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Free Range Kid Goes To Central Park, Takes Subway Alone, Too
By
Jen Chung
Published May 23, 2010
Modified May 23, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 23, 2010
Modified May 23, 2010
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After successfully provoking discussion about the lost days of letting kids go to the park—gasp—alone earlier this week, Free Range Kids author Lenore Skenazy headed to Central Park yesterday for "Leave Your Kids at the Park Day," dropping 12-year-old son Izzy at the Ancient Playground. Skenazy told the Daily News, "There used to be this ancient thing called play."
Back in 2008, Skenazy caused a bit of an uproar when she let the then-9-year-old Izzy take the subway by himself. On the brink of his teenage years, Izzy is still excited about his freedom, "I love it - there's so much more I can do. I can go see a friend in a completely different borough... In elementary school everyone had their parents everywhere... [and] random people...would say, 'Where are your parents?'" Naturally, when Central Park playtime was over, the News reports, "Izzy was taking the subway alone to Queens while his mother went to lunch in Manhattan."
Skenazy's supporters are telling her about how their kids fared in the parks by themselves; one said, "My 11 year old LOVED it! Played with two friends of his for hours. It was raining and he got good and muddy. He come home exhausted but full of stories about his day!" while another shared, "Can’t do the park thing today, my 8 year old daughter has an all day event at Girl Scout camp, but I did leave my 6 year old son in the car while I went into the local library to check out your book :)"
Tagged
central park
free range kids
helicopter parenting
Izzy Skenazy
Leave Your Kids at the Park Day
lenore skenazy
park
subway
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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