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Category Archives: Achtung Baby
What I learned in Minnesota
When I was invited to visit the Twin Cities, I expected to share what I know about raising self-reliant children, but I also walked away inspired by the people and places I encountered there. Here are some of the things … Continue reading
Posted in Achtung Baby, education, parenting
Tagged free kids, Germany, immersion school, playgrounds, self-reliant
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Achtung Baby in the Twin Cities 1/29
I’m headed out soon to lovely St. Paul, MN. Come join me to talk about raising self-reliant kids! Wednesday, January 29, 7-9 p.m. O’Shaughnessy Educational Center Cleveland Avenue North Saint Paul, MN 55105 More info – visit the St. Paul … Continue reading
Posted in Achtung Baby, Germany, parenting
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Online preschool: another bad education idea that is so American
We want our kids to be competitive in America, and to do that we keep turning to technology. It was one of the biggest differences I noticed between American and German education systems. Despite persistent budget problems and the constant … Continue reading
Posted in Achtung Baby, and my super opinion, parenting
Tagged education, online preschool, play
2 Comments
Do Parents Matter? Recommended reading for raising free kids
Fair warning: this book may shake any strong convictions you have about the right way to parent. The LeVines have studied parenting practices in cultures all over the world. One of my favorite examples is the Nso people of Cameroon … Continue reading
Posted in Achtung Baby, Book Review, parenting
Tagged children, cultural differences, freekids, helicopter parenting, parenting
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Mommy Laid an Egg! recommended reading for raising free kids
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole is a silly book that tells kids the basic facts of life, and yes, it includes some ridiculous illustrations. When my daughter was in first grade, her teacher read this book to her … Continue reading
Posted in Achtung Baby, Book Review, parenting
Tagged birds and bees, children, education, freekids, parenting, sex ed
3 Comments
THE WAVE: recommended reading for raising free kids
Nearly all German teenagers read this book about how easy authoritarianism can take hold. Americans might want to read it too — because it happened here. The book is based on an experiment at a high school in Palo Alto, … Continue reading
Posted in Achtung Baby, and my super opinion, Book Review, Germany
Tagged authoritarian, die welle, holocaust, neveragain, the wave
4 Comments
Happy New Year! The ACHTUNG BABY paperback is out today!
* The first New Year’s Eve in Berlin, I thought the Germans were crazy. Everyone was shooting off fireworks. Not just tourists but shopkeepers and retirees, whole families with little kids setting off some pretty serious explosives for the … Continue reading
Posted in Achtung Baby, Germany, parenting
Tagged free kids, German, paperback, parenting, self-reliance
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Play Everywhere
We stumbled upon some interesting places to play on our recent trip to Berlin and Copenhagen. Play everywhere is a good value — these two cities don’t just limit play to little parks. The German embassy in Copenhagen had these … Continue reading
Posted in Achtung Baby, Germany, parenting
Tagged Berlin, copenhagen, denmark, free kids, Germany, play, playground
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Children’s right to be with their parents
I write a lot about children’s rights. My book, Achtung Baby, is an attempt to convince American parents that kids have a right to play, to walk places on their own and to follow their own interests. Children’s right to … Continue reading
Posted in Achtung Baby, and my super opinion, Germany
Tagged asylum, children's rights, family separation, immigration, parents
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More evidence that kids are capable
Another great video from German fire educator Kain Karawahn that might shock American parents: pre-school kids making bonfires. What I love about this video is that the kids are not only lighting fires — they are cutting wood, preparing food, … Continue reading
Sara Zaske 