Comments on: Drive-By Parenting

By: Stacey

Stacey — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:09:05 +0000

I’m with you. I am raising two independent adventurous boys that learn by doing and experiencing. Good for you in letting your kids be kids!!

I constantly get looks from people for letting my 10 month old crawl everywhere, he is much happier getting to experience the world instead of watching it perched in my arms!

By: ladybughugs

ladybughugs — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:57:26 +0000

Maybe her child is more accident-prone or clumsy than yours, so she was projecting her hyper-vigilance on you, not realizing that AndyZ is more capable/stable than her child.

I was cautious, but accident-prone, as a child and as a result am constantly surprised by my kids abilities. I don’t believe it’s appropriate to be following my kids around throwing pillows in their path to soften the bumps along the way. If I did, they’d also be wrapped in bubble wrap! Kids need to fall and have accidents in order to know where the boundaries are and the consequences of pushing them. We’re there to make sure that major catastrophes are averted.

By: Shannon Briese Aissen

Shannon Briese Aissen — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:46:14 +0000

Kim, this exact thing happened to me this week. We were waiting at an appt and Lila was standing up in her stroller. I was sitting next to her and she was just doing it because she was bored. Anyway, a man came over to me and, maybe it sounded worse than he meant it because of the German, said “it would be a pity if she hurt herself.” Hmmm. It would be, but what’s going to happen with me right there?

By: chantale

chantale — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:10:17 +0000

In fall/spring/winter in California, I constantly received comments on my son and his lack of ‘appropriate’ clothing… I am from Canada, and I KNOW that my son doesn’t need a winter hat and coat when the temperature is 10C. His fall coat and light hat are just fine, thankyouverymuch. The worst was in San Francisco where a woman swore that he was going to get hypothermia… LOL!

By: Cass

Cass — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:18:01 +0000

I had to check the known wear abouts of my MIL because she would do this. I’ve been scolded (because, isn’t that how it feels?) by people in the past and I just want to give them the REASON or my EXCUSE or “SHE JUST TOOK OFF THE HAT – SEE, it’s RIGHT HERE in her HOT LITTLE HANDS!” Because the idea that anyone would question if I was putting my child in harm just puts me in a spot of because DUDE I would NEVER. People.

By: Nancy Newell

Nancy Newell — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:17:37 +0000

Hmm… Moms like that drive me crazy… I was in a similar situation the other day at McDonalds when a mom walked by and told me that fast food wasn’t healthy… well DUH! But kids love McDonalds… and I’m not a bad mother for giving in every once in a while… don’t worry about her!

By: Beth

Beth — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 19:49:03 +0000

Some people are both rude and idiotic.

By: Karl

Karl — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:12:38 +0000

Lil’Z is absolutely right. Kids need to learn to fall, and to fail. Obviously you’re not going to stand by while some kid does a swan dive off a 15 foot roof, but 99% of playground falls are painful at worst. The other 1% you probably weren’t going to stop in time anyway.

I’m always amazed at how over-protective so many people are. Do they think that kids are made of glass?

By: Manda

Manda — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:28:07 +0000

I’m the type of mom that would of said “Yeah, I know. That’s the whole point.”

By: Betcie

Betcie — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:30:03 +0000

You were doing exactly what a parent is supposed to do, Encourage our children to experience life. Yes, if he’d fallen, you would have felt bad, but the fall wouldn’t have been bad. Plus you would have been there to catch him! How do our children learn if we don’t let them?

That being said, I need to apologize to the young mother in the library that told her infant she was going to put sanitizer on his hands, and my immediate response was, “don’t put it in your mouth!” The mother looked at me like I was nuts to think she’d let him do that, and I bet she doesn’t come back to the library. I’ve felt awful ever since……

If your younger kids grow up like their big brother, you will have once again had success. He is such a nice guy to everyone, which is so important in this world.