I am not a helicopter! Or a mama bear!

Dear Helicopter Moms and Teachers,
      When I drop my kids off at school, you may notice that I leave. It's because they are on the playground and other parents might want my parking space to drop off their own kids. I do not stay until my kids are in line, or until they're inside, or until they're in college. They're kids, they're on the playground, they're okay.
      You may notice that my children cross the street without waiting to hold my hand. It's because I've taught them to look both ways before crossing. They may forget, and I will yell for them if they do, but they learn more from trying than they do from being clutched in my death grip every time we touch pavement.
      You may notice that my kids play outside by themselves. This is because we have clear spots in our walls every few feet, which I use to watch my children from INSIDE the house. Rest assured that I have checked the sky and the hovering sex offenders and kidnappers aren't there right now, waiting to slide down ropes and snatch my kids once they close the door behind them. Crimes against children are lower than they were in my childhood and I'm grateful that my mom let me go on bike rides and walk to the park alone. I'm also glad she didn't sit in a car and stare at me until I entered the school. And she let me walk across 2 streets to go to school alone from kindergarten on. And I survived! My kids will as well.