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[quote=Anonymous]I'll be short b/c you're obviously not worth much time.

I'm Italian. I've traveled quite a bit - starting at a young age.  I would NEVER allow my child to travel alone at 5, and my entire family would be appalled if this were the case.

If you're going to expose a child to travel, you go with him/her.  Take a week and fly out there with your kid.  hang out with family members!  Then leave him/her with family overseas.  no biggie

But in all cases, family from overseas has either flown back to the States with the child or parents took another trip over to pick up the child.

There's helicoptering and smothering, but there's also endangerment and neglect.  It's tragic that you don't know the difference.

[quote]No - it's absolutely not crazy.  The reason that you think it's crazy is because dependence is the norm for American children, and your child is absolutely helpless because of your helicoptering.

Yes, the circumstances that sometimes require the independence in these children abroad can be tragic.  However, the actual independence itself is a very good thing.

I was one of those very indepent 5 year olds; and I walked for miles on my own to explore.  Many times with my even younger cousin.  And no, we were not poor.  To the contrary, I had a nanny and a housekeeper.  I cherish all the good memories I have growing up.

Likewise, my grandmother was a latchkey child, Polish and Italian immigrant background in New York.  She took over cooking chores by the time she was 5 years old.  Her sisters would tell me stories about how she would stand on a stool to cook dinner for the family.

My godchild is a 7 year old girl growing up in Montreal.  Mother is Swiss and the fater is Canadian.  I spent a few afternoons on my last visit, and she delighted in showing me all around her neigborhood.  She knew exactly how to get to school from home, how to get to the playground, how to get to the YMCA where she took swimming lessons, and how to get to both of her parents' work.. It's tragic that American children are incapable of such feats.

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