And the award for most irresponsible parents of the year goes to...

[twotimesblue]

...this couple. I seriously can't believe they even attempted to undertake this 'adventure' with kids that young. Unbelievable!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2597884/Navy-embarks-mission-save-tiny-sailor-baby-girl-fell-seriously-ill-familys-attempt-sail-round-world.html

[Globetrotter]

Oh dear. I have to question their sanity to attempt this, and I think it's very unfair to take such young children with them and coop them up on a boat for days on end.

[JBaxter]

I read that and thought the same thing. Some things you do before kids some things you do when kids are older. This you don't do with infants and toddlers

[pinkmomagain]

Omg. I literally just saw this on the news and got so worked up about it. This enrages me. Who the heck does this?

[Melaine]

What in the heck???

[mommylamb]

It's not something I would do. But, I don't think that makes them the most irresponsible parents on earth by a long shot. Anyone could get sick at sea. And, while I wouldn't do this, I do not plan on raising my children in a padded room either, so someday someone might come along and tell me I'm an irresponsible parent too.

[Snow mom]

I would file this under different strokes for different folks. It sounds like they are experienced sailors and had basic medical supplies including antibiotics on the boat. When you get out a certain distance you know that there isn't quick rescue or any rescue at all. It wasn't just the baby falling ill but also their boat breaking down at the same time making it impossible for them to get closer to land or into better water. I think it's a shame that so many resources had to go into this rescue but I hope the baby is doing better. I honestly wouldn't judge the parents even if they decide to do the same trip again.

[daphne]

I don't know. My husband would LOVE to do something like that with our dc. I would never go along with it, but I don't think it makes them the most irresponsible parents ever.

[Green_Tea]

It's not something I would do. But, I don't think that makes them the most irresponsible parents on earth by a long shot. Anyone could get sick at sea. And, while I wouldn't do this, I do not plan on raising my children in a padded room either, so someday someone might come along and tell me I'm an irresponsible parent too.

:yeahthat:

They are experienced sailors, packed the necessary supplies, and when they couldn't handle the situation on their own they called for help. I can think of far less responsible parents.

[anonomom]

I'm not seeing "irresponsible" here. Not something I'd like to do, but it sounds like they did all they could and ran into unexpected circumstances. At least they knew when to call for help.

[JBaxter]

OK so the Dr's had cleared the baby from her bout of salmonella poisoning I'm not an overly cautions/ germophobe but I would not take a baby on a trip like that for a long while after she was better I mean good GRIEF she tested positive on March 11th. Do you think they will send them a bill for the rescue? I kind of hope so.

[Gracemom]

I think if you take the risk of a trip like that, then you had better be ready to accept the possible consequences of those risks. I would never take that kind of risk with young kids, or even just myself! I'm sure this family never thought something like this would happen, and I do think that they should get a bill for the extraordinary efforts to help this little girl. I'm glad she is doing better.

[scrooks]

The first thing Dh said when he saw this story is "we as taxpayers have to pay for the stupid decision of these people".

[TxCat]

I'm not seeing "irresponsible" here. Not something I'd like to do, but it sounds like they did all they could and ran into unexpected circumstances. At least they knew when to call for help.

:yeahthat:

Not something I would ever do - I hate boats! But, far from being the most irresponsible parents. Agree with SnowMom that I'd file this under "different strokes for different folks."

[TwinFoxes]

It's not something I would do. But, I don't think that makes them the most irresponsible parents on earth by a long shot. Anyone could get sick at sea. And, while I wouldn't do this, I do not plan on raising my children in a padded room either, so someday someone might come along and tell me I'm an irresponsible parent too.

:yeahthat: I read about this online in the San Diego paper. I wouldn't sail with a 1 and 3 year old, but I can barely sail. It's not really much different from people who live off the grid, or in the middle of nowhere. If they had just gone out on a whim, or hadn't stocked up well, or had sailed at the wrong time of year, or were inexperienced, I'd call them irresponsible.

[Snow mom]

The first thing Dh said when he saw this story is "we as taxpayers have to pay for the stupid decision of these people".

We pay the bill for lots of decisions that you or I might not make. What about high risk pregnancies that lead to premature babies? If you know your pregnancies tend to be high risk and you choose to have another child who ends up in the NICU for months their insurance quickly meets its cap. Then we as taxpayers pick up the bill. People who ride motorcycles take a risk and wind up hurt--some without any insurance. We as taxpayers pick up the bill. I think it's a slippery slope to say these people should be on the hook forever for the cost of saving their DD. I wouldn't be surprised if they have insurance for their rescue but it likely wouldn't come close to the true cost. Do you really think they should be bankrupt over the cost of saving their DD? When someone goes swimming and is washed out to sea and the coast guard responds in a rescue/recovery effort should the family of those people pay the bill? If they can't afford it should we just leave bodies in the ocean without trying to find and recover them?

[basil]

I dunno, my dad's really into sailing and has a pretty big boat, and he's thought about sailing to the Caribbean and Bermuda before. We have friends who have sailed across the Atlantic. If one of them had gotten seriously ill I'd hope someone would come rescue them… I think people are judging because it's a young kid, but she was probably no more likely to get sick than mom or dad or a 65 year old who did the same thing.

LOTS more irresponsible things one can do with one's kids, some even that cost taxpayers lots of money :(

[westwoodmom04]

The first thing Dh said when he saw this story is "we as taxpayers have to pay for the stupid decision of these people".


That's the first thing I thought too. Categorically different than needing an ambulance rescue.

[twotimesblue]

It's not just irresponsible because the baby got sick (thank goodness she is OK now). I did a lot of sailing before kids, as DH is a certified boat skipper... it is just plain crazy to take kids that young out on the open seas for days/weeks on end. The huge swells make many adults ill, and children are much more susceptible to motion/seasickness. The whole experience would be miserable for them, and they are too small to have any memories of the positive aspects of the trip (assuming there were any).

DH and I were sailing on the Great Barrier Reef once, in pretty choppy water. A family on the neighboring boat had to pay over $10,000 for a private helicopter to airlift them off the big snorkeling boat that they were on, as their kids were throwing up so violently from the motion sickness, and they were 90 minutes from shore. This was only a 6-hour excursion, and the children were't as tiny as the two in this story.

My kids are the same age as this couple's, and have racked up thousands of air miles between them. DH and I have visited over 60 countries and see no reason to stop traveling - it will be several years before we take them to some of the places we used to love visiting, however (temples in Cambodia and Sri Lanka, safaris in Botswana, backwater sailing in India) because those experiences are simply not age-appropriate. I would also never forgive myself if my kids got seriously ill in a place with no access to good healthcare, and they had no need to be there. The cost of this rescue (to the taxpayer) just adds to the insanity of the whole situation.

[Globetrotter]

My kids are the same age as this couple's, and have racked up thousands of air miles between them. DH and I have visited over 60 countries and see no reason to stop traveling - it will be several years before we take them to some of the places we used to love visiting, however (temples in Cambodia and Sri Lanka, safaris in Botswana, backwater sailing in India) because those experiences are simply not age-appropriate. I would also never forgive myself if my kids got seriously ill in a place with no access to good healthcare, and they had no need to be there. The cost of this rescue (to the taxpayer) just adds to the insanity of the whole situation.

