364: Why Kids Are More Anxious Today and How to Fix It | Lenore Skenazy

Be Well by Kelly Leveque

Kelly Leveque

Nutrition, Education, Health & Fitness, Alternative Health, Self-improvement

4.8 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 December 2025

⏱️ 70 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Ever wonder if all the hovering, scheduling, and “keeping kids safe” is actually making them more anxious? In this episode, I sit down with Lenore Skenazy, founder of Let Grow and author of Free Range Kids, to explore how giving kids independence, freedom, and trust can help them thrive. We cover Free Play Fridays, friendship clubs, and simple everyday strategies to build competence, confidence, and that all-important internal locus of control. Lenore shares real stories, expert insights, and practical tips that you can start using today to help your children become capable, confident, and joyful…all while easing your own parental stress. → Leave Us A Voice Message! Topics Discussed: → How can giving kids independence reduce childhood anxiety? → What is the Let Grow approach to free-range parenting? → How do Free Play Fridays and friendship clubs help kids thrive? → Why is the internal locus of control so important for children? → How can parents build confidence without hovering or over-scheduling? Sponsored By: → Be Well By Kelly Protein Powder & Essentials | Get $10 off your order with PODCAST10 at https://bewellbykelly.com. → AG1 | Head to https://drinkag1.com/bewell to get a FREE Welcome Kit with the flavor of your choice that includes a 30 day supply of AGZ and a FREE frother. → Function | Own your health for $365 a year. That’s a dollar a day. Learn more and join using my link. Visit http://www.functionhealth.com/bewellbykelly and use gift code BEWELL25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. → Maui Nui | The Reserve Holiday Roast is available now through Maui Nui Venison. Get yours at https://mauinuivenison.com/kelly → Kosterina | Use code KELLY for 15% OFF your first order at kosterina.com/bewell Not sure where to start? Shop all my Kosterina favorites at https://kosterina.com/bewell Timestamps: → 00:00:00 - Introduction → 00:05:40 - Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride The Train Alone → 00:10:52 - Helicopter Parenting Fears → 00:18:52 - Stop “Worst Case” Thinking → 00:24:51 - Community & Social Norms → 00:35:18 - What 5-Year-Olds Can Do → 00:40:21 - Social Media & Parenting → 00:45:07 - Let Grow Parenting Tips → 00:48:56 - Parenting Today → 00:52:19 - Yale Museum Study → 00:55:21 - Kids & Anxiety → 01:02:01 - Joy of Independence Check Out: → Let Grow Kids → https://www.freerangekids.com/ → X ( Twitter) → Instagram → YouTube → Free Range Kids (Book) Check Out Kelly: → Instagram → Youtube → Facebook

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	the only thing that changes parents is what also changes kids which is actually letting them go
0:06.3	before you're ready because you're being told you have to and it's a collective action and then
0:13.2	having the reward come afterwards which is look at my kid you're listening to be well by
0:20.8	kelly leveck.
0:24.1	After Lenora Skenezy's newspaper column, why I let my nine-year-old ride the subway alone
0:29.4	landed her on the Today Show, The Daily Show, Good Morning America, Dr. Phil, The View, Fox News, and NPR.
0:35.4	You get the idea.
0:36.6	She wrote the book, Free Range Kids,
0:39.3	which grew into the free range kids movement. Now she is the president of Let Grow, the national
0:44.3	nonprofit she co-founded with three others, including Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation.
0:50.7	Their mission, making it easy, normal and legal, to give kids back some old-fashioned independence.
0:57.2	Lenore says our kids are smarter, safer, and stronger than our culture even gives them credit for.
1:02.5	She has lectured everywhere from Microsoft to DreamWorks, Harvard Medical School, to the Bulgarian Happiness Festival.
1:08.7	It is such a pleasure to welcome Lenore, the author of Free Range Kids, and Let Grow, to the Bulgarian Happiness Festival. It is such a pleasure to welcome Lenore, the author of
1:12.0	Free Range Kids, and Let Grow to the podcast. She has some good old-fashioned advice for us parents
1:18.5	looking to give our kids some independence. My new amino acid supplements come in flavorless
1:25.2	and lemon water and they're flying off the shelves and here's why.
1:28.3	I have meticulously sourced these vegan fermented essential amino acids from Japan.
1:33.3	I am so proud of this being made the be well way with maximum quality and minimum ingredients.
1:41.3	My flavorless is simply those vegan fermented essential amino acids from Japan.
1:46.2	Our lemon water contains minimal ingredients of only organic lemon powder, organic citric acid, and organic
1:54.9	monk fruit. No natural flavors, no artificial flavors, no artificial sweeteners, no emulsifiers, no additives.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Kelly Leveque, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Kelly Leveque and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.