Lenore Skenazy

Forget Nanny 911, there's a new parenting sheriff in town, and her name is Lenore Skenazy. Readers may remember her as the famous or infamous — depending on which parenting circles you run in — New York columnist who was dubbed the "world's worst mother" for allowing her 9-year-old son to ride the subway solo in 2008. Instead of backpedaling and trying to save face in front of all those haters, Skenazy turned her adventure in parenting infamy into a whole movement, known as Free-Range Parenting, in direct opposition to the Helicopter Mom phenomenon.

Skenazy is now the host of a new reality series, Bubble Wrap Kids, where she attempts to "unwrap" a generation of tots being protected to the point of suffocation by their well-meaning, way overprotective parents. The first episode finds Skenazy counseling an extremely anxious mother of a 10-year-old boy who isn't permitted to skate, ride a bicycle, eat bacon, go to camp, or use a knife. Currently, the show is being produced in Canada, but if an American version shows up, will you watch?

Drop the kiddos off at this Saturday's first ever Take Our Children to the Park . . . And Leave Them There Day. Playgrounds are abuzz with parents discussing the amount of freedom children need. The day, which free-range parenting pioneer Lenore Skenazy created to draw attention to today's tendency toward over-parenting, is encouraging mom and dad to allow their kids — particularly those over 7 years old — to play without restrictions.

But for parents who aren't ready to leave their kiddos completely alone, we have three tips to ease your way into allowing them more freedom.

• If an entire afternoon at the park sounds too scary, try five- and 10-minute increments of freedom.
• If you're used to hovering over your child on the jungle gym, try sitting on a bench and watching from afar. You'll still be close enough to keep tabs on things.
• Rather than tote a bag filled with toys and equipment, let your child lead the way. See where some unstructured play time leads them.