I agree. Our kids have been traveling regularly from infancy, and as they get older we get more and more adventurous, but when they were very little we toned it down. It was still a lot more adventurous than most, including Asia travel, but we didn't go too far off course since they were little. There is a time for everything!

[squimp]

I don't think it's irresponsible and I bet they are not the first to do something like this. However it just doesn't sound like fun! The seasickness just sounds miserable. I hate the open ocean so it would be my worst nightmare.

[wifecat]

I don't think they're irresponsible. People raise their kids in all kinds of different environments, and take them on all sorts of adventures. We hike and camp with our kids in really remote places, and let them rock climb in what some people might consider terribly dangerous conditions. Lots of families choose outdoor (or indoor) adventures that have some risks. I wouldn't choose their particular adventure, but it sounds like they were very prepared in terms of antiobiotics/food/supplies, and unfortunately, they encountered something that their supplies couldn't fix.

[cairo06]

I'm definitely in the different strokes for different folks camp. That said, how exactly does one keep a 1 and 3 year old contained on a boat for months on end? This an honest question. Do they wear lifejackets at night while sleeping? Special locks for the cabin? Leashes? I know how nervous I was when my children were small and we stayed with friends with a pool. My stress level would be through the roof worrying about someone falling in the water. Anyone with some insight to the logistics of this?

[boogiemom]

I think it was incredibly irresponsible, shortsighted and horribly selfish to force these young children to be held captive to their dream. It is infuriating that people like these choose to put themselves at serious risk at the expense of the taxpayer.

[Mommy_Mea]

I'm definitely in the different strokes for different folks camp. That said, how exactly does one keep a 1 and 3 year old contained on a boat for months on end? This an honest question. Do they wear lifejackets at night while sleeping? Special locks for the cabin? Leashes? I know how nervous I was when my children were small and we stayed with friends with a pool. My stress level would be through the roof worrying about someone falling in the water. Anyone with some insight to the logistics of this?

That was definitely one of my thoughts, I can't imagine keeping tabs on a mobile little one 24 hours like that!!

[crayonblue]

I think it was incredibly irresponsible, shortsighted and horribly selfish to force these young children to be held captive to their dream.

Don't we all as parents do that to varying degrees?

I'm taking my kids down to Mexico next week to help out in an orphanage. There are all manners of things they could be exposed to but for me, it is worth the risk to give them a different perspective, new opportunities. I've had a few friends say, "Well, I would never do that because of X, Y and Z." These parents very well may have felt the same way...adventure, opportunity, learning experience, etc. I personally would go completely insane on a boat with two young kids and would NEVER EVER EVER even consider such a thing. Clearly these parents think differently. I don't chalk it up to irresponsible or selfish at all. Honestly, selfish is living in a fear bubble and holding kids captive to that.

[kara97210]

I don't think they're irresponsible. People raise their kids in all kinds of different environments, and take them on all sorts of adventures. We hike and camp with our kids in really remote places, and let them rock climb in what some people might consider terribly dangerous conditions. Lots of families choose outdoor (or indoor) adventures that have some risks. I wouldn't choose their particular adventure, but it sounds like they were very prepared in terms of antiobiotics/food/supplies, and unfortunately, they encountered something that their supplies couldn't fix.

This is my thought exactly. I spent a summer in college living in a remote part of Alaska and met all sorts of people living in ways that I think most people would consider dangerous. Lots of families with young children who spend all summer fishing on the open sea and some people who live on boats, home schooling their kids, year round. Not for me at all, but I try not to place judgement on different lifestyle choices.

[sntm]

There are people who live on houseboats. This family sounds like very experienced sailors and it was clearly not the first time they had the older kid out sailing (per the article.) I assume they do this a lot. Personally, the camping trips some families take could involve similar risks. And anyone who climbs mountains risks the coat of an expensive rescue - I think people should have to have trip insurance for such cases but I dont find them irresponsible


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[maestramommy]

It's not something I would do. But, I don't think that makes them the most irresponsible parents on earth by a long shot. Anyone could get sick at sea. And, while I wouldn't do this, I do not plan on raising my children in a padded room either, so someday someone might come along and tell me I'm an irresponsible parent too.

I agree. The couple clearly loves sailing, and wanted to share it with their kids. while *I* wouldn't do this, I think there are crazier things that have been done. I think there was a perfect storm of unforeseen things that happened, that's all.

[AshleyAnn]

They have a right to raise their kids how they see fit. I don't see their choice as irresponsible they had supplys and gear including medications. They've successfully done this before they do know how to sail and the risks involved. Their boat broke down in a rough ocean so they were forced to request help before things got worse for their child. If the boat were working or the ocean calmer they may have been able to seek help on land but circumstances ment they needed help. If anything I'm glad they saw the need for help and called before their child was in serious condition.

[westwoodmom04]

There's a time and a place for everything. Sailing with toddlers -- not irresponsible. Sailing around the world with toddlers -- irresponsible. Sometimes you have to restrain your own sense of adventure to match your kids' capabilities. These folks weren't doing that. What would have happened if a storm destroyed the boat? Clearly these kids are not old enough to play a part in their own rescue.

[TwinFoxes]

Don't we all as parents do that to varying degrees?

I'm taking my kids down to Mexico next week to help out in an orphanage. There are all manners of things they could be exposed to but for me, it is worth the risk to give them a different perspective, new opportunities. I've had a few friends say, "Well, I would never do that because of X, Y and Z." These parents very well may have felt the same way...adventure, opportunity, learning experience, etc. I personally would go completely insane on a boat with two young kids and would NEVER EVER EVER even consider such a thing. Clearly these parents think differently. I don't chalk it up to irresponsible or selfish at all. Honestly, selfish is living in a fear bubble and holding kids captive to that.

Great post.

[Globetrotter]

how exactly does one keep a 1 and 3 year old contained on a boat for months on end? This an honest question. Do they wear lifejackets at night while sleeping? Special locks for the cabin? Leashes? I know how nervous I was when my children were small and we stayed with friends with a pool. My stress level would be through the roof worrying about someone falling in the water. Anyone with some insight to the logistics of this?

My thoughts exactly. There is a HUGE difference between eight year olds volunteering in an orphanage, for example (I think it's great on so many levels, and you do have a lot more control over your environment in that situation) vs. toddlers living on a boat in rough waters, for the sake of adventure. It's one thing to go for a few days, but to live on a boat for an extended time to sail around the world with toddlers? No way. They could have waited for a few years and it would have been much less risky and more enjoyable for everyone. I sure hope they are wearing life vests 24/7, which is standard practice with boating, but imagine wearing them all the time.

[MontrealMum]

I'm not seeing "irresponsible" here. Not something I'd like to do, but it sounds like they did all they could and ran into unexpected circumstances. At least they knew when to call for help.

