I was born in Virginia, @Mama_Cakes. I live in Florida now. I’ve lived all over the Eastern US.
I honestly think it is a personal decision for the parents to make. I think there are any number of things that people do which we are not familiar with and which may seem queer on the surface unless you understand the details and their thinking. Maybe it will still seem odd after knowing the minds and intentions of those involved, but I really make an effort to understand and leave the judging to other people.
I watched parents at Little League practice and games that I thought needed to have their heads examined. The same for parents I knew when my daughters were in soccer and cheerleading and competition cheerleading. I’ve thought that some people I knew who had children involved in the ROTC were just as strange.
To each his own. I’m one of those people who loves to talk to other people. I’ve discovered some really amazing people who I would have written off as kooky for their beliefs or their activities if I hadn’t gotten to know them and understand them a little better.