Hot Topics: Free Range Parenting

Written by Behrman House Staff, 14 of December, 2015
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A Maryland family's run-in with Child Protective Services sparked a national debate about parenting styles, namely helicopter parenting vs. free range parenting philosophies. Is there a right way to raise kids?

According to Maryland law, children under the age of 8 must be attended by a responsible person over age 13 when at home, at school, or in a car. The police twice picked up one family's children for walking home from the park unattended, and the CPS charged the parents with neglect for letting the children out unsupervised. Though they were subsequently cleared of those charges, the ordeal has sparked a national debate on parenting decisions. 

In the latest Hot Topics: Free Range Parenting, students will consider what skills a child needs to develop as they get older, and reflect on how they use those skills to take on new responsibilities.

This new resource will help students:

  • Read about different approaches to raising children 
  • Study a Talmudic text about the relationship between parents and children
  • Recognize how their past experiences have prepared them for their current and future responsibilities 

You can download Hot Topics: Free Range Parenting here.

Each Hot Topics edition includes an article, a lesson plan for a 50-minute class, and a glossary of terms. A new topic will be available every two weeks for $3.99.

Did you miss the previous series of Hot Topics? You can find all twelve here. (Type 'Hot Topics' in the search field.)

Do you have a hot topic you want to address with your high schoolers? Let us know!

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