:yeahthat:

[boogiemom]

My thoughts exactly. There is a HUGE difference between eight year olds volunteering in an orphanage, for example (I think it's great on so many levels, and you do have a lot more control over your environment in that situation) vs. toddlers living on a boat in rough waters, for the sake of adventure. It's one thing to go for a few days, but to live on a boat for an extended time to sail around the world with toddlers? No way. They could have waited for a few years and it would have been much less risky and more enjoyable for everyone. I sure hope they are wearing life vests 24/7, which is standard practice with boating, but imagine wearing them all the time.

I agree. Completely. There are dangers everywhere and I certainly am not one to try to keep my kids in a bubble. They go to summer camp and enjoy reasonable, supervised adventures and experiences. We go on vacations and they enjoy reasonable, supervised adventures and experiences. However, an infant and a toddler trapped on a boat in the middle of an ocean? Not reasonable. The only thing you can predict about the sea is that it is unpredictable. Truly wise and experienced sailors should certainly know better.

[pinkmomagain]

There's a time and a place for everything. Sailing with toddlers -- not irresponsible. Sailing around the world with toddlers -- irresponsible. Sometimes you have to restrain your own sense of adventure to match your kids' capabilities. These folks weren't doing that. What would have happened if a storm destroyed the boat? Clearly these kids are not old enough to play a part in their own rescue.
Well said!

[123LuckyMom]

There's a time and a place for everything. Sailing with toddlers -- not irresponsible. Sailing around the world with toddlers -- irresponsible. Sometimes you have to restrain your own sense of adventure to match your kids' capabilities. These folks weren't doing that. What would have happened if a storm destroyed the boat? Clearly these kids are not old enough to play a part in their own rescue.

Exactly! To my mind even worse than the extensive dangers of that kind of trip is the necessity of simply being on a boat for days and even weeks at a time. Toddlers need to run around! Cooping them up on a boat day after day after day borders on abusive in my book. And a boat equipped for a long journey traveling on an open sea is in and of itself a dangerous and, thereby, very limited playground for a toddler.

[trales]

As an offshore sailor, who knows lots of folks who have sailed far off shore with kids, I really don't see any problem with this. When I first read the article, my thoughts were how awesome is our Coast Guard, we sailors are so lucky. Kids can run and climb on a boat. Not every kid in America gets to run around in a 4000 sq ft house on acres of property and attend beautifully landscaped schools with "natural" playgrounds that is 100% safe and childproof.

I really don't think the family did anything wrong or is being abusive. This is just another way to grow up.

[scrooks]

We pay the bill for lots of decisions that you or I might not make. What about high risk pregnancies that lead to premature babies? If you know your pregnancies tend to be high risk and you choose to have another child who ends up in the NICU for months their insurance quickly meets its cap. Then we as taxpayers pick up the bill. People who ride motorcycles take a risk and wind up hurt--some without any insurance. We as taxpayers pick up the bill. I think it's a slippery slope to say these people should be on the hook forever for the cost of saving their DD. I wouldn't be surprised if they have insurance for their rescue but it likely wouldn't come close to the true cost. Do you really think they should be bankrupt over the cost of saving their DD? When someone goes swimming and is washed out to sea and the coast guard responds in a rescue/recovery effort should the family of those people pay the bill? If they can't afford it should we just leave bodies in the ocean without trying to find and recover them?

For the record I'm not sure I actually agree with my Dh...I thought his first reaction was interesting. I am kinda in the camp of "different strokes for different folks" but what I keep thinking of is them sailing around the globe....is there anyway to avoid pirate risks while doing that??? Putting the kids in danger of such attacks definitely seems irresponsible. And I agree with the pps who wondered about being able to contain the kids....I would also make sure they had life jackets on 24/7 and probably wouldn't get a wink of sleep.

[trales]

is there anyway to avoid pirate risks while doing that??? Putting the kids in danger of such attacks definitely seems irresponsible. And I agree with the pps who wondered about being able to contain the kids....I would also make sure they had life jackets on 24/7 and probably wouldn't get a wink of sleep.

There are a lot of places to sail that do not have pirates. You have to avoid parts of the coasts of Africa/ Middle East around Somalia and Yemen. South Pacific, South America are great. Carribean/ Panama Canal, amazing. South Africa - wonderful, Mediteranian - very nice.

[westwoodmom04]

I just don't understand the point. Wouldn't you want to take on such a momentous journey at a point where your kid are old enough to remember the trip?

[TwinFoxes]

I found this article from a few years back. 12 families who spend their lives sailing. Not all have infants, but some do. It's uncommon, but not unheard of. I think families have done it for years, this time someone got sick so we heard about it.

http://www.womenandcruising.com/sailing-families.htm

I don't think the parents in question think of it as they're taking a trip. They live at sea, this time they were going to the South Pacific.

[cuca_]

I agree that I don't think its a terribly irresponsible decision. Someone fell ill at sea and needed to be rescued. I would imagine that the scenario would be similar, had one of the adults were sick with salmonella and not responding to the available treatment. As to the kids running around, as others have said, they can move around in the boat. Plus, I'm sure they were planning to stop at different places and swim and get off the boat. We grew up boating, and sailed out on open seas many times and often spent the night anchored in a cove. My youngest sibling was practically raised on a boat. As long as you know what you are doing, you should be fine. You keep track of the weather and seek shelter if needed. Boat doors have latches or locks on the inside, so a toddler can't easily open them.

I would not have wanted to make such a trip when my kids were that age, but I do not think it makes them the most irresponsible people out there.

[westwoodmom04]

I found this article from a few years back. 12 families who spend their lives sailing. Not all have infants, but some do. It's uncommon, but not unheard of. I think families have done it for years, this time someone got sick so we heard about it.

http://www.womenandcruising.com/sailing-families.htm

I don't think the parents in question think of it as they're taking a trip. They live at sea, this time they were going to the South Pacific.

They were undertaking to sail across the world. This leg was California to New Zealand. We are talking months at sea on a 36 foot sailboat. They were 900 miles at sea in a disabled boat. From ABC news:

Before the family left, Lyra had salmonella poisoning, but doctors cleared her to travel after she was healthy again, said Charlotte Kaufman's sister, Sariah Kay English.

English initially was in daily email contact with the family but realized something was wrong when the communication stopped several days ago.

English said she was told the vessel took on water every time the motor was turned on. It's now slowly moving using only the sails

So, the baby was sick before they left. And their boat had to be sunk at sea once the navy rescued them because it was inoperable.

[TwinFoxes]

They were undertaking to sail across the world. This leg was California to New Zealand. We are talking months at sea on a 36 foot sailboat. They were 900 miles at sea in a disabled boat. From ABC news:

Before the family left, Lyra had salmonella poisoning, but doctors cleared her to travel after she was healthy again, said Charlotte Kaufman's sister, Sariah Kay English.

English initially was in daily email contact with the family but realized something was wrong when the communication stopped several days ago.

English said she was told the vessel took on water every time the motor was turned on. It's now slowly moving using only the sails

Yes, i understand that. I'm not sure how this is different from what I said?

[westwoodmom04]

Yes, i understand that. I'm not sure how this is different from what I said?

idk,they took a baby that had just been sick hundreds of miles from a doctor and it wasn't only a sick baby, it was a disabled boat taking on water, hundreds of miles at sea. They are all lucky to be alive. Sounds much more irresponsible than just a family that liked to sail.

