'Free Range Parenting' promotes unsupervised play

NEW YORK

One New York mom who promotes it wants parents to leave their children as young as 8 years old alone in the park to play.

It's unsupervised play time, and this mom is not just promoting the idea she's also charging for it.

A New York mother of two says parents hover so much it robs children of their freedom.

/*Lenore Skenazy*/ claims parents fear of danger has them overwhelming their kids with supervision.

She has written a book "Free Range Kids", it's something she did with her children.

A few years ago she was called the worst mom in America for allowing her then 9 year old ride the subway alone, claiming now at 14, that he not only survived but has thrived.

Lenore's plan is to offer this parenting style in /*New York City*/.

Lenore's Free Range program for New York City parents is $350.

That's for nine 90-minute sessions where you basically drop your child off in Central Park while Lenore is a few blocks away in a coffee shop.

Parents have to sign a waiver.

"I wouldn't. I wouldn't not with my children. I don't think they should be responsible at such a young age," said Sonja Abromavage, a parent.

"I wouldn't want to pay for something like that," another parent said.

Every parent Eyewitness News spoke with said they would not participate.

But, several agreed that children need to play independently.

4 and 7 year old girls Melanie Chisholm grew up in New York City taking the subway.

Lenore says the over-scheduling has happened because of fears of kidnappings and other dangers, but she argues threats against children are much lower today than they were when she was growing up.

An /*Upper West Side*/ parent of three, Christina Elwell says that it's a child by child decision how much supervision they need.

"No matter where you are you have to keep a watchful eye," Elwell said.

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