Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/1020932
12 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • September 2018 12 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • September 2018 WRITTEN BY BRANDY CENTOLANZA Helicopter parenting versus free-range parenting. No matter what side of the spectrum moms and dads fall on, the goal is to raise strong, independent children. But just how much freedom to give to children and when is the question. While Diane Lane, a mother of five, doesn't like to use labels when it comes to parenting, others have described her style as free-range. For Lane, the pros of free-range parenting simply are "more independent, capable, confident children." How this classic parenting style teaches kids responsibility through independence Said Lane: "As parents it is our job to raise adults. Our kids will go out into the world someday if we do our job well. By allowing them more freedom at a younger age, we are setting them up to take on the 'real world' without batting an eye because they've already lived in the real world." For example, Lane is comfortable sending her 9-year-old out to the car to retrieve something she forgot when she is in the store or allowing her 4-year-old to go to the children's section of the library to choose her own books while Lane picks out books for herself. The Benefits of Free-Range Parenting "Let your kids lead the way..."