What Would You Do?
Did anyone hear the story about the woman (a columnist for The New York Sun), who let her 9 year old son find his way home by subway in New York City? Her son had been asking for quite some time to ride home alone. She finally gave in. So she left him in midtown Manhattan with a Metrocard for the subway, a subway map, $20, and told him she'd see him when he got home. Thankfully he made it home safely:) I personally have mixed feelings about this...I can see both the positives and negatives of this. Here is a link to the story so you can read it for yourself. I am curious to hear what everyone else thinks!
posted by Michele at
8:59 AM
1 Comments:
Hi, I grew up in NYC, born in 1962. I've lived in Maine for nearly 30 years now. I was one of those 9 year olds getting on the subway and on a bus. I left my neighborhood public school to go to a better public school in another area of the city. It was not a big deal then. But now when I return to the city to visit family I see other young kids on buses and trains by themselves and I feel fear for them! Even though nothing happened to me. I think how brave my family was to let me go. It's funny because my Mom wasn't the Fearless One. She was actually very much a worrier. I'm so happy she didn't shelter me. I believe people on NYC buses and trains would help a kid in distress if anything happened. The city streets are so busy - It's not like Maine. At 6pm the streets here are almost empty. The route Lenore Skenazy let her son take is one of the easiest..From Bloomingdales to a crosstown bus - we are only talking 5 or so minutes on the train..and then the crosstown bus is loaded with school kids. I know - I took that route many times.
But I know I would be pulling out a lot of hairs now if I was a mom in NYC. But I think I would do my best to "let go".
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