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Category Archives: Germany
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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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
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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
Reevaluating Our Prohibition of Fire
“Don’t play with fire!” is such a common warning in the U.S. we take for granted that it is true. We believe that the best way to deal with kids’ fascination with fire is to prohibit it entirely. But this … Continue reading
Talking at Google
A little while back, I had the opportunity to visit the Google campus in Seattle to talk about how Germans raise self-reliant kids. And here’s the video! Couple highlights: About 12 min: there’s a comparison of US vs. German … Continue reading
Posted in Achtung Baby, Germany, parenting, Uncategorized
Tagged fire, freekids, TalksatGoogle
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Rebuilding the American Community — First: Stop Calling the Police on Parents
Photo by Matty Ring When I heard that Americans were calling the cops on parents, I hoped that maybe a few incidents would make people see reason and stop. Then, it happened to one of my friends. Recently, my friend … Continue reading
Posted in Achtung Baby, and my super opinion, Commentary, Germany, parenting
Tagged freekids, police
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Sara Zaske 
Conquering a Dragon in Psychology Today
My first post for Psychology Today is about bringing some reasonable risk and more creativity to American playgrounds — so our children have the chance to learn how to manage risk and face their fears. German kids enjoy playing on structures … Continue reading →