[Snow mom]

idk,they took a baby that had just been sick hundreds of miles from a doctor and it wasn't only a sick baby, it was a disabled boat taking on water, hundreds dog mile at sea. They are all lucky to be alive.

They took a baby that had been cleared to travel, I'm sure with the knowledge of the doctor that cleared her that they were sailing on the open ocean. If the boat was taking on water when the motor was on that is really mainly a problem with the current circumstance of needing to get the baby to help quickly. The boat being disabled in that manner wouldn't be expected although it would be a known risk. When you sail the goal is to not run the engine so judging from the limited information I'd bet that if this hadn't happened the boat would have been repaired at their next port stop.

[twotimesblue]

idk,they took a baby that had just been sick hundreds of miles from a doctor and it wasn't only a sick baby, it was a disabled boat taking on water, hundreds dog mile at sea. They are all lucky to be alive.

:yeahthat: I know a lot of 'sailing folk' and none of them would ever undertake a trip of this scale with kids that age, period. It's a totally different proposition to taking an 8-year-old to an orphanage in Mexico (which will, most likely, be incredibly rewarding for the child). There is nothing about this trip that would be enjoyable for a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old, period. Being cooped up on a boat, away from friends and same-age peers, most likely dealing with horrible seasickness for considerable periods... that's before you even consider the safety/health issues they encountered. Kids that age come down with things that turn life-threatening on a dime!

We were traveling with DS1 when he had a severe bout of croup, just after he turned 1 - it came out of nowhere and was utterly petrifying, he was turning blue and fighting to breathe. I was SO GRATEFUL that we were transiting in Miami at the time, as had he not been admitted to the ER immediately I dread to think what might have happened. Had we been thousands of miles off shore, on a disabled boat... I don't even want to think about it. A 1-year-old can't tell you if they have a sore tummy, a headache or any other 'warning signs' of an impending illness, and I would think most responsible parents would put off a trip like this until the kids were a) able to communicate and b) past the 'walking liability' stage, and able to get some kind of enjoyment out of it, too.

[squimp]

It's a totally different proposition to taking an 8-year-old to an orphanage in Mexico (which will, most likely, be incredibly rewarding for the child).

I have to agree with this. That is a whole different category of risk. I took DD to Mexico when she was 6 months old to a small town in Baja and she actually was having her first cold, we didn't cancel, but we knew we could get care.

[crayonblue]

I totally agree this is very different than a Mexico orphanage trip for a million different reasons. Actually a zillion.

[twotimesblue]

The woman's brother, James Moriset, was quoted on NBC News.

'It is crazy. It is nuts. My thoughts about it were -- bringing kids on a trip like that and then having the second one along the way and bringing a younger kid along on the trip, it was just -- I do feel very firmly that yes, that was crazy,' said Moriset.

[magnoliaparadise]

I wonder what the parents DID with the kids all day long in the boat... I mean, having 3 kids under 3 is a lot of work in the best of circumstances. If this family didn't have any help (sitters) - which I don't think they did - they must have been working around the clock. That SO does not sound like fun to me, ugh!

I'm amazed at how many people on BBB know so much and have experience sailing!

[TwinFoxes]

idk,they took a baby that had just been sick hundreds of miles from a doctor and it wasn't only a sick baby, it was a disabled boat taking on water, hundreds of miles at sea. They are all lucky to be alive. Sounds much more irresponsible than just a family that liked to sail.

Yes, clearly for them it's more than liking to sail. I said for them, they live on a boat. And the article I linked to was about other people who chucked it all and lived on their boats for several years, some with infants. One family has been out for 7 years! It's their way of life. I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me. I was just pointing out that it's not unheard of, clearly some folks in the thread had never heard of this. I grew up in San Diego. Every few years I'd meet a kid whose family was sailing around the world. Obviously those kids weren't infants, but I have no idea if there was a baby in the family. This family are not the only family to make that choice. You think it's irresponsible, I don't. Saying the same thing in different ways won't make me agree.

ETA: I guess my point is this, there are families who do this, and it's been going on for decades. We never hear about them because they don't need a dramatic rescue. They raise their kids, they probably wonder how someone can raise their kids in a cramped little house or apartment. When I saw "most irresponsible parents" this isn't what I would have come up with.

[NJ_Mom2011]

All of the parents who on this board who reference what they do or people they know with their kids, seem reasonable to me. Orphanage in Mexico, camping, climbing mountains, making a living boating off the shores of Alaska, are all helicopter, horseback, or speed boat away to local communities who can render assistance or medical help. I am uncomfortable taking small children out into the large Pacific ocean where it can be very, very difficult for others to provide rescue. If your navigation and beacon equipment are malfunctioning in the ocean, then your family is highly likely to never be found (as shown by the recent Malaysia plane disappearance).

[anonomom]

But you could load your kids into the minivan, drive out of your neighborhood and be annihilated by a drunk driver. You could be sleeping in your nice, safe bed and an electrical fire could start. Life is inherently dangerous; doesn't mean you stop living. So the family lives in a manner that many people wouldn't choose to do. But it's not like they woke up and decided to head for open water on a whim. They were prepared, they'd gotten clearance from the doctor, and something bad happened anyway. I still don't see what they were doing as irresponsible (let alone anything close to abusive!).

Imagine what their kids will be learning and experiencing if this family continues to live its life on the sea! I actually think it's quite cool.

[westwoodmom04]

Yes, clearly for them it's more than liking to sail. I said for them, they live on a boat. And the article I linked to was about other people who chucked it all and lived on their boats for several years, some with infants. One family has been out for 7 years! It's their way of life. I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me. I was just pointing out that it's not unheard of, clearly some folks in the thread had never heard of this. I grew up in San Diego. Every few years I'd meet a kid whose family was sailing around the world. Obviously those kids weren't infants, but I have no idea if there was a baby in the family. This family are not the only family to make that choice. You think it's irresponsible, I don't. Saying the same thing in different ways won't make me agree.

We can agree to disagree (we often do) but even some (but not all) of the families you linked to waited until their kids were 5 or older to take extended trips at sea. I don't have an issue with parents taking their kids around the world per se, but I do when the kids are so young and one very recently sick, and the boat in a questionable state of repair.

[JBaxter]

Yeah the navy has to drop divers in at 1am to stay with you until you are able to be rescued by a dingy from a sinking boat 900 miles from land and flown off to a hospital with a possible to be treated for possibly life threatening illness. I'll let my kids skip those lessons until they are able to make those choices for themselves
But you could load your kids into the minivan, drive out of your neighborhood and be annihilated by a drunk driver. You could be sleeping in your nice, safe bed and an electrical fire could start. Life is inherently dangerous; doesn't mean you stop living. So the family lives in a manner that many people wouldn't choose to do. But it's not like they woke up and decided to head for open water on a whim. They were prepared, they'd gotten clearance from the doctor, and something bad happened anyway. I still don't see what they were doing as irresponsible (let alone anything close to abusive!).

Imagine what their kids will be learning and experiencing if this family continues to live its life on the sea! I actually think it's quite cool.

