Quote:
Originally posted by LessinSF
Kids do not have to be monitored at all times. Shit may happen, but that doesn't mean parents have to be overly protective.
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Count me on your side. Kids need to fall down, so that they learn what their limits are. Kids will break arms. Kids should be exposed to other kids who have colds or the flu, so their bodies can develop the necessary defenses to fight them. Kids should handle problems with someone else's pushy kid without the parent intervening on their behalf. Every cry should not be answered and fits (even public ones should be largely ignored).
But leaving your child in a room far enough away from you that you won't know if there is a problem is right on the line. We struggled with this. Is it okay to leave a baby in the crib when it is sleeping to run to the basement of the Apartment building to change the laundry? Probably. It doesn't seem much different than when someone with a big house does the same thing. But we never did it because (i) God forbid there is a fire or you forgot your keys or both -- you would never, ever forgive yourself and (ii) when they take away your kids because something happens when you weren't in the apartment, no argument would sound convincing.
Tough call, but it's a personal choice. The world is filled with sunnybunnies who don't have kids, but can tell you exactly how to raise yours ("your kid doesn't have a pony? child abuse! how many lunchboxes does he have?"). I wish sb would have said something to that gay couple, since I'm too far away from her to kick her in the face for not minding her own fucking business. And I'm not even going to touch why she seems to think that their behavior should be judged differently because they're gay.
That's a good poll two-part poll, actually. An unnamed poster and I had this argument long ago.
1. Post any good stories you have of someone minding your business, when they should have kept their noses out of it.
2. What is it about people that makes them so fucking nosy and meddlesome?
When I argued with another poster about it long ago, I thought growing up in NYC (or any city (hi plf!)) teaches you the virtues of minding your own business. Hell, I think it's common courteousy. This other poster seemed to think that the size and nature of their family granted them the freedom to mind everyone else's business (I think, who listens?). Anyone else have theories?
Thurgreed(wow, that post got away from me)Marshall
