This Simple Fix Could Help Anxious Kids: A Conversation with Lenore Skenazy

The Self-Driven Child

I’m thrilled to have Lenore Skenazy, founder of the Free-Range Kids movement, as my guest on the show today. Lenore has been sounding the alarm about childhood anxiety and overprotection for years, and she shares powerful insights from psychology professor Camilo Ortiz’s recent research on how independence - not just accommodation - can help anxious kids thrive.

Timeline Summary:

[00:53] - Introducing Lenore Skenazy and the Free-Range Parenting movement.

[02:09] – Lenore’s New York Times article about how we’ve increasingly deprived kids of independence.

[06:15] - Camilo Ortiz tried “independence therapy” with anxious kids.

[08:33] - This therapy works like cognitive behavioral therapy but starting with intrinsic motivation.

[14:13] - Overprotection may make kids scared, not the world itself being scary.

[16:19] - Taking away autonomy means no problem-solving.

[19:03] - Trying to protect makes kids anxious. Independence provides chances to gain optimism.

[24:32] - Activities create intrinsic motivation to overcome obstacles and build resilience.

[27:17] - We’ve taken the foot off the developmental brake.

[32:02] - Schools are ideal for “Let Grow” projects, normalizing independence among peers.

[33:33] - Holding kids back sends a dangerous message.

[43:32] - We must give kids freedom so they become brave, resilient adults.

Connect with Lenore Skenazy:

· LetGrow.org

· Free-Range Kids

· The New York Times: Anxious Kids Need to Learn Independence. Here’s How Parents Can Help

Links & Resources:

· The Croods Krispy Bear Dies!

· The National Library of Medicine: Learned Helplessness at Fifty: Insights from Neuroscience

· Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode. If you found it insightful, I urge you to share it with others. And hey, if you enjoyed it, please don't forget to rate, follow, and review our podcast. Your support means the world to us. Until the next time, remember to love your kids and stay curious!

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