We need more parents like them ...

[Corny]

.. yet the media called her "america's worst mother"

About a year ago, I let my 9-year-old ride the New York subway alone for the first time. I didn’t do it because I was brave or reckless or seeking a book contract. I did it because I know my son the way you know your kids. I knew he was ready, so I let him go. Then I wrote a column about it for The New York Sun. Big deal, right?

full article:
http://theweek.com/article/index/96342/The_last_word_Advice_from_Americas_worst_mom


What did you on your own at age 9? Granted the city where I lived wasn't as big as NY, nor did it have a subway.. but I basically rode everywhere with my bike. I would have preferred to be driven by my parents - but unless it were really long distances they told me that if I want to do this or go there, I'd have to move my ass
I still had to call them when I reached my friend or something like that - it's not like they didn't worry about me. But they trusted me to be able to do certain things on my own. Like going somewhere on a bike. Buying a comic magazine at a store, go to the library .. and and...

And today, in the era of cellphones .. parents are just getting more and more over concerned for their kids ..

Not to long ago a girl friend of mine encountered an ~10-12 year old boy in the girls showers at the swimming pool. With his mother. She explained the other ladies that she won't let him into the boys shower because there could be pedophiles ...

 

[treanir]

"Here's a bus pass, go and enjoy yourself."

I think that's where my love for being in transit started.

 

[asadoyayunta]

I'm not sure why you would want your 9 yr old child to be that independent.

 

[rareboy]

We were pretty much all over God's creation by the time I was 9. It was a simpler time I guess and in a small town, but there wasn't a whole lot of supervision when we would jump from the roof beams to the haystacks or press ourselves on the garage door and then use the automaticdoor opener to ride up and down, or play in dangerous running streams.

I think it was more a case of parenting a al Darwin.

I was hitchhiking when I was 12 and never once had a scary moment.

We were encouraged to be as independent and fearless as possible....it makes me cringe to see kids raised as perpetual possible victims and timid. No wonder most of 'em don't want to leave the house.

 

[fetaby]

Yeah, we were allowed to go pretty much where ever just as long as we were back by the time the street lights came on.

 

[Corny]

I would usually be away from home all afternoon after school and would not come back until about 6-7 pm

Same here, but in Winter I had to check back after dark and was free to leave again later. Never understood why

 

[Lube]

And today, in the era of cellphones .. parents are just getting more and more over concerned for their kids ..

We were encouraged to be as independent and fearless as possible....it makes me cringe to see kids raised as perpetual possible victims and timid. No wonder most of 'em don't want to leave the house.

Ain't that the truth. Our whole society is becoming so overprotective it's revolting.

I grew up in a large suburb in the 70's, and was allowed to do pretty much whatever I wanted. But then I was always the model child. (Well, except for once...)

 

[jaycee style]

some kids are smart and responsible,

some aren't

to quote George Carlin.

"The kid that swallows too many marbles doesn't get to grow up to have kids of his own"