You were dubbed America's worst mom for letting your nine-year-old son ride the New York City subway alone.

Would you still allow him to do that if he was nine years old today?

Yes.

If you think that nothing is safe enough, not sleeping over at a friend's house, not going into the deli, you're really living in a horror movie. The only way that you can feel more

calm and trusting of the world is to actually let go for a minute and realize it's okay. Would you let your nine-year-old ride the New York City subway alone? Most parents would say no way,

but Lenore Skenezy said yes and sparked a global conversation. Dubbed America's worst mom after her

bold experiment, Lenore turned the criticism into a movement with her groundbreaking book,

Free Range Kids, and her nonprofit

let grow, empowering parents to give their kids the independence that they need to thrive.

As a journalist, speaker, and leading voice on childhood autonomy, she's been featured

everywhere from the New York Times to the Daily Show, challenging us to rethink how fear

shapes modern parenting. Today,

we dive into her journey, her practical advice, and why letting go might just be the key to

raising confident, capable kids. Watch this episode on the Culture Apothecary Spotify or

Real Alex Clark on YouTube, which you should subscribe to, by the way, because occasionally

I'm posting vlogs from my life and travels that give you more of a sneak peek into my day to day beyond just culture apothecary.

Another place that that happens, my Instagram at Real Alex Clark.

You can also find the show for additional content at Culture Apothecary.

This show is free.

All I ask is that you pause real quick.

Take 10 seconds. Leave a five-star review on Apple or Spotify. This show is free. All I ask is that you pause real quick. Take 10 seconds,

leave a five-star review on Apple or Spotify. Talk about your favorite episode or the one that you think new listeners should start with. Please welcome the best-selling author of one of my very

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