Comments on: A Tough Question

By: Ian and Wendy Sewell

Ian and Wendy Sewell — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 02:16:43 +0000

I read this post as I nursed our son. Our daughter is currently sleeping peacefully in her crib – surrounded by her favorite books…

By: Theodora

Theodora — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:26:11 +0000

In reply to Tracy Burns.

Thanks, Tracy. Let’s hope we can. What’s interesting here is that people ask how old he is, then what class he’s in — as in, how much school has he had to miss for financial reasons. Meeting teens who are working their way through not high school, not university, but middle school, is humbling.

By: Tracy Burns

Tracy Burns — Tue, 03 May 2011 00:53:09 +0000

I love this article Theodora. I’ve often thought about the fact that we are travelling with our kids showing them the world, educating them with experiences and online resources; all the things they have access, the ideas – purely because they had the luck to be born in a first world country. I remember it really hit me in Laos and Cambodia as I met children who couldn’t go to school every day due to financial reasons or family commitments or couldn’t go to school period and thinking wow, back home we worry about getting our kids into the right school (or preschool even these days), choosing the right high school … when so many families in the world have to worry about whether their children can even go to school! It’s a huge gap. Your comment about your son’s opportunities existing because other children’s opportunities are limited is so true. Lets just hope as parents we can raise our children to grasp this concept and inspire them to do something about it.

By: Theodora

Theodora — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 07:26:28 +0000

In reply to Rachel. Thanks, Rachel. I think it's important to contribute to the local economy, and I will remind Z of that, too.

By: Theodora

Theodora — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 07:25:39 +0000

In reply to Gillian @OneGiantStep.

I’ve thought about it before, but for some reason it was this one thing — more so than child hawkers, child beggars, which also wrench as a parent — that crystallised it for me.

By: Theodora

Theodora — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 07:24:30 +0000

In reply to mary. I agree that travel dollars do help the economy, and tourism is a growing force within Lombok. And, yes, it's not going to stop me travelling, but it is worth thinking about once in a while...

By: Theodora

Theodora — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 07:23:09 +0000

In reply to Dalene - Hecktic Travels. Thanks so much Dalene. I'm glad that you struggle with it too.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 06:05:50 +0000

What we pointed out to the girls over and over again was that we were there spending our money with local people so that they could spend it on their families – you could be learning to surf with an expat dude, drinking in an expat bar.
Yes you were born in a wealthier place but you can’t take the blame for that.

By: Gillian @OneGiantStep

Gillian @OneGiantStep — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 22:22:41 +0000

You have managed to put into words what I have also struggled with. I have tried to write about it but have never managed to come up with something publishable. Good work; nicely told. Thank you.

By: mary

mary — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 15:58:38 +0000

Great points you make. But the other side is that in your thoughtful answers to this young man, you may have planted a seed. About education, about travel, about nutrition. Or even just to ask questions. Just as he has provided you with insight about wealth, privilege, fatherhood, inequality, etc. It’s an exchange. And your travel dollars probably help their economy. Generally, we never know what it is that we do or say (good or bad) that will make a change in someone else’s view of the world or cause them to do something differently from what they have done before. Travel on!