I’d like to go ahead and nominate Abby Sunderland’s parents for the World’s Worst Parents 2010.
I know what you’re thinking, I thought only celebrities could be bad parents…well you’re wrong. Wait until you hear this story if you haven’t yet.
Abby Sunderland is a 16 year old girl. I bolded that one because we’re going to talk about it more in a second. Abby Sunderland is a 16 year old girl who wanted to sail around the world, not one day in the future but right now. Instead of being the type of parents who tell their daughter that it’s not a great idea for a 16 year old girl to drive to the mall let alone sail around the world, they not only supported idea but put the wheels in motion. MaryAnne and Laurence Sunderland, clearly writing a book on parenting, are Abby’s parents and they were on Good Morning America this morning explaining a bit about this great plan. (More on this in a second too.)
Well Abby set sail Jan. 23 from Marina Del Rey, CA. just 24 hours ago, June 10th, Abby’s family lost contact with her somewhere around Australia. Having no idea what happened to her the Australians sent a search plane out to see where she was, because no one had any idea. A quick note here, I kind of just figured she was dead. Seriously. Whenever you lose contact with someone over an immense stretch of ocean you can’t assume that they’re just fine. I’m just saying… Turns out she wasn’t dead, but her little boat was f’d up. The sail/mast was destroyed…rendering the little ship fairly useless and taking out her ability to use the satellite phone to “phone home.”
Now, it appears, the Australians are sending out 3 rescue boats to go get here as she floats along and bring her back to Australia.
Ok.
When’s the last time you would classify 16 year olds as great decision makers? (If you’re Lawrence Sunderland you think your kids always have great ideas…and sometimes you get “excited.” ” Seriously.) Abby’s parents think they’re slick by comparing this to letting her get in a car which is “more dangerous.” No. If there were over 1,000,000 teen boaters on the ocean at one time I’d be willing to bet that we’d agree that it’s more dangerous to sail with those kids on the ocean.
I’m not knocking anyone who is 16, but there is a reason there are rules in place and they don’t rule the world. I mean…seriously…does anyone think that we should listen to what 16 year olds say when they come to you with an ass crazy idea? I mean Crazy Larry Sunderland not only didn’t tell her she was an idiot, but he got “excited.”
Shits weird.
I mean…right?
16 year old girl: “Dad, I’m not going to school starting in January, I’m going to sail around the world.”
Dad: “You’re making me excited.”
Tell me that isn’t a weird scenario! Sure…it isn’t this exact scenario…rather a parody…but still, I threw up a little thinking about it.
If you’re a parent sometimes you have to lay down the law. If you’re not willing to lay down the law…maybe you shouldn’t be a parent. Or maybe you can just “pretend” that you’re a good parent by saying “no” then crazy Larry can privately think “That’s an awesome idea!” but not say it out loud so she gets the feeling you agree with her.
Instead Larry said:
“When any of my kids come to me with an ambition, I don’t laugh at it,” said Abby’s father, Laurence Sunderland. “I like to listen to my kids. There was a part of me that was even excited, because she’s jumped into an arena where I know a little bit about it.”
Clearly it’s an area that Larry only knew “…a little bit about…” I guess Larry is kind of an expert in sailing around the world as a teenage girl.
Yup.
Parent. Of. The. Year.
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