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10 tweets,
3 min read
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1/10 Here’s a thread on a piece in today's @nypost titled "Free-Range Parents Let 4-year-old Play with Fire and Curse Like a Sailor” by @MaryHuhn, @AnthonyBeltempo & @HeatherHauswirth. Have a read and then come back for the analysis.
2/10 Free-Range is NOT:
X Letting young children run unaccompanied into the street
X Stay up all night, and “curse like a sailor”
X No bedtime
X No sugar
X Saying F**k freely
X No limits
X Letting young children run unaccompanied into the street
X Stay up all night, and “curse like a sailor”
X No bedtime
X No sugar
X Saying F**k freely
X No limits
3/10 In truth, those are *lifestyle* choices. Free-Range is about giving kids independence and the tools they need to grow up a competent human and be able to thrive in ever-changing landscapes. We’re against *over-protection,* not protection itself.
4/10 For example, we believe parents must teach kids to cross the street safely before we let them do it on their own. It’s about preparing the child for the path, not vice versa.
5/10 In fairness to the parents in the article & video, it’s likely these were edited for maximum clicks and outrage. Many of the activities featured (like rough & tumble play, exploring the woods) are what we encourage kids to experience to help them grow.
6/10 @LetGrowOrg, which was born out of FRK, doesn’t say parents should never discipline or teach their kids. We say our culture *underestimates* what kids can do & *overestimates* danger. Result: A generation of kids riddled w/ anxiety & who equate discomfort with being unsafe.
7/10 Like the parents in the story, we *do* think kids can learn how to use a sharp knife, handle bumps, and help with shopping at a young age. Like the parents, we *do* push back on the idea that parents must be worried constantly about their kids getting kidnapped.
8/10 We *do* think parents have been scared away from letting their kids do so many wonderful, formative things *they* did as kids: playing outside, exploring, chores, problem-solving, and YES, using a knife -- thing that help create competent, confident, and resilient kids.
9/10 When the media toss every controversial parenting decision into a blender and serve it up as Free-Range, they are trying to make parents think it’s a hodge-podge of danger and neglect.
10/10 So fight hysteria. Fight the media's obsession with child danger and parenting styles. And if you want, learn more about @letgroworg!
