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 Abby and her parents were criticized – and praised – for allowing their daughter to attempt such a feat. Now, if one of my daughters asked to do this at 16, I couldn’t say “no” fast enough. But what do other parents think? “Dude, life is short,” said one friend of mine. “She was totally qualified. She wanted to do it. There have been teenagers throughout history who had done far more dangerous things.” It should be noted that he is the father of four boys. “One of our most basic obligations as parents is to keep our children reasonably safe,” said another dad who has boys and girls. “Allowing a 16-year-old to sail the world solo is intrinsically not reasonably safe.” Another friend, who has two teen daughters, pointed out that there are lots of things in the world that present a threat, such as driving in cars. “My daughter could have died several times just playing competitive soccer,” he said. “She got banged up badly enough. I believe with all of my heart that as a parent I have got to trust God to protect His child when I am not around and, thank goodness, even when I am. “Kiss her, hug her, bless her and say, ‘I love you – go forth and be careful.’” Another friend, a journalist and the mother of two now-grown daughters, offered a personal experience. “I did a story on a young man who earned his solo pilot’s license on his 16th birthday,” she said. “I even went up in the airplane with him and his instructor prior to the test date. But as the small four-seat plane took off, I remember thinking, “What is the matter with me? What am I doing getting in a tiny airplane and flying over Orange County with a 16-year-old boy?” Another parent with two young boys had this to say: “We are all unanimous that a 16-year-old is old enough to sail solo around the world, if she has demonstrated that she has the proper equipment, experience, training regimen, support team, safety precautions, maturity, self-confidence and faith to attempt such a feat.” A mom of four – one boy and three girls – didn’t think Abby’s feat was so special, either. “I think a foster child released at age 18 into the great, big world on his own has more courage and faces more challenges than Abby,” she said. The lesson, I guess, is that we parents have to consider what we think is right for our child in every individual circumstance. Sometimes that means letting go, and sometimes that simply means saying “no.” Tony Dodero is a freelance journalist and communications professional. Read more at goaskyourdadblog.com. |
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