Is it wrong to leave my son in Canada while I head to the Mexican Riviera for "research"?
It was easy to convince Alex that Canada was the better option for him, but I'm having trouble convincing myself.
If my son stays in the Great White North he'll spend a week with his grandparents (whom he seldom sees) in the Kootenays (lots of snow, which he loves) playing with other kids his age (tons of fun).
Conversely, I tell myself, that wandering around a bunch of Mayan ruins in the scorching heat while mommy tries to explain the difference between Tenochtitlan and Teotihuacán would be boring to a four-year-old (or, to be honest, a 40-year-old).
The grandparents hometown has deer, a wave pool, enough toys to start a Toys R Us and a grandma who can make 349 different types of cookies.
Mexico has spiders and snakes, a semi-polluted Gulf of Mexico, toys that meet no known safety standards and 349 different types of hot sauce.
It seems straightforward enough, yet I was still wracked with guilt.
Like most men, I didn't want to discuss something as sensitive as childrearing with my wife.
Instead I asked the guys during the Super Bowl.
Sure enough my guilt was assuaged.
"Dude," said Alan. "Didn't Foreign Affairs issue a travel advisory for Mexico. You sure don’t want to bring in a kid to that."
"Yeah," said Bosko. "And diarrhea kills more people every year than AIDS and cancer combined. And everyone knows Mexico is famous for Montezuma's Revenge."
"True," added Jay. "And do you really want to spend $1,200 so you can spend six hours on a plane with a four-year-old?"
Thanks guys, I'm now guilt free.
3 comments:
No it's not wrong to leave your son in the care of this grandparents so they can have a great time together in your absence.
However, it is very wrong to leave me in Northern Virginia. Take me to Mexico! I did major in Anthro....
Good blog, Ed. You're the Garrison Keillor of our class.
Devra, hi!
Can you babysit?
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