Special interview with Lenore Skenazy on Free Range Kids

[HuckleB]

Run time: 12:11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-WSqVUV71k   Posted on YouTube: September 29, 2010 By YouTube Member: NewsOnABC Views on YouTube: 740   Posted on DU: October 02, 2010 By DU Member: HuckleB Views on DU: 720

 
A fantastic, mildly entertaining interview that sums up the reasons for the Free Range Kids movement.

:hi:

[davidinalameda]

1. is this like free range chickens?

[HuckleB]

2. Unfortunately, the clichéd phrasing does work both ways.

[jennied]

3. She has no middle ground. It's either you overparent and that equals

your kids staying in the house and getting diabetes. Or you just let your kids play in a park by themselves and that equals healthy and productive children? Why not let your kids play and meet new kids and keep an eye on them? It's so simple.

I don't agree with those silly children leashes or with too-strict parenting, but she's going way too far. She has no concept of reason. And I think I just lost a few brain cells watching that.

[HuckleB]

4. That's not true at all.

If you read her book, and her blog, she has reason very much on her side.

[jennied]

5. What's in her book and blog that she didn't sum up in the video?

[HuckleB]

6. Did you make your original statement without knowing anything about her?

What did she say in the video that is not supported by reason? By rational, evidence based thought?

:shrug:

[jennied]

7. Well...

It's in my post above. When I say that she has no reason, I mean that she is not considering other simplistic thought. Like I said, she has no middle ground. When I was listening to her video I agreed with her on some points, until she went too far. I see no problem with a parenting system that has a little of both because kids need boundaries and they also need freedom and room to develop a sense of self.

And why are you laughing at me? (Yes, I seen the laughter before you edited it.) I asked a question about what's different in her blog and book that isn't summed up in the video is all. Maybe, based on some sort of real answer from you, I can agree and perhaps change my mind and read her book and blog. I have an extremely open mind.

After a few minutes of thought -

When I was a child I walked to the park and the local market with my friends. But there was always a group of us. I guess the idea of a child doing this on their own is sort of jolting. I guess there are way too many degrees to be on just one side of this topic. How much freedom you allow your child should never be just one sided, because it depends on the circumstances. I guess that's one reason why this lady just sounds too over-the-top for me and lacks reason. There are too many degrees to parenting and it can't be just one way. And her one way of letting kids have the freedom to be on their own on the subway or even parks is just scary.

[HuckleB]

8. In other words, you can't answer the question, thus your claim is baseless.

Thank you.

(And I laughed because you made such a claim, and then showed that you knew nothing about Skenazy. That is worth a laugh.)

[jennied]

9. My goodness, then explain it to me. But you can't, can you?

I'm ready for a thoughtful discussion... even if we disagree, but you keep insulting me.

[HuckleB]

10. Explain what to you?

You made a ludicrous claim that you have not backed up in any way, shape or form.

And you want a thoughtful discussion?

Offer some thoughtfulness, and I'll be there!

[jennied]

11. Ah I see - you don't want an actual discussion - you just want someone to agree with this video.

And you think for some reason that a disagreement is an insult and therefore nothing I have said has been thoughtful.

I was asking you to explain anything that I missed because it seems to you that I have missed a lot and don't have the capacity to understand.

So I'm done here.

[HuckleB]

12. I asked you to back up your assertion.

Thus far, you have failed to do so.

Until you do, you are clearly not asking for an actual discussion in any way, shape or form.

Now, will you back up your claim?

[Populist_Prole]

13. She was dead nuts accurate. What was normal then is radical now

I did not find her at all to be polarizing. To consider it that, to me, just underscores the paranoia today. I was thankfully a free-range kid, as were most of my friends, although we didn't realize it at the time. We knew there could bad people but we were taught smarts instead of sequestered. I blame the media the most. A for-profit machine that will not pass up ANY opportunity to fill airtime.

I think most "helicopter parents" know this. When I hear debates amongst friends/co-workers/relatives regarding that, the over-parenters are the the most readily riled and most likely to get pumped up and aggressive regarding their decision; like they know they don't make logical sense but try to compensate by attempting to bludgeon opposite views through pure emotion and intimidation; the leaning forward and jutting their fingers in your face type yelling types. As a side note, and don't pillory me here, the helicopter parents I know are conservative, all of them. Which is ironic, since most of them decry liberals as the proponents of the nanny-state.

Just my observations...........

[HuckleB]

14. Thanks. -eom-