[zukeypur]

My first thought was "oh, that poor family. A sick baby stranded at sea, and a firestorm of opinionated people when they get back." I don't see this as any more irresponsible than raising your children in an RV while traveling the country. I wonder what the statistics show as far as death at sea on boat vs. death traveling on US roads.

[scrooks]

My first thought was "oh, that poor family. A sick baby stranded at sea, and a firestorm of opinionated people when they get back." I don't see this as any more irresponsible than raising your children in an RV while traveling the country. I wonder what the statistics show as far as death at sea on boat vs. death traveling on US roads.
See I see that as a completely different much safer choice. You can easily get help or a doctor if required. You can stop at a store for medicine or food if you need it. Not to mention the fact that you can pull over every couple hours and let the kids run.

[zukeypur]

My point was not that RV traveling is unsafe, but that I don't see the boat trip as irresponsible. It would be irresponsible for me to do so, as I have never been on a boat and have no desire to do so. However, who am I to judge their parenting choices? If they're comfortable with boating I don't see a problem with it.

[TwinFoxes]

We can agree to disagree (we often do) but even some (but not all) of the families you linked to waited until their kids were 5 or older to take extended trips at sea. I don't have an issue with parents taking their kids around the world per se, but I do when the kids are so young and one very recently sick, and the boat in a questionable state of repair.

I guess I'm just not sure why you keep quoting me, and basically saying what I said. :) I said just some of the families had infants.

[marie]

I think we can all agree that we should be thankful for the first responders of the world who are willing to risk their lives to save ours and our childrens'.

I'm torn on this case - I can't ever imagine taking a trip like that, kids or no; it's just not my thing. When I read that they attempted something similar when she was pregnant with #2 but had to put a stop to it because of pregnancy complications, I thought "seriously?! wasn't that enough to make you reconsider this whole thing until you were out of the pregnancy and little kid stage?!" And as others have pointed out, the kids aren't going to remember this grand adventure?!"

Logistics question - were they using cloth diapers? how do you do that much laundry on board a boat that size?

[daisysmom]

There's a time and a place for everything. Sailing with toddlers -- not irresponsible. Sailing around the world with toddlers -- irresponsible.

And sailing with a toddler who just days before was infected with sominella... really irresponsible (IMO).

My DD had a febrile seizure and pneumonia days before we were to take a train from VA to NYC for spring break. We delayed our trip for a few days to have 2 more ped appts to insure that her lungs were clear, 2 more days for the antibiotics to work (she had bacterial pneumonia). All I kept thinking about was what if she spiked another fever and had a seizure on the 7 hour train ride... what would we do. Well we would, as parents, want the train stopped so she could be rushed to the hospital... but I was thinking about the cost of that (cost to other train riders, on schedules, etc.). My BIL has not been allowed to board an airplane before when he was short of breath in the security line and they took his blood pressure and found it to be 200/100. While he didn't end up having a heart attack, there was a risk of one and he was not fit to fly. He was irked about this, but I remember thinking that he could have had a heart attack on the plane.

I know neither of these are the same things as the situation at hand. But as parents, if a child is sick, I would think that they would have postponed the trip more than a few days.

[kara97210]

The area in Alaska I lived in was a 2 hour flight (1 flight per week) or 9 hr boat trip to medical treatment. There was a retired nurse in town, but not much else. And there were people there i encountered that were even more remote (1 family lived on their own island). It was really eye opening for me having lived my whole life in cities/suburbs. It's not how I would want to live, but it seems to work for them.


However, who am I to judge their parenting choices? If they're comfortable with boating I don't see a problem with it.

This is what I think too. We all weigh risk based on our life experience. I have heard people called irresponsible for:
Living in hurricane zones
Living in earthquake zones
Living in tornado zones
Traveling with young children
Having guns in the house
Not having guns in the house for protection
Etc, etc.

I think people, especially parents, usually try to make the best choices for their families.

[Snow mom]

Logistics question - were they using cloth diapers? how do you do that much laundry on board a boat that size?

Yes, one of the articles mentioned the difficulty of hand washing diapers with salt water. Sposies are plastic trash. Most trash can go over the edge into the water once you are a certain distance off shore. Plastic trash is an exception because it doesn't break down.

When we sailed to Bermuda we hand washed all our clothes in saltwater. That was an older boat that didn't have the technology to make fresh water from salt water so really the only thing fresh water was used for was drinking and cooking. Salty clothes are crunchy clothes but it's part of the adventure :)

[westwoodmom04]

The area in Alaska I lived in was a 2 hour flight (1 flight per week) or 9 hr boat trip to medical treatment. There was a retired nurse in town, but not much else. And there were people there i encountered that were even more remote (1 family lived on their own island). It was really eye opening for me having lived my whole life in cities/suburbs. It's not how I would want to live, but it seems to work for them.



This is what I think too. We all weigh risk based on our life experience. I have heard people called irresponsible for:
Living in hurricane zones
Living in earthquake zones
Living in tornado zones
Traveling with young children
Having guns in the house
Not having guns in the house for protection
Etc, etc.

I think people, especially parents, usually try to make the best choices for their families.

I assume the people in your remote area of Alaska could actually live in a self sufficient way. It took these parents two weeks before they couldn't take care of their boat or child.

[JBaxter]

Well even the MOTHER must not have thought it was a piece of cake......
Mrs Kaufman's last blog post, on April 1, read simply: "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

In the previous days she had described the hardships on board, washing dirty nappies, making cake in force five - fresh breeze - conditions and struggling to sleep as her baby rolled with the waves. Eight days in, she wrote: "I think this may be the stupidest thing we have ever done. 'Stupid' is the word that resonates throughout my day as we tick the slow minutes away to the kids' bed times each night. Why am I doing this? What the f*** was I thinking? Why did we pick such a hard way of travelling? Stupid."


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/medics-in-flippers-rescue-sick-kaufman-family-stranded-at-sea/story-fnb64oi6-1226876454577#


and OMG washing diapers in salt water that poor baby's bum :(

[mommylamb]

I assume the people in your remote area of Alaska could actually live in a self sufficient way. It took these parents two weeks before they couldn't take care of their boat or child.

We're all only self sufficient until we need help from someone else. Yes, it's easier to get that help in a more populated area, but that doesn't mean everyone has to do that.

The shaedenfreude in this thread is palpable.

[StantonHyde]

heck, I know someone who did a week's canoe through the boundary waters--without any communication whatsoever--with a 6 mo old infant. She purposefully didn't start the baby on solids until after their trip so that they could just EBF vs. packing baby food. The baby had a little life jacket.

My grandmother solidly believed that living in cities was practically child abuse--where were those kids supposed to run? She thought that a farm was the ONLY place to raise children. Same goes for people living off the grid. I know someone who raised 2 kids on a homestead in the Ozarks with no running water or electricity--and this was in the 80s. Heck, I was in southern california last week and could not imagine running a family in all that traffic and chaos---and yet many of you here do exactly that!

