I have been watching this new show on A&E called The Cleaner. Last night I was watching the episode I had recorder earlier this week when the daughter on the show said something that really got me thinking.
William (the dad) and Lula (13 year old daughter) were coming out of a store where he had just replaced her lost cell phone with a new one that had a locator in it. She wanted to know why. First she asked him if he was afraid she would run away like her brother did. His answer—no. Then she asked him if he was afraid something bad would happen to her. This is a guy who does interventions on people who are addicted to so much that the world has to drag you down with, who sees the nastiest of the nasty, who detoxes drug addict…just the worst that humanity has to offer.
So his answer surprised me. He told her no…he wasn’t afraid of that.
I am terrified of that.
Lullibell and Bubba and I have conversations about how most of the people they see on a daily basis would do anything to protect them. But there are those people in the world that would hurt you as soon as look at you. It’s just a fact of life. I do my best to teach them how to be safe and protect themselves without frightening them but it is hard. I want them to be safe and smart but I also want them to enjoy life as well!
I think we do an injustice to our children by not teaching them about the bad and the ugly in he world. But where do we draw the line? How do we teach them without scaring them?
5 responses to “What are you afraid of?”
vthemi
September 25th, 2008 at 10:38
Always go for the eyes!!!
The eyes have it…
C-Cubed
September 25th, 2008 at 12:54
I found having “children” with really long teeth that bite back seems to help. Boomer has surgery tomorrow, to the tune of a house payment. Ouch! Oh well, at least we are getting it fixed.
Hugs!
oooooooohhhhhhh crap! hopefully this will be the fix!
C-Cubed
September 25th, 2008 at 18:13
I’ll know more tomorrow after the surgery! I’ll let you know! Hugs!
samwrites2
September 25th, 2008 at 21:01
Wineymomma,
Unfortunately I had to trade some of my children’s innocence for experience with the “Stranger, Danger” program and all.
My children learned well and there’s peace of mind all around knowing they are prepared and kept in “safe” environments. But the cost has been they don’t seem to have as carefree a childhood as I did.
I had the pleasure as a child of exploring woods near my homes, sneaking through a drain pipe onto the Redstone Arsenal and allowed an independent roaming nature in Dallas, Texas, my children dare not be given in Metro D.C.
Wonder what it’ll be like for my grandchildren?
By the way, the custom header at my blog shows a photo taken of Bettles, Alaska, the “jumping off point for adventurers” in the Yukon.
-Sam
Oh yeah, I well remember being turned out to roam and explore the farm at my grandparent’s and at my aunt’s house. As long as we came back for lunch we could go pretty much any where!
Jenn
September 29th, 2008 at 11:05
We used to walk to and from school. We were to check in when we got home, be home at 6:30 for dinner and then again when the street lights came on. Life was much simpler then.
I can’t imagine what it must be like as a mom nowdays.
I think it is probably as nailbiting now as it was then but with different thins to worry about.