Don't Be a Dumb Parent

Okay, I'll start off by being very blunt.  Don't be a dumb parent.  I'm not saying don't make mistakes.  We all make mistakes.  You can be the best parent in the world and you'll still make mistakes.  But there's a difference between a smart mistake and a dumb mistake.  Dumb mistakes are mistakes made by parents who aren't thinking about the welfare of their child.  Here's a perfect example from the Atlantic magazine which I subscribe to.  The following question was asked and printed in the advice column.  For full details, including the columnist's answer, go here:  http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/09/whats-your-problem/309430/

Can I Take My Baby Monitor to the Bar?  Really?  That's your question?  If you read the article the person lives in an apartment above a bar and wants to know if it's okay to leave the apartment and go to the bar if they bring the baby monitor since it's just downstairs.  Again, really?  You really have to ask that?  Sigh.

When my first daughter was a baby I was too paranoid to leave the house for even 10 minutes to do some yard work, let alone go more than 50 feet from the house.  Mowing the lawn wasn't an option.  Even though my daughter would sleep for 2+ hours at a time, I was too scared to go out an mow for an hour.  I was too fearful that she would wake up early and I wouldn't know.  I can't even imagine asking anyone if it's okay that I leave the the house and go to a bar.  Really???