Independence

A recent article and subsequent discussion on a mailing list I am on, made me think about something much simpler. The article is about a parent letting their 9yo take the public transportation.

For me the much simpler topic was letting the kids drink out of a regular cup instead of a sippy-cup. I know that doesn't compare to letting a kid ride a subway alone but hear me out. As a parent there are a lot of things I do not let me children do because I think they are not ready for it. One such thing is letting them drink out of a regular cup unless they are at the table. My kids, aged 6 and 8, drink a cup of milk before going to bed. We always do this in their carpeted bedroom, sitting on their bed or the floor while reading books. They drink their milk from sippy-cups without the valves, because I am afraid they will spill the milk. On further thought I realized that I was approaching this all backwards. They aren't going to cross some magical age and suddenly have the skills to handle a regular cup. It is a skill they will learn only when they practice it, and if I don't let them, they'll never learn. Starting last week I am letting them both use a regular cup for their milk. Yes, they tend to tip it because they are engrossed in their book, but I am their to help and warn and we haven't had any spills yet. Even if we do, what is one little spill on the road to learning a new skill, eh?