I can imagine the mother thought it was stupid--unless you have really thought it through and are totally committed, it would be a total PITA. Not something to do on a lark, that's for sure. But then I see parents hiking with kids all the time and they have one water bottle between the 4 of them--in the desert!! One 15 year old girl died a few years ago from dehydration and they were within an hour of a hospital. And don't EVEN get me started on the costs of wilderness rescues and the stupid sh!t people do that puts them in situations to get rescued (go out without a flashlight, extra water, food, and get lost and then get pissed because it took the searchers 24 hours to find you). One of the counties in southern Utah started charging people for rescues in extreme cases--where they did really stupid stuff. (small county, lots of tourists)

so people do dumb things all the time. The kind of adventure described here isn't unheard of. They just didn't seem to plan all that well.

[Nooknookmom]

How much did that rescues cost us? Filed under Stu-pid. Apparently in one of her FB posts the mom concurred.

Older kids maybe - a baby and toddler heck no.

[crayonblue]

We're all only self sufficient until we need help from someone else. Yes, it's easier to get that help in a more populated area, but that doesn't mean everyone has to do that.

The shaedenfreude in this thread is palpable.

Thanks for the word of the day...had to look that one up!

[crayonblue]

This is what I think too. We all weigh risk based on our life experience. I have heard people called irresponsible for:
Living in hurricane zones
Living in earthquake zones
Living in tornado zones
Traveling with young children
Having guns in the house
Not having guns in the house for protection
Etc, etc.

I think people, especially parents, usually try to make the best choices for their families.

Add having a swimming pool to that list.

[twotimesblue]

Heck, I was in southern california last week and could not imagine running a family in all that traffic and chaos---and yet many of you here do exactly that!


Hmmm, SoCal is a pretty huge place, and certainly not everywhere is 'traffic and chaos'. It also has amazing weather so the kids can play outside all year long, great food, culture etc and while not perfect (find me a place that is!) it's a lovely place to raise kids. I personally couldn't live in a backwater town with concealed carry laws and religious brainwashing but I wouldn't call people who did 'irresponsible'. That's just under the different strokes for different folks category, to each their own and all that.

This couple were reckless and selfish in their pursuit of THEIR dream trip - one that could easily have been postponed until the kids were older, or left with family members on dry land! If they'd tried to climb Everest with the baby in a back carrier, would people be as sympathetic? Or if the baby had died from her illness?

Being a parent means putting your kids' needs before yours, especially in the baby and toddler years. Clearly not everyone thinks that way.

[anonomom]

Hmmm, SoCal is a pretty huge place, and certainly not everywhere is 'traffic and chaos'. It also has amazing weather so the kids can play outside all year long, great food, culture etc and while not perfect (find me a place that is!) it's a lovely place to raise kids. I personally couldn't live in a backwater town with concealed carry laws and religious brainwashing but I wouldn't call people who did 'irresponsible'. That's just under the different strokes for different folks category, to each their own and all that.

This couple were reckless and selfish in their pursuit of THEIR dream trip - one that could easily have been postponed until the kids were older, or left with family members on dry land! If they'd tried to climb Everest with the baby in a back carrier, would people be as sympathetic? Or if the baby had died from her illness?

Being a parent means putting your kids' needs before yours, especially in the baby and toddler years. Clearly not everyone thinks that way.

Can you really not see that people can chose different ways of living without being irresponsible or selfish? There are people who could say that it's irresponsible to chose to live in a place with insufficient water supplies, rampant wildfires, deadly mudslides and that could at any moment suffer a devastating earthquake. Does that mean we should all take to the internet to hurl insults when/if something bad happens?

we all make choices on how we want to lives our lives and the risks we're willing to take with our families. Just because you've chosen a different set of risks than this family has doesn't mean they're wrong and you're right. Just means the world is full of choices (and thank heavens for that!)

[mommy111]

Eight days in, she wrote: "I think this may be the stupidest thing we have ever done. 'Stupid' is the word that resonates throughout my day as we tick the slow minutes away to the kids' bed times each night. Why am I doing this? What the f*** was I thinking?
Not commenting on whether this was irresponsible or not since I haven't read the news story (yes, I live with my head buried in the sand) but just read this Quote from the mom and and I can't say that I don't feel this way pretty much every day of my life as a single working mom

[westwoodmom04]

Can you really not see that people can chose different ways of living without being irresponsible or selfish? There are people who could say that it's irresponsible to chose to live in a place with insufficient water supplies, rampant wildfires, deadly mudslides and that could at any moment suffer a devastating earthquake. Does that mean we should all take to the internet to hurl insults when/if something bad happens?

we all make choices on how we want to lives our lives and the risks we're willing to take with our families. Just because you've chosen a different set of risks than this family has doesn't mean they're wrong and you're right. Just means the world is full of choices (and thank heavens for that!)

Sure I can see that -- nobody is saying anyone is "wrong." I'm sure that there are people who are avid sailors that take no more risks with their kids than I do. It's not the lifestyle choice here that was the issue, it was the particular decisions made by this set of parents. Just like putting a small child on the back of motorcycle is irresponsible, or leaving your guns around the house loaded and unlocked where kids can get them is irresponsible. The parents had never done an ocean crossing before according to the dad's blog, seems like they were unprepared for the task. When you need not a coast guard rescue, but a military rescue that generates national headlines, things are a little beyond the normal bounds. There is a difference between natural disasters (impossible to find an area of the country that isn't susceptible to some kind of storm or earthquake threat) and those that are the direct result of our own actions/inactions. The mom blogs that her daughter smelled her making a cake on the boat during the trip, but she hid it from the child so she and her husband wouldn't have to share the cake with the children --what a selfish sentiment-- and she spent her days longing forward to when the children were sleeping.

I'm pretty sure if I posted that I had decided not to put me five year old in a booster seat in my car, plenty of regular posters here would call me irresponsible. And for the same reason -- we as parents have some level of obligation to look out for our kids' safety.

[California]

They don't rank as irresponsible in my book either. There are so many worse examples of negligent parents, they pale in comparison. One of my good friends grew up on a sailboat. It was her parents' way of living and it sounds like this couple has been living on their boat for several years now. Sending the boat ahead with a crew, and then flying in to meet it, would have been obviously easier but it sounds like they didn't have the funds for that. So they tried to do a trip themselves that many people have safely done before. It sounds like in losing their sailboat they've lost their home, and now will have to rebuild their lives with all this judgment heaped on them- the comments on the news reports are A LOT harsher than the comments on here.

[TwinFoxes]

Not commenting on whether this was irresponsible or not since I haven't read the news story (yes, I live with my head buried in the sand) but just read this Quote from the mom and and I can't say that I don't feel this way pretty much every day of my life as a single working mom

DH is out of town, and this weekend many similar thoughts ran through my head! :)

[scrooks]

Thanks for the word of the day...had to look that one up!
Same here!

[AnnieW625]

Add me to the list of different strokes for different folks, but you have to realize this is coming from someone who took a 5lb., 8 oz. full term newborn (DD1) to Walgreens at 4 or 5 days old in her stroller with straps that were too loose because the baby was tiny because the doctor told me I had to get out of the house. I think I might have had her wrapped in a blanket too so I am sure some here would call that irresponsible parenting as well.

