# Lenore Skenazy

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American journalist (born 1959)

Lenore Skenazy Born (1959-11-27) November 27, 1959 (age 66) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. Education Yale University (BA) Columbia University (MA) Occupations Writer and reality show host Organization Let Grow Known for Free-range parenting Notable work Books: " Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry" (2009) "Free-Range Kids: How Parents and Teachers Can Let Go and Let Grow" (2021) Television World's Worst Mom Website https://letgrow.org/

**Lenore Skenazy** ([/lɪˈnɔːr skəˈneɪzi/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English)) is an American speaker, blogger, syndicated columnist, author, and [reality show](/source/Reality_television) host, known for her activism in favor of [free-range parenting](/source/Free-range_parenting). In 2008, she wrote a controversial column on her decision to let her then-9-year-old son take the [New York City Subway](/source/New_York_City_Subway) home alone, which was completed without incident. The piece became a national story, prompting massive media attention. She was dubbed "America's Worst Mom".[1] In response, Skenazy wrote *[Free-Range Kids](/source/Free-Range_Kids_(book)),* adding a blog of the same name.

Skenazy is the president of [Let Grow](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Let_Grow&action=edit&redlink=1), co-founded in 2018 with [Daniel Shuchman](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Daniel_Shuchman&action=edit&redlink=1), [Peter Gray](/source/Peter_Gray_(psychologist)) and [Jonathan Haidt](/source/Jonathan_Haidt).[2] The organization's mission is to make it "easy, normal, and legal to give kids the independence they need to grow into capable, confident and happy adults." In 2018, her activism led to Utah being the first state to pass a "Free-Range Parenting" bill.[3]

## Early life

Skenazy is a 1981 graduate of [Yale University](/source/Yale_University). She got her master's degree from Columbia in 1983.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Career

Skenazy spent fourteen years as a columnist for the *[New York Daily News](/source/New_York_Daily_News)*, but was fired in December 2006.[4] She wrote about “intriguing oddballs”, such as a couple who got married underwater. She was featured in the 2006 Bravo series *[Tabloid Wars](/source/Tabloid_Wars)*, which focused on *Daily News* journalists.[5] She subsequently moved to *[The New York Sun](/source/The_New_York_Sun)* and wrote there until closed in 2008.

Lenore Skenazy speaking at [PorcFest](/source/PorcFest), New Hampshire Porcupine Freedom Festival

Skenazy's 2008 column in the *Sun*, "Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone," described her controversial decision to let her son take the [New York City Subway](/source/New_York_City_Subway) home alone, which was completed without incident.[6] The piece resulted in accusations of child abuse and memories of first-time subway trips and childhood freedom. The story was covered on *[The Today Show](/source/Today_(NBC_program))*, [Fox News](/source/Fox_News), [NPR](/source/NPR),[7] and [MSNBC](/source/MSNBC),[8] becoming worldwide news and being featured on *[Penn & Teller: Bullshit!](/source/Penn_%26_Teller%3A_Bullshit!)*, *[The View](/source/The_View_(talk_show))*, *[Nightline](/source/Nightline)*, *[Good Morning America](/source/Good_Morning_America)*, *[CBS News](/source/CBS_News)*, *[NBC Nightly News](/source/NBC_Nightly_News)*, *[Anderson Cooper](/source/Anderson_Cooper_360%C2%B0)*, *[Dr. Phil](/source/Dr._Phil)*, *[Nancy Grace](/source/Nancy_Grace_(TV_program))*, the [BBC](/source/BBC), the CBC, and ABC in Australia. In 2015, she was profiled in *[The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker)* and *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*.[9][1] Her blog's popularity led to *[Free-Range Kids](/source/Free-Range_Kids_(book))*.[10]

### Blogger

Skenazy proposed May 22, 2010, as the first "Take Our Children to the Park & Leave Them There Day"—a day for children to learn how to play by themselves without constant supervision.[11] In 2012 Skenazy hosted the reality television show *[World's Worst Mom](/source/World's_Worst_Mom)* on [Discovery Life](/source/Discovery_Life). The 13-episode series features Skenazy visiting anxious parents, including the mother of a 10-year-old whom she still spoon-fed; the mother who only let her 8-year-old ride a skateboard on the grass; and the mother of a 13-year-old who still took him into the ladies' room.[12]

In 2017, Skenazy co-founded the nonprofit Let Grow, along with Jonathan Haidt, Daniel Shuchman and Peter Gray. Let Grow's mission is to make it "easy, normal, and legal to give kids the independence they need to grow into capable, confident and happy adults." Its free materials for parents, schools, and counselors help them encourage independence and unstructured, unsupervised free play and real-world responsibility for adolescents and children.[13][14][15][16] In 2018, Utah became the first state in the U.S. to pass the Free-Range Parenting bill, assuring parents that they can give their children some independence without this being mistaken for neglect, for which the *Washington Post* credited Skenazy's 2008 column as a contributing influence.[3] Similar laws recognizing reasonable childhood independence have since been enacted in other states, including Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. Several other states have relaxed laws regarding some aspects of childhood independence.[17]

Skenazy is a frequent contributing writer for *[Reason](/source/Reason_(magazine))* magazine, covering mostly topics related to her concept of free-range parenting as well as [overprotective parents](/source/Helicopter_parent) and laws that punish parents when they leave their children unsupervised.[18]

## Personal life

Skenazy is Jewish.[19][20] Her paternal grandparents emigrated from [Çanakkale](/source/%C3%87anakkale), [Turkey](/source/History_of_the_Jews_in_Turkey).[21] Her maternal grandparents came from Russia and Poland.

## Bibliography

- [*Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry*](https://books.google.com/books?id=krE1y1SC3uEC). [John Wiley & Sons](/source/John_Wiley_%26_Sons). 2009. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0470471944](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0470471944). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [268790698](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/268790698).

