Re: I saw this on a blog - I thought I was laid back, but not THIS laid back!!!

Re: I saw this on a blog - I thought I was laid back, but not THIS laid back!!!

When we lived in Long Island City there were kids that age who took the subway into the city for school everyday. I think a 9 year old city kid is in many ways older than a 9 year old suburban kid who gets driven most places.

My friend's son is 9 and I can totally see him begging his mom to let him do something like that. He lives in the city and has often asked if he can go to school by himself. She'd never do it - and I can't see me doing something like that, but I know that this kid would be able to do it by himself without any problem.

I'm sure the mom had gone over the route with her son - it was probably a familiar place. I can't see a mom thinking that her son would get on the right bus without first going over which one to take, etc.

Re: I saw this on a blog - I thought I was laid back, but not THIS laid back!!!

Wow - and my dad used to yell at me for riding my bike beyond our BLOCK!

WOW! This isn't 1963, it's 2008 and for nothing else, where was she on 9/11/01? What if something like that were to happen? Not to mention the increase in pedifiles (thanks to the internet and more available access to pornography) and all that stuff, what about a major catastrophy? Where would she begin? How terrified would a 9 year old be alone in such a situation and how would he find his way home amid the chaos?

While I agree that city kids probably learn how to better navigate mass transit better than suburban kids, I think the issue here is that it was done to build independence rather than b/c of being a way of life. I think I could see doing something like this if you can get 3 or 4 kids together and do a buddy system thing at maybe like 12 or 13 years old (if they aren't from the area or it's a new place). And - insure your darn cell phone so as to not worry if it gets lost, then they can call if they need to and most phones have a GPS tracking device too. At least they aren't alone the FIRST TIME they do it. Once they get it down, then by about 15 or 16 I can see letting them go by themselves or with one friend.

Message edited 7/1/2008 12:13:38 PM.

Re: I saw this on a blog - I thought I was laid back, but not THIS laid back!!!

Posted by pmpkn087

Posted by dm24angel

Posted by Moehick

Posted by dm24angel

Posted by Moehick

I don't see the big deal...I work in the city and teach kids this age. They all know how to manuever around mass transit on their own, and have been doing so for a year or more

Again, not the point.

Do you think their parents just dropped them off and said, Go now..figure it out.....hope you make it home?

Well, it is my point

Yes, some kids in my class have said they find places on their own using mass transit. They have been places their parents have not been with them and manuever around without being shown how. If I talked about this article with my class they all would have said the same thing...Big deal I do that all the time.

Still dont think the two compare.

They are taught how to at least use the system. Im sure many of them have phones and access to contact someone if they need to and there is not a city full of 9 yr olds taking mass transit....

eta- I think its her Blaize attitude in the blog that irritates me more.

Sure it can be done, but why take willing chances? IMO there are safer ways to teach independance AND while I try not to judge others parenting, I see by the responses that Im not alone in thinking hers was kinda stupid.

She gave him a map. From the story it sounds like they live on the west side. I'm SURE he has used the same route with his parents plenty of times. I mean, he's 9 years old not 9 months! I'm sure he doesn't travel around obliviously. The city is not THAT difficult to get around! I mean...you live there, you know where things are. My 20 month old son knows my neighborhood already and where all the parks are . It's not like she brought him to another state. Or blind folded him, spun him around 3 times and said "now find your way home."

Re: I saw this on a blog - I thought I was laid back, but not THIS laid back!!!

No f'ing way!!

Re: I saw this on a blog - I thought I was laid back, but not THIS laid back!!!

Um, I have trouble finding my way around the subway system and a 9 year old can maneuver it without a hitch???????

Re: I saw this on a blog - I thought I was laid back, but not THIS laid back!!!

Exactly. I read in another incarnation of this story that it was a route he had been on often and she says here they're on public transportation all the time.


You are correct. I SAW them on the TOday show and she clearly stated that in fact, yes, he had taken the route MANY times before and had been asking for a while to take the route by himself.

He wasn't traipsing all over the city nor was he being thrown to the wolves without a clue.....

The cell phone thing I cannot explain, that to me was silly.....