Interesting Article On How We're Overprotecting Our Children

[Starburst]

I am sorry for what happened to you. There are always going to be bad people who try bad things. However, children who know how to take risks and have learned their limitations are safer kids. They have a confidence in their own abilities that helps them become stronger. These are the kids who are able to say no and mean it. The ones who feel that little prickly feeling on the back of their neck and listen to it. They have experienced things, and learned from them.

I know that there is also a lot of bashing on letting children watch certain movies and TV shows that depict violence and adult behavior; but I think this actually helped me growing up (I used to watch those lifetime special movies and Dr. Phil/Oprah specials). I was always an early bloomer and used to walk home a lot; there were multiple occasions where grown men would be driving and pull up to the sidewalk and try to convince me to get into their cars (one even said that he was a friend of my mom whom she had sent to pick me up) and I always said 'no' (even when I lived on the other side of town I would have loved to skip a hour and a half walk home). Many times I would wander 'Do they really think I'm that stupid? Who (my age at the time) is that gullible?' then in high school a friend and I were talking about that stuff and she said "yeah, the one time I did accept a ride from a stranger I wound up herpes " (it was consensual)

[sally]

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This is so true. Minor bumps and bruises are a normal part of childhood but, for whatever reason, we've got parents who think they aren't.

That's because now days kids don't get bumps and bruises at home. They sit in front of the tv, video games or computer and they don't get hurt.