I completely agree that parents are overly cautious today. We all grew up playing in the dirt, getting scrapes and bruises, eating bad food and doing all sorts of dumb stuff. And most of us turned out to be normal, well adjusted adults. I think that the antibacterial, drug-laden, psychiatrist filled bubble that many children live in is a little extreme. Some amount of independence, even if filled with stupid decisions that we would never approve of, is necessary. Kids need to be allowed to experience life and its consequences in their own way. That being said, parents need to use some common sense along the way. The world doesn't have to be so extreme, why does it have to be very overprotective versus way too lenient? The world is a little more dangerous than when we grew up, and some of the dangers pop up in arenas that we are less familiar with (extensive internet usage was not common for me until I was in high school). So in that regard parents need to make some judgement calls that keep the safety and best interests of our children in mind. I do not think that it is reasonable to expect a 9yo to be able to safely navigate the NY subway system. While that 9yo may remember the process of how to ride the train and where to get off, are they really adept at defending themselves against manipulative adults or able to find there way back if they get turned around? I think most 9yo would quickly lose their cool and become unraveled. We as parents have the responsibility of making decisions based not just on what we think our kids are capable of but also based on what potential dangers could arise and how they will handle those. Anyways, I am rambling- for some reason this post really struck a cord with me. Maybe I will continue my rant on my own blog (heehee)!