His father stated that they debated whether he should be present, but Shawn himself asked to be there, so they honored his wishes.
I know people will be critical of it, but I think they did the right thing, by allowing him to begin to face the glare of media, quickly. There's no evidence that hiding him away for months while he "gets back to normal" would somehow protect him--especially with what he's been through.
They stated he asked for McDonald's last night--and they must take him clothes shopping! They asked the media to respect their privacy now and give them some time to readjust and celebrate privately.
I think the world needed to see Shawn, and ascertain for ourselves that he survived this ordeal, and that there IS hope for other missing children to return.
I agree, the family did the right thing doing the press conference. Honestly, it isn't our business to judge a families decision on what is best for their child.