“World’s Worst Mom” Lenore Skenazy will be at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on September 14 to talk about fear and freedom when it comes to raising your kids
Who: Lenore Skenazy
What: “How Did We Come to Believe Our Children Are in Constant Danger from Creeps, Kidnapping, Germs, Grades, Flashers, Frustration, Failure, Baby Snatchers, Bugs, Bullies, Men, and the Perils of a Non-Organic Grape?”
Where: Museum of Jewish Heritage — A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, Edmond J. Safra Plaza, 36 Battery Pl., 646-437-4202
When: Wednesday, September 14, $12 (includes one drink), 7:00
Why: Just in time for back-to-school season, Lenore Skenazy, the creator of Free Range Kids and the facilitator of the Discovery Life Channel reality series World’s Worst Mom, will be at the Museum of Jewish Heritage to explain why it’s okay to give more freedom to your kids. On the show, Skenazy has dealt with such scenarios as children riding their bike, walking the dog, or taking the bus for the first time without parental or other adult supervision. She attempts to calm the fears of overprotective, paranoid mothers, but instead she gets such responses as “I’m very irritated with you, Lenore,” from a young mother whose two children just walked the three blocks from school to home by themselves one afternoon. “It’s setting them up for something unrealistic. They’re not going to walk to school by themselves,” the mother argues, even as her husband thinks it was a good thing. Skenazy also writes the Free Range Kids blog, examining news stories and setting everyone straight on statistics involving such issues as child abduction and abuse. “Children deserve some unsupervised time” is one of her rallying cries, but not everyone agrees. You can join in the heated debate on September 14 at MJH, although you should bring your sense of humor as well, because Skenazy promises that this is a funny talk; tickets are $12 and include one drink.