- *Who’s the Blonde that Married What’s-His-Name: The Ultimate Tip of the Tongue Test of Everything You Know You Know…But Can’t Remember Right Now* ([Penguin Books](/source/Penguin_Books), June 2009)

- "The Dysfunctional Family Christmas Songbook" (Broadway Books, 2004), with co-author John Boswell.

- "When Good Parents Get Arrested". *[Reader's Digest](/source/Reader's_Digest)*. May 2016.

- Why Parents are More Paranoid than Ever, NY Post, March 31, 2018

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) Brody, Jane E. (January 19, 2015). ["Parenting Advice From 'America's Worst Mom'"](https://archive.nytimes.com/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/19/advice-from-americas-worst-mom/). *The New York Times*. Retrieved March 5, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Our People"](https://letgrow.org/our-people/). *Let Grow*. Retrieved March 5, 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_3-1) ["Utah's 'free-range parenting' law said to be first in the nation"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/28/utahs-free-range-parenting-law-said-to-be-first-in-the-nation/). *Washington Post*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0190-8286](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0190-8286). Retrieved March 5, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Kelly, Keith (December 1, 2006). ["Happy Holiday News – Hometown Paper Fires Columnist Skenazy"](https://nypost.com/2006/12/01/happy-holiday-news-hometown-paper-fires-columnist-skenazy/). New York Post. Retrieved October 12, 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Jae-Ha Kim (July 24, 2006). [""Tabloid Wars": Newspaper rivalry not much fun to watch"](https://www.jaehakim.com/2006/07/tabloid-wars-newspaper-rivalry-not-much-fun-to-watch/). *Chicago Sun-Times*. Retrieved March 5, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Skenazy, Lenore (April 1, 2008). ["Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220506154236/https://www.nysun.com/article/opinion-why-i-let-my-9-year-old-ride-subway-alone). *nysun.com*. Archived from [the original](https://www.nysun.com/article/opinion-why-i-let-my-9-year-old-ride-subway-alone) on May 6, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["At What Age Should Kids Ride the Subway Alone?"](https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89502019). *npr.org*. April 9, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Mom lets son, 9, ride subway alone"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080408015837/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23935873/from/ET/). *todayf.com*. Archived from [the original](https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23935873/from/ET/) on April 8, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Mother May I?"](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/mother-may). *The New Yorker*. February 23, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Author Lenore Skenazy Explains 'Free-Range Kids'"](https://abcnews.go.com/Health/LifeStages/story?id=7551264&page=1). *ABC News*. Retrieved March 5, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["It's "Take Our Children to the Park and Leave Them There Day""](http://reason.com/blog/2010/05/22/its-take-our-children-to). *Reason.com*. May 22, 2010. Retrieved September 21, 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Thielman, Sam (December 1, 2011). ["'World's Worst Mom' goes globe-trotting"](https://variety.com/2011/tv/news/world-s-worst-mom-goes-globe-trotting-1118046858/). *Variety*. Retrieved March 5, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Prichep, Deena (September 3, 2018). ["To Raise Confident, Independent Kids, Some Parents Are Trying To 'Let Grow'"](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/09/03/641256596/to-raise-confident-independent-kids-some-parents-are-trying-to-let-grow). *[NPR](/source/NPR)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Petersen, Andrea (June 1, 2018). ["The Overprotected American Child"](https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-overprotected-american-child-1527865038). *WSJ*. Retrieved March 5, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Mission"](https://letgrow.org/about-us/). *Let Grow*. February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["Helicopter Parents versus Free-Range Kids"](https://doi.org/10.5040/9798216001515.ch-008). *The Problem with Parenting*: 129–151. 2020. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.5040/9798216001515.ch-008](https://doi.org/10.5040%2F9798216001515.ch-008).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["State policies and updates"](https://letgrow.org/states/). *Let Grow*. February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** Skenazy, Lenore (July 10, 2024). ["Cops called on 8-year-old child for being outside"](https://reason.com/2024/07/10/cops-called-on-8-year-old-child-for-being-outside/). *Reason.com*. Retrieved July 12, 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Skenazy, Lenore. ["A Jew Finally Frets About Heaven & Hell"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220320141034/https://www.amny.com/news/jew-finally-frets-heaven-hell/). amNY. Archived from [the original](https://www.amny.com/news/jew-finally-frets-heaven-hell/) on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Shefa, Sheri (June 9, 2011). ["Loosen the reins, columnist says to overprotective parents"](https://thecjn.ca/arts/books-and-authors/loosen-reins-columnist-says-overprotective-parents/). The Canadian Jewish News. The Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved March 20, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** Skenazy, Lenore (February 17, 1985). ["The Road to Canakkale: In Search of Turkish Roots"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/travel/1985/02/17/the-road-to-canakkale-in-search-of-turkish-roots/f2c1de7a-bc26-45c8-974a-ac8e9d885629/). Nash Holdings. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 20, 2022.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Lenore Skenazy](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lenore_Skenazy).

The Wikibook *[Lentis/Free Range Kids](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Lentis/Free_Range_Kids)* has a page on the topic of: ***[Free-range parenting](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Lentis/Free_Range_Kids/Free-range_parenting)***

- [Lenore Skenazy Website & Blog](http://www.freerangekids.com)

- [Lenore Skenazy archive, New York Sun](http://www.nysun.com/authors/Lenore+Skenazy)

- [Lenore Skenazy - Reason.com](https://reason.com/people/lenore-skenazy/)

- [Let Grow](https://letgrow.org/)

[Portals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents/Portals):
- [Biography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Biography)
- [Books](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Books)
- [Internet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Internet)
- [Journalism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Journalism)
- [Television](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Television)

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