>Do you allow your kids to:
>
>1. Drive - A life or death activity. More likely to be killed in an auto accident than in war.

When they legally can drive, then they should learn how to. Living in USA without a car is a real bummer.

>2. Drink - ditto

Not a matter of allowing or forbidding. We have a lot of booze around the house, but actually nobody drinks. On rare occasions when we do, we have to dust the bottle first.

Somehow, the matter never came up. The only education we gave them are the examples (and nasty comments) about people who drink, or whom we know have squandered their lives, and the lives of their near and dear. And that they should know their drink - know how their body reacts, know how much drink goes for fun and when to stop before the party goes sour. Had no problem with that.

And... you can't really ban drinking, it's just too easy to sneak.

>3. Have Sex

It's their lives. After age of consent, we can only give advice and respect their decisions. Before that, the matter never actually came up. They were taught to leave some for later. It's a long life.

>4. Smoke

Two out of three don't. Not that there was a real ban ever, just a bit to scare them if they start too early.

>5. Cross streets

No religion either.

>6. Fly

If they learn how to, they have the obligation to teach us too.

>7. Marital Arts

Even people with no inclination for arts get married. Don't see why would anyone ban or allow their kids to be artful in marriage.

>8. Fire weapons

We aren't even hiring any of those.

>9. Swim, etc, ad nauseum...?

True, there's a strict ban in our family on bad Latin. It's "ad nauseam" (nausea being of 2nd declension, feminine, qv in any Latin grammar).