And I agree that tax payers cover expenses for other people who do way more stupid stuff than taking a newborn sailing.

[daisysmom]

It's not the lifestyle choice here that was the issue, it was the particular decisions made by this set of parents. Just like putting a small child on the back of motorcycle is irresponsible, or leaving your guns around the house loaded and unlocked where kids can get them is irresponsible. The parents had never done an ocean crossing before according to the dad's blog, seems like they were unprepared for the task. When you need not a coast guard rescue, but a military rescue that generates national headlines, things are a little beyond the normal bounds. There is a difference between natural disasters (impossible to find an area of the country that isn't susceptible to some kind of storm or earthquake threat) and those that are the direct result of our own actions/inactions. .

I so agree.

When we had a thread on here about leaving toddlers/young school age children in the car to go into the store to run errands a couple of months ago, I felt like I was so much more of a "risk taker" than the norm on this board. I don't consider myself irresponsible or flirting with danger at all, but I routinely have left my DD in the car reading a book while I have gone into the grocery store or bank for 15 minutes or so, away from her view. The vast majority (if I am remembering it correctly) of posters on here thought it was irresponsible to leave first grader (and older, some posters) in a parked car away from your sightline. I was aghast.

Now (and I am not sure if it is the same posters), there is much more of a sentiment of "let these parents pick their lifestyle" on this thread.

I grew up sailing... my brother and I were under the edge of 10 and going on 5 hour sail boat rides in the Potomac River when we were kids, no question. I know plenty of people that have taken a month plus on their boat on the open sea. I also know people that live in areas where there could be landslides, or who routinely ski the back of the moutain. I fully respect people who view risks (known and unknown) and make lifestyle choices.

What is different in this case is that they knew the toddler was sick (frankly very sick... she didn't just have a stomach bug). To say she was 'cleared to travel' from a doctor doesn't mean much to me... having just gone through this after my daughter's sickness, we found some doctors saying we were fine to go and others saying you would be crazy to go. It is not a doctor's decision, IMO, it is a parent decision. I am surprised they made it and yes, I think it was an irresponsible decision. I do think that our country/community recognizes that there is a public cost that we ALL bear (though taxes) to save people from natural disasters. And we recognize that there are limits to such expenses (for example, when people decide to shelter in place versus leave an area that has officially been evacuated because of a hurricane). But in this case, the reason for the rescue was because the child was sick and I just think it was irresponsible for them to have taken that course so soon after she had been so sick before.

[squimp]

DD and I were talking about the word "schadenfreude" yesterday. She reads Muse and apparently there was an article in there about German words that don't have an English equivalent. I told her about schadenfreude, then she came back with "Entlistungsfreude" which is the satisfaction achieved with checking things off lists. She and I both get this. :D

[mommylamb]

DD and I were talking about the word "schadenfreude" yesterday. She reads Muse and apparently there was an article in there about German words that don't have an English equivalent. I told her about schadenfreude, then she came back with "Entlistungsfreude" which is the satisfaction achieved with checking things off lists. She and I both get this. :D

I'll have to remember entlistungsfreude. That's a good one. I think schadenfreude is a much underused word with a great deal of applicability. I often think of it while reading BBB threads.

[squimp]

I'll have to remember entlistungsfreude. That's a good one. I think schadenfreude is a much underused word with a great deal of applicability. I often think of it while reading BBB threads.

I think schadenfreude accounts for at least 50% of the market of gossip sites and magazines at the supermarket checkout! Probably more. We seem to love to catch people failing.

[bisous]

Is it irresponsible? I don't know, it doesn't seem that way to me. Had they been successful I'm sure lots of people would feel differently. Are they the MOST irresponsible parents of the year? I don't know how anyone can make this argument! I just don't see how we can judge responsible, caring parents who love their kids when there are just too many truly tragic and sad cases where children's lives are much more endangered and much less pleasant. I'm just glad that this has a mostly positive outcome!

[sntm]

The mom blogs that her daughter smelled her making a cake on the boat during the trip, but she hid it from the child so she and her husband wouldn't have to share the cake with the children --what a selfish sentiment-- and she spent her days longing forward to when the children were sleeping.
.
Oh, lord, I just last night lied to the toddler that we were out of ice cream because I didn't think he needed it and I wanted to eat it later.



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[anonomom]

Maybe part of the issue here is that reading the parents' blogs, I find that I like them. The mom is honest about the fact that the day-to-day life with small children is often difficult (on or off a boat). I don't think that makes her a bad parent. There have absolutely been days when I've counted down the moments until bedtime. And yeah, there are times I'll keep a special treat for me and DH. Selfish, maybe, I guess a touch. But not bad or wrong.

[mommy111]

DH is out of town, and this weekend many similar thoughts ran through my head! :)
Aww, I hope he's back soon and you get to take a day off as a treat!

[vejemom]

My problem with the whole thing is that it doesn't seem well planned. Set out on a tiny ship with realistically only one crew member available to tend to the sailing and navigation at any given time. I've only sailed a few times, but that doesn't seem right to me. Years ago, my ex-BIL took us out on a ship the same size through the Solant in England. He and ex-SIL are both skilled sailors, but hired a skipper so that he would have time to relax and visit with us. That skipper could have sailed that ship by himself, but he wasn't busy trying to keep two tiny kids from falling overboard at the same time.

Not to mention, damn that's a tiny ship. Almost 20 feet shorter than a tractor trailer's bed. Someone will probably come along and tell me I'm wrong, but that doesn't seem large enough for a trans-Pacific crossing. I used to work for a woman that was a Navy commander. She reminisced once how some huge destroyer she was on got thrown around so badly that people were barfing their guts out. My friend who is a nurse wanted to go to the Phillipines to help after that typhoon. She has sea sickness issues, and we determined that the USS Comfort, even at some 800 feet long, was going to get tossed around too much on the open seas for her to make the trip.

I also can't help but think about the men and women who had to risk their necks to get this family. That Navy diver could have a newborn baby he wants to get home alive to, for all we know. Christopher Columbus was called a mad man for doing what he did. And I don't think that conditions have changed all that much since then. The Pacific is so vast. It's easy to be beyond help out there, even in this age of satellites and air craft

[Kindra178]

Oh, lord, I just last night lied to the toddler that we were out of ice cream because I didn't think he needed it and I wanted to eat it later.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just spit my water out. So funny and so true. I don't think the fact she is hiding cake is indicative of anything, including the mother's alleged selfishness. In reality, kids shouldn't have cake anyway.

[crayonblue]

Maybe part of the issue here is that reading the parents' blogs, I find that I like them. The mom is honest about the fact that the day-to-day life with small children is often difficult (on or off a boat). I don't think that makes her a bad parent. There have absolutely been days when I've counted down the moments until bedtime. And yeah, there are times I'll keep a special treat for me and DH. Selfish, maybe, I guess a touch. But not bad or wrong.

I've been reading her blog today too and find the mom fascinating! I'm actually jealous...of her free spirit and also of those kids who are NEVER going to have boring lives!

