When I was growing up, it wasn’t unusual for my sister and me to grab breakfast and head out the door for our next adventure. “Be back before dinner!” Mom would wave us off with a smile. Our neighborhood was our playground.
As I get ready to join my co-authors for the Brave Families Book Summit celebrating the launch of The Ultimate Guide to Long-Lasting, Loving Relationships, I’ve been thinking about my chapter in the book, The Gift of Play: Raising Healthy, Resilient Children.
It has dawned on me that many parents in Washington, D.C., and in cities across the country don’t have that option.
Some children can’t ride a bicycle around the block, wander in the woods searching for fairy caps, or play kickball in the street. Not because their parents don’t value play. Because their parents are protecting them.
Some parents desperately want to give their children the gift of free play, but their circumstances make that incredibly difficult. How do we create safe places where all children can experience the developmental gifts of play? As we encourage families to embrace play, I don’t want to lose sight of that reality.
This year, I’ve had the immense joy of volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club of America here in DC. The Club is more than an after-school program. It’s a place where children can play, belong, and feel safe. That’s why places like the Boys & Girls Club are so important—not because they occupy children after school, but because they provide something many neighborhoods no longer can: a safe place to play.
I’ve been writing a lot about One Safe Adult. This year has reminded me that children also need One Safe Place. The two often go hand in hand. Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give children today isn’t simply encouraging more play. It’s creating places where they are safe enough to play.
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If this reflection resonates with you, I invite you to explore Brave Families: The Ultimate Guide to Long-Lasting, Loving Relationships, a collaborative book featuring practical tools and heartfelt stories from 25 authors dedicated to strengthening families and nurturing meaningful relationships.
If you’d like to go a step further, I hope you’ll join us for the Brave Families Book Summit, August 5–6, 2026. This free online event features interviews and live panel discussions with many of the contributing authors. I’ll be participating in a live panel discussion on Wednesday, August 5, where we’ll explore Building Strong Family Foundations and share practical ways to help children grow into healthy, resilient adults.
Whether you join us for the Summit, read the book, or simply continue the conversation, thank you for caring about the well-being of children and families. I hope to see you there.
For the Sake of Children 