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Creators Syndicate columnist Lenore Skenazy continues to make national and international headlines this month with her freshly minted crusade against hyper-parenting, paranoia and the myths that propagate the two.

This time, though, she is not alone.

The April publication of "Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone" thrust Skenazy's parenting styles into the limelight and landed her in a pit of controversy -- a pit that at first glance seemed teeming with adversaries. (Creators' April coverage details reaction to the piece.) Less than two months after the flurry created by the initial article, however, Skenazy finds herself not in a pit but at the top of a heretofore-obscure movement. A "Free Range" movement, that -- with Skenazy as the newly recruited leader -- is prepared to launch itself into the global spotlight.

In an e-mail interview, Skenazy breaks down the background of the movement, how she came to be the Free Range "It Girl" and how this new role has affected her and the countless parents who stand on either side of the Free Range fence.

Although Skenazy provided the momentum, as well as the name, for this rapidly growing movement, she explains that her article was not the inception of the rebellion against so-called "helicopter parenting," but rather the ignition of an already fiery issue.

"The 'movement' itself seems to be born out the inevitable pendulum swing. … [And] did seem to be gaining ground before the article," explained Skenazy. "A lot of academics had been noticing this same problem -- cowering kids, enveloped by too much love and worry -- and commenting on it."

Books such as "A Nation of Wimps," by Hara Estroff Marano, have hit the stands this year, but it wasn't until Skenazy's initial article that the issue really took flight.

"For some reason, my article really seemed to ignite the issue. It touched such a raw nerve all over the globe. And I think the reason was simple. … I put my kid on the subway. … I put my bunny where my mouth is, so to speak."

With that simple action, detailed in the famous article, Skenazy didn't just ignite an issue but literally set the nation ablaze with controversy, much to Skenazy's surprise. She was quickly approached to lead the budding movement, give like-minded parents a voice, and step into the growing maelstrom of media scrutiny.

"My initial response [to being approached and recruited as the spokeswoman] was shock: 'You want me on the "Today" show to talk about my kid taking the subway? That's a national story?'" recounted Skenazy. "But as the calls poured in, I realized; oh, this really is a huge issue to parents. They're either sick of being worried and glad to hear someone officially say they don't have to be so uptight … or they think I'm a negligent, benighted woman who doesn't really care about her kids."

The movement now had a voice, a spokeswoman and -- thanks to her new blog, Free Range Kids -- a moniker worthy of international attention. Skenazy explains how one term seemed to breed another and provided the fodder for the promulgation of the Free Range concept:

"Once we got the word 'helicopter parenting,' we all started to notice it everywhere -- schools, playgrounds, birthday parties. It's disheartening. But once we realized what was going on, we had something to react against. Free Range just crystallized that notion. Also, a movement needs a name, and I think by naming my blog Free Range Kids, I gave us a rallying cry and a name."

Though Skenazy leads the cause with a rallying cry for repudiation of urban myths about the appropriate level of parental guardianship, she does so with a mother's caution. Despite the accusations of negligence and her appointment as fearless leader, Skenazy herself faces and tries to overcome parenting challenges every day. Her son may have taken the subway home by himself, but he has yet to set foot on a skateboard.

That is about to change as Skenazy again "puts her bunny where her mouth is." With a future safe skateboarding venture planned for her more-than-shocked son, Skenazy is facing not only the nation's parenting fears but also hers. The experience has been life-changing and the impact enormous, and Skenazy continues to chart new territory with her son Izzy.

He was, after all, the center of national media speculation.

"Because the article has become such a big part of my life," Skenazy explained, "I do find myself examining the way I'm raising my kids and realizing in some cases: Yuck. I am really sorry that I signed my son up for so many after-school programs. … Just as an upshot from this thing, I've come to realize that letting them be on their own, doing their thing in an unstructured setting is probably more important than learning yet another skill in a classroom setting."

As surprised and pleased as Izzy is to reap the skateboarding benefits of his mother's Free Range momentum, so too are countless parents pleased to find that Skenazy's personal parental trepidations mirror their own.

"I never said I was a relaxed parent. All I said was I'm trying not to be a paranoid one. So like most parents the world over, I do at least my share of worrying, and I cannot claim that my kids are free like little birds."

Skenazy's honesty, initially villianized, now unifies a growing parental chorus. She has received letters of gratitude from budding Free Range parents, as well as provided the topic for countless parenting discussions and the controversy for PTA meetings. And although, like all movements, Free Range has its share of opposition, Skenazy is content with the amount of dialogue the movement has created.

She continues her assault against the urban myths that allow helicopter parents to hover over the nation's playgrounds and, armed with statistics, reminds readers that, "Times are the same crimewise. They are different parentwise."

Although still recovering from the onslaught of media attention brought on by her columns, Skenazy admits that the experience may warrant exploration in a longer format.

"I'm excited about giving the movement its (hopefully funny) manifesto," she says. "I would guess that I will end up writing a book about this that I hope will end up sparking a lot of discussions."

As the media attention grows, stay tuned to Creators for Skenazy's further progress.