Mother Unlocks Kid, Watches Two Children Walk Into Starbucks Bathroom Alone, Lives to Regret Nothing

KEY POINTS

•Sydni Ellis decided to give her 8-year-old son more real-world independence after reading about kids lacking offline freedom despite online activity.
•One day in a Starbucks drive-thru, she let her 8-year-old and his 6-year-old brother go alone to the restroom, despite her anxiety.
•Inspired by psychologist Jonathan Haidt's study, Ellis gradually encouraged her children’s independence during shopping and pizza pickups, boosting their confidence.

In a dazzling display of maternal bravery, Sydni Ellis granted her 8-year-old son autonomous bathroom privileges at a Starbucks drive-thru — while his 3-year-old brother napped like a free-loading champ. The 6-year-old brother quickly jumped on the independence bandwagon, tagging along for the restroom expedition. Despite mental terrorist thoughts about traffic, kidnappers, and nuisances (per usual Millennial parenting anxiety highlighted by 2025 Business Insider), Ellis watched them jaywalk bravely and return victorious. Encouraged by psychologist Jonathan Haidt's 2025 Atlantic scoop on kids who game on Roblox but don’t dare roam grocery aisles alone, Sydni pushed the independence wheel further to Target bread aisles and pizza pickups, forging a future full of 8-year-old autonomy... and less nagging.