[StantonHyde]

Hmmm, SoCal is a pretty huge place, and certainly not everywhere is 'traffic and chaos'. It also has amazing weather so the kids can play outside all year long, great food, culture etc and while not perfect (find me a place that is!) it's a lovely place to raise kids. I personally couldn't live in a backwater town with concealed carry laws and religious brainwashing but I wouldn't call people who did 'irresponsible'. That's just under the different strokes for different folks category, to each their own and all that.t way.

yes, thank you for proving my point! SLC also has great weather so my kids are outside all year round (there is no bad weather, only bad gear), we have awesome restaurants (my kids don't care about that), great "western" culture (symphony, ballet, opera), and our culture (5 national parks, 5+ Native American tribes, large Latino and Pacific Islandler populations). And your backwater is my "jumping off" point for what really matters to me--backpacking, mountain biking etc (without a ton of people) AND we have world class medical services etc. I haven't been brainwashed yet, I suppose there is always time for that later, just hasn't been on my agenda. I actually lived in So Cal (LA) for 2 years so I do have that as a reference point.

I know people who live HOURS from medical services. Why? Because their family has "run cattle" there for generations and they can't imagine not living in connection with the land. Bottom line--we all live with some risk, whether we acknowledge it or not.

[Carlasmom]

I'm a native speaker of German and have never heard the word Entlistungsfreude. The noun Schadenfreude might have no direct translation in English but the concept of course is easily understood by English speakers. In English one can use the verb 'to gloat' which, interestingly, has no direct translation in German.

[westwoodmom04]

It seems that the baby getting sick was a bit of a godsend as by the time the navy got to them, the boat had no power, no steering, no communication system, and was taking on water. They would have needed to been rescued anyway.

As for the food hoarding, it is one thing to deny a kid a snack at home and another to bake one thing all day in a small room with a kid who has literally nothing to do and then deny her it when she asks for it.

[squimp]

I remember having so many mixed feelings about Abby Sunderland who had to be rescued while sailing around the world. I was both awestruck by her courage and skills and terrified for her safety.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abby_Sunderlan

Apparently this Dutch girl did sail around the world starting at age 14. A movie about her trip just came out. Ultimately I am amazed and curious about kids who are so adventurous and their parents who "let" them do it.
http://time.com/894/maidentrip/

[squimp]

I'm a native speaker of German and have never heard the word Entlistungsfreude. The noun Schadenfreude might have no direct translation in English but the concept of course is easily understood by English speakers. In English one can use the verb 'to gloat' which, interestingly, has no direct translation in German.

Check out this book - I am not fluent in German but he gives this word and many examples.
http://www.amazon.com/Schottenfreude-German-Words-Human-Condition/dp/039916670X

[cairo06]

Check out this book - I am not fluent in German but he gives this word and many examples.
http://www.amazon.com/Schottenfreude-German-Words-Human-Condition/dp/039916670X


These are all made up words. They don't actually exists, but who knows they might catch on. :)

[TxCat]

Oh, lord, I just last night lied to the toddler that we were out of ice cream because I didn't think he needed it and I wanted to eat it later.



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:ROTFLMAO:

I usually eat cookies or pieces of cake that I buy for myself while hiding behind the door of the pantry. If DD1 finds me and asks what I'm eating, I always tell her it's sardines.

[TwinFoxes]

:ROTFLMAO:

I usually eat cookies or pieces of cake that I buy for myself while hiding behind the door of the pantry. If DD1 finds me and asks what I'm eating, I always tell her it's sardines.

My DH will sometimes go to DQ after dinner. Our code is "let's get coffee tonight". ;)

[mommy111]

Oh, lord, I just last night lied to the toddler that we were out of ice cream because I didn't think he needed it and I wanted to eat it later.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My secret sin is takeout Chinese. I hide that from the kids. The kids hide their cupcakes from me so they're not far behind :)

[mommylamb]

In case anyone is interested, the family did their first interview with Ira Glass on This American Life to tell their side of the story. http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/525/call-for-help

[BDKmom]

In case anyone is interested, the family did their first interview with Ira Glass on This American Life to tell their side of the story. http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/525/call-for-help

I listened to this yesterday. Very interesting. I felt bad for the fact that they lost everything. Must have been a very difficult decision.

[mommylamb]

I listened to this yesterday. Very interesting. I felt bad for the fact that they lost everything. Must have been a very difficult decision.

It did seem like despite really good preparation efforts, everything that could have gone wrong did. The change in the sim card on their satellite phone was really terrible.

[TwinFoxes]

It did seem like despite really good preparation efforts, everything that could have gone wrong did. The change in the sim card on their satellite phone was really terrible.

That was just so irresponsible of the satellite phone company.

I found thier interview interesting. And also the info from sailing experts that indeed, hundreds of families live on boats, we just never hear of them. And that this type of crossing is considered routine. Also interesting that their boat wasn't scuttled because it was in bad shape, but because once their evacuated, it's not like the US Navy is going to bring them back to the boat. Imagine destroying your families only home. I don't think this will change the minds of anyone who's convinced they're awful parents, but it does clear up some questions.

[BDKmom]

It did seem like despite really good preparation efforts, everything that could have gone wrong did. The change in the sim card on their satellite phone was really terrible.

I agree. And the sat phone thing was just ridiculous. What on earth was that company thinking?

[California]

Listened to it all while prepping dinner and after their interview there is a great segment on relationships, and then a story about how a friendship changed the life of a child with autism. That last interview had me in tears- so sweet, and made me think of many mamas on this board and what they've shared about their kids.

[Raidra]

That was just so irresponsible of the satellite phone company.

I found thier interview interesting. And also the info from sailing experts that indeed, hundreds of families live on boats, we just never hear of them. And that this type of crossing is considered routine. Also interesting that their boat wasn't scuttled because it was in bad shape, but because once their evacuated, it's not like the US Navy is going to bring them back to the boat. Imagine destroying your families only home. I don't think this will change the minds of anyone who's convinced they're awful parents, but it does clear up some questions.

I'm glad they did an interview. I haven't read more than the first page or two of this thread, because my husband is very much into boating and we talk often of how wonderful it would be to do something similar to what these families do. He follows blogs of families who cruise with their kids, and to be honest, it doesn't seem especially crazy or dangerous. I have no idea how the risks compare, but everyone does plenty of 'dangerous' things with our kids all the time - driving them in a car is a risky proposition, isn't it? This kind of lifestyle isn't something that they do just willy-nilly.. a lot of planning and preparation goes into it.

Glad to see that at least some people are open to their side of the story. :)

[mommylamb]

Listened to it all while prepping dinner and after their interview there is a great segment on relationships, and then a story about how a friendship changed the life of a child with autism. That last interview had me in tears- so sweet, and made me think of many mamas on this board and what they've shared about their kids.

That was a really touching story.

I love This American Life though, and always find it to have some really great nuggets. It is almost always my Monday morning drive to work podcast.

[TwinFoxes]

Listened to it all while prepping dinner and after their interview there is a great segment on relationships, and then a story about how a friendship changed the life of a child with autism. That last interview had me in tears- so sweet, and made me think of many mamas on this board and what they've shared about their kids.

I'm a TAL fan, but this episode seemed especially good.