In this episode of Culture Bites
Culture Bites: Giving Kids Their Independence Back
In this engaging and thought-provoking episode, Dominic Gourley is joined by Lenore Skenazy, founder of Let Grow and author of Free-Range Kids, to explore the growing cultural resistance to childhood independence. They discuss how modern parenting norms and school policies are increasingly restricting unstructured, unsupervised play—often in the name of safety or inclusivity—at the expense of children’s confidence, problem-solving skills, and resilience.
The conversation kicks off with a real-world example of a school banning free play activities like football, and unfolds into a wider critique of how adult-run schedules and excessive supervision undermine kids’ natural development. Lenore emphasizes the importance of letting kids take small, age-appropriate risks, and how learning through play—and even failure—is foundational to building self-efficacy.
Drawing connections between childhood independence and traits valued in adulthood like initiative and leadership, Dominic and Lenore point out the irony: we expect adults to take risks and innovate, but prevent children from developing those same capabilities when they’re young. They discuss Let Grow initiatives like the “Let Grow Experience” and school-based play clubs, which aim to collectively normalize giving children more freedom.
The episode closes on a powerful note: true resilience isn’t taught through protection, but through experience. If we want confident, capable adults, we must stop over-managing kids and instead “let go and let grow.”