Ever since New York Sun columnist Lenore Skenazy wrote a column earlier this month about why she let her 9-year-old son travel alone on the subway, parents around the city have had little else to talk about — or at least they've made room in their G&T and kindergarten admissions discussions to ponder whether Skenazy is a hero or a lunatic.

The reason for the journey? Skenazy's son wanted to be more independent, and she wanted to illustrate that the city is safe for children, no matter what their overprotective parents may think. The outcome? Armed with a Metrocard, a subway map, $20, and change for a phone call, her son made it home just fine from Bloomingdale's, "ecstatic with independence."

Skenazy is planning to let her son find his way back from Queens sometime soon, per his request. What about you — would you be comfortable executing this experiment? Your kid would probably thank you. Last year, a Clinton 6th grader argued on Insideschools, "Parents – we know what we’re doing. We’re city kids after all. So think about it -- and let your kids roam a little more freely for a while." Of course, his mother didn't agree.

Update: Skenazy has launched Free Range Kids, a site "for anyone who thinks that kids need a little more freedom and would like to connect to people who feel the same way."