Parents: Keep Out!
Psychologist Peter Gray argues that modern societies have dramatically reduced children's opportunities for independent, self-directed play, replacing it with constant adult supervision, structured activities, and academic pressure. Drawing on anthropological work with hunter-gatherer societies, his own research, and personal stories, he explains how free, age-mixed play builds social skills, problem solving, independence, and psychological resilience, and links the loss of such play to rising anxiety and depression in young people. He and host Shankar Vedantam also discuss practical ways for parents, schools, and communities to restore more autonomy and unstructured play to children's lives.
How to raise confident kids in an age of anxiety | Lenore Skenazy
Journalist and free-range parenting advocate Lenore Skenazy discusses why children's independence has dramatically shrunk over recent decades and how this shift is linked to rising anxiety and depression among kids. She explains the cultural and media forces that fueled overprotective parenting, outlines concrete steps for parents, schools, and communities to safely restore age-appropriate freedom, and describes legal reforms like the Reasonable Childhood Independence Law. The conversation emphasizes how letting kids do things on their own builds competence, confidence, and resilience while revitalizing neighborhoods and preparing young people for adult life and work.