We don’t always suggest you take parenting advice from celebrities, but Dax Shepard may be onto something by embracing “free-range parenting.”

In a March 2025 episode of Shepard’s podcast, Armchair Expert, he reveals that he and his wife, Kristen Bell, give their 10 and 12-year-old daughters a good amount of autonomy for their ages, and trust that the girls will make it home after going out and doing “whatever they want” unsupervised. This is what experts refer to as free-range parenting.

Similar in practice to lighthouse parenting, which means knowing when to keep our distance as moms and dads, this philosophy focuses on offering our kids increased independence and less parental supervision. Free-range parenting teaches kids resilience and resourcefulness, and improves their problem-solving skills. Examples are age-specific, but some include letting your tween walk to school by himself, play in the backyard with a friend, or run to the store down the block for a quick errand. 

That’s not to say that parental supervision goes out the window (because your kid just might go out the window too, in that case). It just means cooling it with the overbearing rules and anxieties; the goal is letting our children figure some things out on their own so that they can grow up to be well-functioning, independent adults. Constant parental intervention, much like a helicopter parent does, can be suffocating.

One expert who’s a fan of the free-range parenting practice is Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation and guest on this episode of Shepard’s podcast.

“The gut response is why should you take any risk,” Haidt says in the interview. “Whereas, if you think about it, you realize, ‘Wait, If I don’t train my child how to take risk ... I’m creating a child who won’t be able to deal with the world, and that’s what we’ve done.”

Newness is scary, especially for parents when it involves their kids. Remember how nervous you were when your kid took their first steps, or rode their bike without training wheels, or poured a bowl of cereal and milk on their own? All terrifying and even cringe-worthy to watch, but nevertheless, key to letting our kids grow up and learn on their own.

Of course, on the other side of the coin, others may argue that giving your child too much autonomy can be dangerous and that it can backfire. But the truth is that as with social media and screens, everything is okay in moderation, and experts like Haidt seem to agree. As the parent, it’s your job to set rules and keep your child safe. However, use your discretion when it comes to giving them just a bit more freedom. One day, when they fly the coop, you’ll be happy you did.

Want to hear more from Haidt and Shepard’s discussion of free-range parenting? Watch the full interview HERE.

Are you willing to give free-range parenting a try? What’s something you’re willing to let your child do independently?

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