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Today's Poll: Is it bad parenting to take tots on sailboat trip?

By Howard B. Owens
Jeff Allen

My first instinct was "Maybe, but it's nobody else's business" but in reality it quickly became the children's business when they were put in harms way by those who are supposed to be protecting them. It quickly became the business of rescuers who were kept from being able to respond to legitimate accidents or catastrophies just to bail out this couple who was chasing some cathartic experience. We can't control common sense in some folks, but we can make them reimburse the agencies who were tied up saving them.

Apr 8, 2014, 10:13am Permalink
George Richardson

If you left your kids with a nanny or relative while you went sailing would that make you a better parent? If you never fly or never go near the water and never hike or do anything adventurous will that make your little biscuits rise properly? No, they will hate your sorry asses when they are 20, 25, 30 or whenever you finally kick their needy butts out and they start to live a real life. Amen. God bless me. You are welcome.
Jeff you are still young, you'll see.
What if you took your kids on a train trip and the train crashed? I did, but it didn't. What if it did? Would I have been bad?

Apr 8, 2014, 1:55pm Permalink
Emma Morrill

It's one thing to take your small children out for a day-long sailing trip and to teach them about the ocean. It's another thing *entirely* to take them on a very lengthy and unquestionably dangerous sea voyage, particularly when the children have only recently recovered from illness (as was the case with the one year old girl who was rescued). I mean, use a little common sense; we're talking about a baby and a toddler. I certainly don't think that the parents should be arrested, nor should their children be taken away, but it definitely shows terrible judgement. I'm also open to the possibility that this family should be billed for the costs of the rescue -- at least for part of it (as should a number of other daredevils and -- often privileged -- 'risk takers' who willingly put themselves, and their rescuers, in harm's way). I guess that's a different debate, however.

I happen to think that children today are often coddled and protected *too much* from normal childhood experiences and such... but these parents took it to the other ridiculous extreme.

Apr 8, 2014, 2:35pm Permalink
Jeff Allen

George, how young do you think I am? I am not advocating bubble wrapping your kids, far from it. My kids (adults now) will tell you horror stories of cave tubing on the Sibon river in Central America. If you take your kids on a train, plane, bus, whatever, there is a reasonable expectation of safety based on regulations in place. When you embark on a journey like this couple where you circumvent established safety standards then you assume a level of risk above and beyond normal travel.

Apr 8, 2014, 3:06pm Permalink
George Richardson

I think you are about fifty six but you look like forty five. Yeah, the world is scary and the kids need to know that. You want to talk about horror stories, how about eight years of Bush/Cheney?
Just busting them, Batavian Buddy.
I made some fabulous brownies today and wrapped them individually in parchment paper because I ate two of them and then started thinking about the rest of them an hour later. I felt like they each needed their own little blankies so I reacted proactively. Please call the FBI, CIA, NAACP, AFL/CIO , KFC, WBTA and PBS and tell them yes, I am a viper.
My shoulders and back don't even hurt now because I can't feel them. Medical? Probably not. Miracle? Probably so but it needs more research, thank gosh for YouTube.

Apr 8, 2014, 9:40pm Permalink
Jeff Allen

George, God bless you for saying I look 45, it's been going the other way too much lately (I'm 47). It is good to have you back posting regularly.

Apr 8, 2014, 10:43pm Permalink
RICHARD L. HALE

Right? Wrong? Can't really say. Personally, I wouldn't take two children on a trip like that. Should an emergency come up, a storm say, if the boat should capsize, I wouldn't want to have to care for those that couldn't fend for themselves. It may take me away from what I may have to do to save myself or my wife. (not necessarily in that order) That's a big ocean out there, it's not like a Sunday afternoon outing on Horseshoe Lake.

Apr 8, 2014, 11:43pm Permalink
Beth Kinsley

I think George and Ed Hartgrove would make good friends but now that our friend George has returned, Ed seems to have disappeared. Where are you Ed? I hope you're not lost in the Everglades again.

Apr 9, 2014, 12:34am Permalink
John Roach

Depends on the age of the kids and how far or long the trip would be. In this case, for a very long trip, I would say no.

The kids should at least be able to feed themselves, walk on their own, be able to understand basic water safety and be able to swim or at least be able to tread water.

Apr 9, 2014, 6:27am Permalink
Raymond Richardson

NFN, but when the original colonies were starting to grow the people coming here did so on sailing ships, many with young children, and many of those trips across the Atlantic met with many a storm, and some ships were lost at sea.

Apr 9, 2014, 8:27am Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Hi, Beth. Nope, not lost in the Everglades. Did you ever wonder why you never saw Don Diego de la Vega and Zorro, together, in the same room? Maybe THAT'S why George R. and I aren't around at the same time! Here, have a brownie, and maybe that'll help. Even if it doesn't make things clearer, you can at least laugh about it.

Actually, I was in western NY for a week, and just returned to Florida last night. On the return flight, the plane experienced mechanical problems an hour into the Philly/Ft. Meyers portion, so we had to return to Philadelphia for repairs. Had a 4-hour wait, then continued on. I struck up a conversation with the guy sitting next to me. He was from the Chicago area, and had just come from visiting family (through marriage) in western NY. My nephew & I mentioned Batavia, and 'voila, he had been visiting Steve Ognibene. Small world, indeed!

Hey George! Keep in touch. If you're 'a bakin', I'm 'a makin' (tracks for your place, that is).

As for going out into the Everglades, the house I lived in the first year down here had a 2-acre piece of 'jungle' across the street. I'd sit out in the driveway and listen at night. I don't think there's enough money in Batavia to get me to walk thru there at night. There's 'things' in there. I could hear 'em, and never once wanted to find out what they were!

Apr 10, 2014, 1:41pm Permalink
Julie Morales

“I made some fabulous brownies today and wrapped them individually in parchment paper because I ate two of them and then started thinking about the rest of them an hour later. I felt like they each needed their own little blankies…..”

That made me bust out laughing. : ]

This whole thread is sort of surreal.

Apr 10, 2014, 9:07pm Permalink

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