When Lenore Skenazy let her nine-year-old son Izzy find his own way home by subway in New York City, she was reviled by some as "America's Worst Mom." But Lenore feels that as a society, adults have taken away freedom and autonomy from children, leaving in their place anxiety and passivity. The organization she co-founded, Let Grow, encourages parents to give their children the kind of small freedoms their generation had enjoyed  as children, such as walking alone to school or to the park, and playing  freely with other children, without being directed by adults.

How can schools and parents give children more free play, independence and responsibility? Is there evidence this can boost mental health and wellbeing?

Guests:

Read more from EdSource: Free-range parenting: A chat with Lenore Skenazy