I remember reading Skenazy in the Daily News when I rode the F-train -- she's funny, and witty, and makes excellent points here, although the book is certainly too long and repetitive. All parents these days should realize the role television plays in instilling fear, and that statistics show the world is no less safe than it was when we were kids, disappearing from our houses after breakfast and not showing up until dinnertime. ( )

This books gives very specific examples of fears that cause parents to cottonwool their kids and then presents statistics, research, and anecdotes to show why those fears are, if not groundless, not worth depriving your child of a rich life. Interesting topic, and presented in a light-hearted manner. Examples include the lack of any poisoned Halloween candy - ever, and the likelihood of your child being abducted by a stranger. ( )

Wow, wish I'd had this book when my kids were growing up. Lenore Skenazy helps parents deal with their unreasonable fears for their children - as well as their reasonable fears - and gives kids a break by allowing them to experience those things that help turn them into responsible (but not fearful) adults. A needed corrective for our fear-mongering society. ( )

WOW! Just WOW! Lenore Skenazy has written a modern manifesto for parents who have been convinced that helicopter parenting IS the only way to parent. Free Rang Kids is an exceptionally entertaining and enlightening read. It tackles the issue with great humor and insight.

What it all boils down to is this - your view of how safe the world is has been shaped by the media you watch. When you really break things down things are no more or less safer than when you were a kid. So why has parenting changed so dramatically?

It's a fascinating hypothesis and a book that gives the modern parent a LOT to think about. I think it's simply an exceptional book and one of the best I've read this year. ( )

I was prepared to be unimpressed. I assumed that this book was written solely to capitalize on the current media exposure of the author’s lax parenting, extending her 15 minutes of fame (or infamy). I didn’t expect it to be particularly well written, or well researched. I didn’t expect it to change my parenting style, which is pretty middle-of-the road.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered this book to be well-written, humorous, well organized, mostly supported by data, and include a full bibliography.

Lenore Skenazy presents her viewpoints with a wry sense of humor, sometimes being self-deprecating but more often gently poking fun at helicopter parents. She does a good job of taking a particular topic, weighing the risks to the children and the effectiveness of parental hovering, and delivering a clear decision about the appropriate level of protectiveness. Do we need locks on our toilets? No. Do we need car sets? Yes, yes, of course.

I finished this book in just a few nights’ reading. After finishing it, I still didn’t think it would impact my parenting style, as I already shared many of the author’s viewpoints. The topics that we disagreed on, we’d just have to agree to disagree. But I was amused to find myself giving my kids just a touch more freedom in the weeks after reading this book. Nice job, Ms. Skenazy! ( )