- Sara Pecora doesn’t believe in helicopter parenting and wants her child to be more independent.
- She organized a weekly playgroup at her local play area where like-minded parents can send their kids.
- Parents take turns as the sole adult watching the kids from a distance as they explore and have fun.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sara Pecora, 41, a hairstylist and mom of one from Richmond, Virginia. It has been edited for length and clarity.
When I reflect on my childhood in the early 90s, some of my best memories are hanging around our neighborhood with my friends.
We’d explore the woods behind the houses — building forts out of sticks — and spend hours messing around in an empty lot at the end of one of the cul de sacs.
Nobody came to check on us. It was a case of being home by a certain time.
Now that I have a child of my own, I’ve struggled with the general shift toward helicopter parenting and the lack of independence among kids. So I’m doing something about it.