(no subject)

[hiddenmuse]

"Stranger Danger" kept him from being found

I don't know what to make of this one. Part of me wants to say "stupid kid!" - but another part says "stupid parents!". Yet another part of me says "stupid people!" for letting a kid go off on his own, especially if they know that he has a crap sense of direction.


It's a great idea to teach your kids to not talk to strangers. Very smart lesson. The not-so-great-idea is to leave out a lesson on what to do if you get lost, because it could happen, despite any parent's best intentions.

For the love of Gord (and Everyone Else), if you're going to spawn, when you teach the sprogs to not talk to strangers, do teach them that if they get lost, it's okay to find someone to help them get back home. Or, if you are lost, and people are calling your name, looking for you, it's okay to go to them.

Finally, if your kid has a crap sense of direction, send them out with a friend ... or if they do go out alone, send them out with a GPS tracker. They're portable now, y'know.


Meh ... what do I know? I plan to be the cool, slightly eccentric, childless aunt when I grow up.

Comments

[livinginoctober.livejournal.com]

I LOVE your icon, first off.

And yes, I think that boy is extremely socially and otherwise, immature.

It really made me wonder about boys that age, and if they use video games as a way to dissociate from things that are going on around them that they don't know how to cope with.

I know at that age, and sometimes still, my way to dissociate is to read. It's the only thing that is truly safe to me when I'm really upset.

I think it's the same for boys that age...it's their way of escaping what's going on...that explains why after eating and drinking, he asked to play a game on someone's cell phone.

And I LOVE that he first asked for his Pokemon cards. LOL.

I don't know how to feel about the "stranger danger" thing...I think it's wonderful that his parents taught him that, but perhaps they could have educated him a little bit further on the whole thing...that if someone's trying to help you, it's okay. But then...a lot of kidnappers and such try to lure kids under the guise that their parents wanted them to help their child. I'm having some kind of code or safeword for my kids, so they know who's real and who's not.

Most parents probably don't think about their kid being lost in the woods, I'd imagine. I'm glad I have the chance to learn from this so I can plan ahead for when I do have children. I'm also horrible with direction, so I know how that is. I almost always have to use Lake Michigan as my guide for North, South, East and West.

Thanks for the great news link.

[bak2oz.livejournal.com]

I confess. I'm a parent. I drilled it into my boys at a very young age, that you stay with mommy or daddy, or what ever adult you are with because "the bad people" will take you away and hurt you. Yeah, this blew up in my face when my oldest was like 2 maybe. WE were in a grocery store. Every time we passed someone he would point to them and ask "is that a bad person?" That was just a little embarrassing.

I commend parents who teach their children to be wary of strangers, and how to handle being approached, what to do when lost, etc. I do, however, wonder what compelled them to leave out the part about when you are lost, and when people are calling your name. Chances are, if they know your name (especially in this situation), they are there to help you.

What I want to know is: Why the heck did he wander off in the first place??

There should really be a common sense test people have to take before they get a breeders license.