I forget how I discovered Lenore Skenazy's website but I was so glad that I did. I have very much enjoyed the articles, and interacting with the other readers and with Lenore herself. In today's society it is hard to be a confident parent, not so much because the issues are bigger or harder but because of the pressure from other parents, the media and the "professionals".

I never really remember hearing about Lenore's son's trip in the news or on any of the talk shows. Then again, I don't watch the news much and stopped watching talk shows a while ago when Dr. Phil started leaning toward a Maury type program. (I had always wondered if he wasn't going to go that way. And I don't know what his program is like now as I haven't watched in over a year.) So, back to the toughness of being a parent.

I remember my parents telling me (or me overhearing a conversation) that they questioned whether or not it would be wise to start a family in the very late (1978) 70's. The world was a terrible place then and I believe that they still believe that to this day. (Mom, if you are reading, feel free to comment!) Knowing that my parents believed that, I still think they did a pretty good job raising us in this cruel world; raised us in such a way that my brothers and I are all having kids too. When I met my husband and we were talking about what our life would be like together, there was never any question that we would have lots of children (by today's standards) and we'd have them right away.

I am a worrier and tend toward being a very strict parent, what Lenore calls a helicopter parent. My husband is not so much. Or at least we are strict and hovering in different areas. I am anal about their bedroom being clean and jobs being done right the first time. He has more grace that way and he's teaching me to do the same. He on the other hand struggles with letting them go. He likes them in sight 90% of the time. We do get sitters and have friends that will watch them quite regularly. The struggle for him comes when we let our seven year old daughter walk the half a block to the library to get books or to play on the computer there or attend a program. When we are attending a community event he is constantly doing a head check and micromanaging them as we walk. Part of that is the experience, right? He doesn't walk with them often while I take the five of them and go shopping and to get the mail a couple times a week. I'm used to them lagging behind, or playing at the little sitting area while I'm in the post office. Our seven year old is anxiously awaiting the day she is allowed to go to the store or to get the mail herself.

When I saw that there was a book, I approached Lenore Skenazy for the opportunity to read and review Free Range Kids. I didn't know what I was going to get from or gain by reading it for sure because I already like to give my kids the skills and experience they need to live in today's world. However, I was sure that my husband would gain some insight. As I was reading through the copy Lenore sent me, I would read bits and pieces of it to him. An amazing fact there and a funny comment here. He doesn't like how hovering parents are either and Lenore was able to put it in perspective for him. He was (and still is a little) one of those parents that says, "it's not my children I don't trust, I know they can do it, it's everyone else!" I think that mindset have been put in perspective for him a little. Through reading this book together, we have decided to increase the boundary for our oldest two children (ages 6 and 7) to our back alley and the one side road.

Another thing that Lenore Skenazy touches on is all the media hype on such things as BPA and kidnappings. She has contacted professionals in those specific areas and found the actual statistics and given us those links so we can read them for ourselves from organizations that are proven trustworthy. Being from Canada, the stats she sites are not 100% applicable but the prinicples apply. (I need to actually do the search for Canadian stats and I have asked my husband to contact his RCMP friends to find out specifics for our local area.) Education is power and that is one thing that Lenore has succeeded in doing, at least for me.

Being that we were already trying to allow our kids some freedoms and not worry, Lenore's book did more to encourage us on that path and to make us feel like part of something. We are seen as a little strange in our community (I think; maybe I'm wrong). We drive a mini school bus; we live in a church; we have 5 children and we homeschool. Those are not mainstream things. And we always seem to be going against the flow. We don't really fit anywhere, but like Dave Ramsey says, I don't want to be normal! Normal in today's society is not really a good thing, in my opinion. We are lacking a lot of common sense. We make ourselves sick with worry. We are in debt up the wazoo. We are followers that are willing to just follow whomever and whatever comes our way, without getting to the heart and the meat of the issue. I'm not saying you need to make yourself a second job of looking for the answers but be educated. And I think that is part of Lenore's point too.

Lenore has a way of putting our fears and our worries in perspective. She made me really think about why I was worried and what I was worried about, or what my husband or friends were worried about. The book is such an easy read, like having a conversation with a friend. Lenore comes across with humor, and makes me laugh at myself. I had so many "DUH" moments and I was surprised by the number of times I could say, Hey we already do that! We really are Free Range Parents!! Look at that, honey! He'd just chuckle at me and my enthusiasm. As part of each chapter, Lenore has babysteps for readers to try to slowly and surely take to plunge to being free range.

Thanks, Lenore, for writing this book. The content is a breath of fresh air in a worried world! Let's all just relax a little.  Let's take the plunge and empower ourselves and our children.

You can buy the book at Amazon.  Wiley books (the publisher of this book) are available at your local bookstore or by calling 1-800-225-5945.  In Canada, call 1-800-567-4797

Written by LaDonna on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Filed under Free Range Kids, Lenore Skenazy, Posts By LaDonna.
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