Checklist to let your child go safely and confidently

Dear Mindy,
My son is only 10 but as he gets older, he’s going to want his independence. It’s so hard for me to just let him walk to school by himself. My husband gets on me for wanting to drive him to his friends house, who by the way, lives in the neighborhood just on the opposite end of it. I often times let what I hear in the news get in my head and I know that eventually, I will have to let him go….let him grow!! What are your thoughts?

Dear Letting Go,
During in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou recalls her mother, Vivian Baxter, telling her,”I care enough to let you go and I dare enough to follow.”

This is a brilliant, loving, and sensible approach to let your child go safely and confidently. Confidence for you and your son. You can find endless suggestions, including mine, on how to parent but you must take it with a grain of salt because I too am desperately navigating though motherhood. Sometimes I’m white knuckled and other times I’m on cruise control.
-Trust your gut.
-Research age appropriate norms and recommendations. This is only for consideration, you ultimately know what’s best for your child.
-Go through checklists before attempting new milestones. Checklist’s ensure you’ve covered all the things you tend to worry about. Here is an example-