Would you let this guy drive over your child's precious hands?

In the safety obsessed culture that defines the modern American parenting experience -- organic-only baby food, locks on toilets, GPS tracking devices on baby shoes -- we can't help but shriek anytime we hear about parents shunning a lifestyle of caution.

That was our initial response to British news reports about parents insisting schools in the southern India state of Tamil Nadu stage "risky" stunts in honor of the centennial of the founder of the state's modern education system.

To wit, at one school, a martial-arts trainer drove a motorcycle over students' outstretched hands. Another stunt involved a motorcycle zooming over a plank placed on top of a girl. Parents thought death-defying motorcycle tricks would be the perfect way to show off their children's physicality, developed from karate lessons. Forget our show-offy, lame tournaments. The Tamil Nadus are some badass teachers.

And yet, not too long after gawking at the pictures of seemingly willing participants, that judgmental moment subsided and an overwhelming wave of jealousy filled my motherly heart. Not the burdensome kind of jealousy that gives you wrinkles from scowling at someone's good fortune for too long. Rather, it was the sparkly, twinkly kind of jealousy that fills you up like helium and lifts your psyche above the ground for a few moments.

Think about it. These parents are freed from the shackles of fear. They have absolute certainty that a motorcycle can run over their children's body parts, delicate organ systems and skeletal structure, and the kids will remain not only unharmed, but serve as a testament to the efforts spent on karate lessons. (You crazy, doting, parents, you.)

In the end, it turns out that safety does come first. Relatives of the higher education minister who were attending the event protested and the stunts were stopped, reports the Telegraph. The BBC reported that state authorities said all 50,000 Tamil Nadu schools will be told not to hold "risky stunts and practices" in the future. Well, it was nice while it lasted.