"Dear Rope Dope, My in-laws run a bungee jumping business, and it turns out that they allowed Simon to jump three separate times! I called my brother-in-law and demanded to know why he would allow my son to do something so dangerous without the consent of myself and my husband. His lame excuse was that Simon is tall for his age and met the physical requirements and that that he's got more than 15 years in the business, so there was no danger."
"My first instinct here was to say that you're overreacting. But, upon reflection and thinking about how I'd feel if I found out my own 12-year-old had gone bungee jumping without my knowledge, I came around. You're well within your rights to be upset with your brother-in-law for not asking you first. If you want to convince your brother-in-law that he should have asked you, you might try appealing to his business sense."
A couple left their children, Sara (8) and Simon (12), with the husband's brother and his family while they went on a second honeymoon. Simon was allowed to bungee-jump three times by the in-laws without parental consent. The brother-in-law defended the decision by citing Simon's height, meeting physical requirements, and his own more than 15 years of experience running the business. The husband sided with his brother, which deepened the mother's upset and led her to consider distancing from the in-laws and forbidding them from watching the children. Parents have the right to be angry when guardians permit risky activities without consent. Emphasizing waiver requirements and liability concerns may persuade caregivers to seek permission in the future.
Read at Slate Magazine
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