Yep but I see it as more general than wild sjpots and unchaperoned trips.
The truth is we all let go of our kids at some point. To chaperone at age 18 is no longer the norm. And bad things happen in the US, on college campuses, on the street. At some point we have to quit locking the doors for them, quit looking up and down the street when taking them out, quit vetting their friends and quit asking them to "call when you get home".
When you let go of a kid it is incredibly difficult and scary. And the process starts in grade school when you put them on the bus what with bullies and pedophile bus drivers and wacky teachers. And it goes on and on, sometimes I think it never ends.
This is a parents deepest fear. And that is the hook.
But you have to let them go, you have to, and sometimes really awful things happen. We had a friend whose kid went off to college, a lovely girl, was murdered in the first week by the super at her apartment building. She did nothing wrong, was a wonderful girl but how was she to know that to open her door to the super was going to result in her death. Sometimes you cannot prevent things.
And you cannot in this day expect your kids to stay home and knit. They party, they travel, they drink, they make new friends. And they get into taxis.
Wow, that was VERY well said! Thanks...
How about stay home and surf Free Republic? Or is that considered home schooling? :o)
The truth is we all let go of our kids at some point.
Their driver's licenses did it for me. Not that I didn't worry, I just had to let go.
Well put....
...well, you can't stop them once they have their own money..
but to foot the bill to send kids knowing that they being kids WILL drink, WILL be exposed to drugs, WILL probably be sharing bedrooms , WILL be able to gamble,and WILL be able to hire prostitutes as they desire...
well, its nuts to me.....
I wonder how many parents send their kids on these excursions and then demand that they have single sex dorms at their colleges......
sometimes we parents say one thing, and then support an entirely differant thing if its the "cool" thing or the "chic" thing to do, or if other parents are allowing it......sad...