• Allowing children to make their own choices and solve their problems.
• Exposing children to the world without direct supervision.
• Teaching essential skills and autonomy.

Free-range parenting, a term coined by Lenore Skenazy in 2008, refers to a parenting style where parents give their children the freedom to make their own decisions and navigate the world on their own, while still providing guidance and support when needed. The concept of free-range parenting has gained significant attention in recent years, particularly among celebrity parents like Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell. In a recent episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Shepard discussed his approach to parenting, stating that he and his wife trust their children to make good decisions and give them the autonomy to explore the world.

“Do whatever you want. I trust you, you know how to get home. You know how to flag a stranger. They’ve had really a ton of autonomy, I think, relative to other kids,”

said Shepard. His wife, Kristen Bell, also expressed her support for the approach, highlighting the importance of giving children the freedom to learn and grow. Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation, joined Shepard on the podcast to discuss the benefits of free-range parenting. Haidt argued that parents should give their children the freedom to take risks and make mistakes, as it is essential for their development and growth. “The gut response is why should you take any risk. Whereas, if you think about it, you realize, ‘Wait, If I don’t train my child how to take risk… I’m creating a child who won’t be able to deal with the world’, and that’s what we’ve done,” said Haidt. According to Haidt, parents who practice free-range parenting expose their children to the world without direct supervision, forcing them to make their own choices and solve their problems. This approach allows children to develop essential skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking.

The term “free-range parenting” originated from a 2008 New York Sun article by Lenore Skenazy, who let her then-9-year-old son take public transit home without supervision. Skenazy, who wrote the book Free-Range Kids: How Parents and Teachers Can Let Go and Let Grow, emphasized the importance of giving children the freedom to make their own choices and learn from their mistakes. “There’s something lost to the kids when they are constantly under surveillance and constantly helped and assisted and supervised,” said Skenazy. She added that this approach can lead to children becoming overly dependent on parents and lacking the skills to navigate the world independently. Similar to other parenting styles, free-range parenting is not a “one size fits all” approach. It depends on the child’s personality, the environment, and the parents’ anxiety level. Some states, like Illinois and Oregon, have laws that restrict children under the age of 10 from being left alone. In the end, free-range parenting is not about raising little rebels, but rather about raising children who know how to fend for themselves if and when a situation calls for it. By giving children the freedom to make their own decisions and navigate the world on their own, parents can help their children develop essential skills and autonomy.