Pediatric nursing specialist Mary Muscari here asserts that childhood is much more than the years between infancy and adolescence: it is an essential time for the experiences that create happy and well-adjusted adults. In Let Kids Be Kids,Muscari identifies fourteen essential aspects of childhood that are often ignored and even threatened by today's society-including opportunities for unstructured play, a connection with nature, and the time to make joyful noise. An important resource for child health care professionals, Let Kids Be Kids will also be an invaluable guide for parents in their daily efforts to raise healthy children.