Lenore Skenazy

Lenore Skenazy is often referred to as “America’s Worst Mom.” This speaker, blogger, syndicated columnist, author, and reality show host gained that title after she wrote a 2008 column about letting her 9-year-old son take the subway alone, a decision that spurred national attention.

Post this incident, Skenazy wrote the book and started the blog, “Free-Range Kids,” which sparked the anti-helicopter parenting movement. This work, in conjunction with her role as the president and founder of Let Grow, an organization advocating for free-range parenting and childhood independence, has made her a significant figure in parenting activism. In fact, her actions had a large influence, leading Utah to become the first U.S. state to pass the Free-Range Parenting Bill in 2018.

Throughout her career, Skenazy's bold belief that our children are more competent and safe than our culture credits them for has seen her feature on various talk shows, including The Daily Show, Dr. Phil, The View, The Today Show, NPR, Good Morning America, Nightline, ABC World News Tonight, CBS Early Show, CNN, FoxNews, Anderson Cooper, the BBC, CTV, and CBC.

She has given lectures globally, including speeches at Microsoft Headquarters and the Sydney Opera House, and has also written for numerous outlets ranging from The Wall Street Journal to Mad Magazine. Skenazy spent fourteen years as a columnist for the New York Daily News and was also featured in the 2006 Bravo series Tabloid Wars.

On her Discovery Life reality show, “World’s Worst Mom” (a.k.a. “Bubble Wrap Kids” in Canada), Skenazy assists over-protective parents, helping them to realize their children's potential for independence. She encourages kids to engage in activities such as walking to school, playing in the woods, or running a lemonade stand and films their progress. The series has been successful in changing parenting perspectives, leading to lasting growth in the children’s independence.

Despite being dubbed "America's Worst Mom," Skenazy continues to advocate for children's freedom and independence, helping parents understand the power of free-range parenting. Her works, including her several books like "Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry," continue to influence parenting cultures worldwide.

Skenazy is a 1981 graduate of Yale University and a 1983 master's graduate from Columbia University.