I just read up on "America's Worst Mom" in my favourite news source - The Week Magazine.
In case you haven't read or heard about this, a mom, Lenore Skenazy, let her 9 year-old son, Izzy, ride the subway home alone from Bloomingdale's in New York City.
I think that that whole situation has been completely blown out of proportion. I mean, honestly, why can't parents raise their children the way that they want to? Why does the entire nation have to make their opinion known? Clearly, Izzy was safe, and was very proud of himself for making his own way home. His mother did not abondon him. Her and her husband had agreed that Izzy would be allowed to do this. Izzy himself asked to be left anywhere, any time, to find her own way home.
I think this idea is wonderful, actually. I know that I am not parent, but I did help raise my 6 year-old nephew, and will probably help raise my not-yet-born niece or nephew. I was also around when my 6 younger cousins were growing up (though 1 is only about a 1 year 1/2 younger than me). And also, three of my second cousins. I am sure that when the time came, all of my aunts and uncles, and my cousins would do the same for my cousins and second-cousins. My parents hae even done the same. Granted, I did not take the subway by myself, considering that if they made one in Florida, it would probably flood. But, with me, it was when my parents let me go out with friends on my own, and someone else brought me home. And then of course, they upped that when they started to let me drive their vehicles on my own. And then again, when I got my own car. And now, they are allowing me to go on a week long trip with my boyfriend up to Pennsylvania. Granted, I am 19 now, but still, parents let go of their children on their own pace.
To wrap this up - STOP JUDGING OTHERS!!!!
((P.S. Sorry for the bad quality of the photo - it's a picture of the magazine. Caption said 'Izzy re-enacts his famous subway ride for the Today show.'))
So, until next time--
