I want to say that we should save the brain forest, right?

Because it disappeared without us noticing.

I mean, I don't feel like there's anybody almost.

There just aren't a lot of people talking about the value of this natural resource, which is childhood, spent

figuring things out on your own and making things happen. And when it disappears, our world is gasping.

Hello and welcome to the Brendan O'Neill show with me Brendan O'Neill. This is a podcast in which an esteemed

guest joins me to talk about the big ideas, the bad ideas, the problems and the controversies

of life in the early 21st century.

This episode is coming from New York City, where I am delighted to be joined by Lenore Schenesi.

Lenore is one of the sanest voices in social debates in the US right now,

especially on issues relating to childhood, the cult of safety,

and why it's actually a really bad idea to wrap children up in cotton wool.

She is president of Let Grow, a non-profit that promotes childhood independence and childhood resilience.

And that was born out of her free-range kids movement.

And Lenore founded free-range kids shortly after a huge controversy enveloped her when she allowed her nine-year-old

son to ride the subway from New York City on his own and caused an absolute media sensation and storm. She was dubbed America's worst mum.

Since then she has been writing, speaking and campaigning on the right of children to live more freely and the right of parents to have more freedom too.

She is in her own words fighting the belief that our children are in constant danger from creeps,

kidnapping germs, grades, flashes, frustration, failure, baby snatches, bugs, bullies, men sleepovers, and the perils of the non-organic grape.

Lenora, welcome to the show.

Thank you, I think we're done.

That's it. You got it.

...