Even after 14 years of marriage, dad can't convince mom to let their kids have some freedom. Their 10-year-old daughter desperately wants a play date. Their 12-year-old son fights to ride his bike without being supervised. And they both want to play in the backyard without being monitored by walkie-talkie.
A suburban family's serenity is ruined by their mom's fear that a predator will abduct her two sons. Both kids can't venture to the corner store by themselves or play in the park across the street. The eldest wants to be a dancer but mom won't let him into the change-room by himself, stunting not only his childhood, but also his future career dreams.
Rob has handed most parenting decisions over to Kelly, and now their children live under a blanket of fear and limitations. Their son is only allowed to ride his skateboard on the grass and worries about getting cancer. Their daughter can't cross the road by herself, and is often sick and anxious due to constant fear mongering.
Mom turns her house into a prison. Living in constant fear of murderers, she forbids her six kids from playing outside, having sleepovers, and even her 13 year-old son can't go to the mall restroom on his own. Mom disguises herself to follow her kids and posts rules throughout the house to monitor her children's every move. Dad is at his wit's end. Enter Lenore Skenazy; a parenting expert who helps parents shed their child-rearing fears. But when an assault in the local park shocks the community, Lenore has to think fast and alter her plan.
Dad's in law enforcement, but doesn't enforce his relaxed parenting style at home. Mom's strangle-hold on their four boys is driving the family crazy. She won't let her eldest go off with his friends, forbids him to ride his bike without her present, and even brushes his teeth for him. Dad just wishes they could hire a babysitter, ditch the kids, and go on their first romantic outing in 12 years.
Mom and Dad are convinced their five young children could be abducted and murdered at any moment, and have passed those fears on to their kids. The kids are never allowed outside unless they are with their parents and are only allowed to play on the enclosed back deck. Mom & Dad even want to start a business that would use actors to lure children into their cars to teach kids a lesson about trusting strangers.
An emotionally volatile mom refuses to budge on her overprotective parenting. But the fate of her four children and her husband hinge on her willingness to change. The eldest son is forbidden to go to parties, his younger sister still sleeps with her mom, and no one is allowed in the kitchen for fear of electrocution. Her own daughter calls her crazy.
A single mother has reached her breaking point but refuses help from her three daughters. The girls need their independence but mom's fears result in major trust issues. The kids aren't allowed to use any appliance in the kitchen, walk the dog, or even go to the grocery store. The 11-year-old twins have never had a play date and the 16-year-old can't go to parties. With her inevitable departure to college in a year, something has to change.