2026 14:35 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjcl5io7yc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mizpcurx322tTheir Children Were Alone Outside. So Police Visited the Family—Twice. (This was in a Kansas town of 5000!) https://reason.com/2026/04/08/their-children-were-alone-outside-so-police-visited-the-family-twice/ via @reason #LetGrow09 Apr 2026 01:56 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mizpcurx322thttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3miykdcducs2eKIDS: PLEASE STAY HOME ON YOUR SCREENS. LOVE, CANADA'S WONDERLAND New policy no one under 16 can be there without a chaperone. (Because, of course, amusement parks are places of quiet and decorum, and not meant as, say, a park. Or an amusement.) https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/canadas-wonderland-makes-chaperone-policy-permanent-after-unruly-behaviour-last-fall/08 Apr 2026 14:54 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3miykdcducs2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mir5gngezs27Ooh, so much oozing, rotting and grime in early NYC, where roaming pigs ate the carcasses people threw from their windows, and well water was hopping with "frogspawn and reptiles." https://open.substack.com/pub/thepastimperfect/p/a-grim-tour-of-preindustrial-new?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email05 Apr 2026 16:14 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mir5gngezs27https://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mijhogvbuk2xSouth Carolina is #LetGrow's first "Lighthouse State," spreading our FREE independence-building materials thru its schools. Traditional "SEL" has kids breathe, meditate, self-soothe. Let Grow gets kids OUT AND ABOUT. They play, run errands, cook...THRIVE! https://standtogether.org/stories/education/a-childhood-independence-movement-is-scaling-up-for-impact02 Apr 2026 14:56 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mijhogvbuk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mibxdoisec2xHigh School Seniors can win $14,000 in scholarships in the @LetGrowOrg THINK FOR YOURSELF essay contest! Deadline: Ap 30. One of 4 prompts: Describe a time when you suddenly had to do or figure out something on your own. AND MORE!30 Mar 2026 15:15 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mibxdoisec2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mibuv53f5k2pA little girl's first shopping experience by herself. Impressive, of course. But also just incredibly cute! Kids can do SO MUCH! How did we forget that??? #LetGrow! @Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/KidsAreFingAdorable/comments/1s6o7bm/solo_shopping/?share_id=PBPvOmKXt8UrNURlarrCb&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1030 Mar 2026 14:31 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mibuv53f5k2phttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mi6ceilrj22eA Chicago mom started a "REAL WORLD" summer camp: Kids go to grocery, laundry, even a cemetery. And they find their way via public transit. THE KIDS LOVE IT! The parents are GRATEFUL! The growth is REAL! https://letgrow.org/real-world-summer-camp-kids-independence/29 Mar 2026 04:22 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi6ceilrj22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mhxt2r3ugk2dEXTREMELY DEEP PIECE by @SamBMD abt how "Leave!" is the most popular relationship advice on @reddit. And surging! This shows "a culture in which the presence of any friction...has become grounds for exit. We have quietly rebranded avoidance as wisdom." bit.ly/40V1MaM https://bit.ly/40V1MaM26 Mar 2026 14:32 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhxt2r3ugk2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mfmotkaew22fCalling all US play researchers & practitioners! Deadline to submit your abstract for Int'l Play Assoc conference -- #IPA2026 -- in New Zealand -- is coming soon! MARCH 1! Share your work on the global stage! Submit here: https://www.ipachristchurch2026.com/call-for-abstracts #ChildDevelopment #Play24 Feb 2026 17:27 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfmotkaew22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mfd5tzlquc2tWhere can you get reasoned, kind, real-world responses to a question like this: "At what age do you suggest 1. Cross the street alone, and 2. Go around the block alone?" At @LetGrowOrg's Raising Independent Kids FB group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/759938234394061 https://media.tenor.com/oDihLReqAhoAAAAC/jaune-arc-rwby.gif?hh=225&ww=40020 Feb 2026 22:29 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfd5tzlquc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mfa7palfpk2gThis mom made it happen! Started with 6 kids now has 43: HOW TO GIVE