Hidden Dangers of Childhood

When common sense bonds with knowledge, it can prove to be one of the best defenses we have for our children and their safety!

School’s out and there’s nothing to worry about…right? Wrong! Today, I will rant. Starting with the day we all brought our little ones home from the hospital, we tried to do what was right. We all followed the doctor’s guidance and took those first hesitant footsteps towards parenthood – and our blessings accrued! Our children are now in school and we have little to worry about but grades…and predators…and dangerous technology …and a million more frightening scenarios, which I’m sure, are keeping many parents up at night.

Why is it that so many parents take the time to research the cars they will buy for the safety rating, put locks on their cabinet doors to keep the children from consuming household cleaners and put fencing up around their new pool…but they lack the common sense to set age appropriate curfews and guidelines?

All children have the potential for mischief and after a certain time of night, those who cause the mischief seem to be out in force. Why then would you let your children wander aimlessly through the night? In the space of a week, our city saw a child’s homicide by a stray bullet and a child hit by a car near midnight – both preventable.

The 12-year old who was hit by a car was out walking home from a friend’s house …what in God’s name was this child out at midnight walking the city streets? The 5-year old hit by a stray bullet and killed was outside playing unsupervised near 10 p.m. In a neighborhood known for it’s violence. Common sense tells you adults shouldn’t even be out in that neighborhood past nightfall! Listen folks, know:

• Who your children are with
• What they have planned
• When they will be home,
• How they are getting home
• Have contact numbers for the home they will be visiting
• Where they will be and for pity's sake -
• Set a time appropriate bed time all year round!

Just because school is out doesn't diminish a child's body's need for rest!

Much of parenting is common sense and from what I am reading, many parents skipped that class in school. Yes, there are times our children are going to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and there is nothing in the world we could do as parents to forestall unfortunate events; but by the same token, we can put rules in place to help guide where and when and with who our children will be as long as they are in our house, yet hidden dangers still remain.

Since you don’t have grades to worry about for a couple of months, I’ve researched some of the hidden dangers that confront our children today such as: the new compact florescent bulbs, household medications and SUV’s!

Read – Enjoy – Discuss – and Learn!