KIDS SCREEN-FREE PLAY TIME: https://letgrow.org/screen-free-play-time-let-grow-play-club/19 Feb 2026 18:24 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfa7palfpk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mem6qopxvc2lINDIANA -- WOO HOO! Indiana's legislature just passed the Reasonable Childhood Independence law UNANIMOUSLY! Heading to @GovBraun's desk now! Kudos to sponsors @JakeTeshka & @wilburn4IN! (And @LetGrowOrg!) Happy Hoosier Kids! https://media.tenor.com/A-5rqAy2legAAAAC/indiana-usa.gif?hh=200&ww=30411 Feb 2026 19:14 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mem6qopxvc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3megsr7tmzc2jA little piece on the history of pancakes (by me! In the @WSJ, no less!): https://wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/lets-flip-for-pancakes-on-shrove-tuesday-b2d75c31?st=cnBbHR&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink09 Feb 2026 15:56 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3megsr7tmzc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mdr5ghvsjk2fMom hears her 5th grader is being bullied on the bus--wants to jump in. "No," he says. "I've got this." How'd he get so confident? When she (anxiously) started letting him ride his bike around, he MADE FRIENDS. Kids need INDEPENDENCE. @LetGrowOrg https://letgrow.org/mama-bear-and-the-5th-grade-bullying-incident/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnGOZSIm3oj1wadxVF0cZc4uMrTX2Qw3bitCVwbXc-cUflokWgUiJbjL03rrQ_aem_dG2aTTZyZheo1JaNTZ7FYg01 Feb 2026 01:08 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdr5ghvsjk2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mdnizs5ovs2jFrom "Stand by Me" to "Stand by Mom" My piece on the classic film in today's Wall Street Journal: "After grabbing sleeping bags and canteens, they’re off, not a healthful snack in sight. No sunscreen, no adults, and no way to reach mom to say, 'I forgot my retainer.'” https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/kids-need-adventureswithout-their-parents-6c489d30?st=rcr2Pr&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink30 Jan 2026 14:25 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdnizs5ovs2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mdjmvceqmc24"When adults intervene unnecessarily in children’s lives—supervising their play, mediating their disputes—they effectively call the rehearsal off, increasing the odds that things will go poorly later on." By @SimonLewsen @TheWalrus https://thewalrus.ca/is-it-dangerous-to-let-kids-be-free #LetGrowOrg29 Jan 2026 01:24 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdjmvceqmc24https://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mcl5ln4zw22yGeorgia mom lets son, 6, scooter to park. Lady stops him: How old is he? Where are his parents? Kid gets scared--scooters home to get away. Lady follows him home, notes address. Child protective services arrives 3 days later. Cites mom for neglect. https://reason.com/2026/01/16/she-let-her-6-year-old-ride-to-the-park-alone-georgia-called-it-neglect/ #LetGrowOrg16 Jan 2026 22:30 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcl5ln4zw22yhttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mcd3v642lc2iGREAT piece by Casey A Smith on Reasonable Childhood bill hearing in Indiana yesterday! When it comes to investigating parents who let their kids do things unsupervised, said Rep. @JakeTeshka: “The standard should be danger, not disapproval.” https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/01/12/let-kids-be-kids-bill-clears-indiana-house-committee-with-bipartisan-support/ #LetGrowOrg13 Jan 2026 17:38 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcd3v642lc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3mbh7yhjtjk2cThe partying in the high school bathrooms got so bad (one had a BUBBLE MACHINE) that a kid wrote about it for the school paper. When it got edited to nothing, he posted it online. THEN -- (This won @LetGrowOrg's Think For Yourself essay contest): https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/01/01/beating-high-school-censorship-threats/02 Jan 2026 15:37 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3mbh7yhjtjk2chttps://bsky.app/profile/freerangekids.bsky.social/post/3maw4lv4znc24Great piece by @jamesbmeigs on the OBVIOUS, OVERLOOKED alternative to phones: Give kids back REAL LIFE. Let them bike, shop, cook, wander...w/out US! All the things we curtailed, when trying to keep them "safe" from almost everything (except screens): https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/let-your-kids-join-a-biker-gang-26a71bb8?st=YKnuKh&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink26 Dec 2025 20:21 +0000at://did:plc:ofevmeh3umrr5ueutfpis3y4/app.bsky.feed.post/3maw4lv4znc24