Yes – The Diz is back…..I was away for a while had to have my belly button, buttoned – now I am as good as new – and ready to rant about….SAFETY!
Okay – do you EVER remember having to put on ANY kind of safety equipment when you were a kid – like to ride your bike, roller skate (and I’m talking about those skates that fit over your runners here!) or do you remember anyone worrying about drinking from the hose, or what the toy you purchased was packaged in – because God forbid you should let your child play with a box!!!!!
I mean – most of the time as I headed out the door – was on my bike and ready to go warp speed down the hill to the park – the last thing I would hear from my mother was “Watch Out for the Car on your way out of the drive way!” She was never concerned about a brain injury – or a scraped knee – she was worried about the Galaxy 500 parked in the driveway!
We always knew to be home by supper (5:00 pm) – or we went without…..cel phones? I mean – why would ANYONE want to get a hold of a child during “playtime!” Ya – we all think that we are creating independent kids……independent to what? No matter – where – when – how – who – you ALWAYS know what your kid is doing, with who/when and why! Would you have wanted your mother knowing ALL that about you? NOT!
I totally understand the need for safety….but I think we have become a tad neurotic about it – I mean – helmets, knee pads, wrist guards, safety edges for any hard corners, safety plugs for outlets, special straws that prevent the hiccups because kids drink their Kool-Aid too quickly, safety rails for the beds, safety straps in grocery carts….I could go on – but I shan’t. I think that we should be a little more concerned as to what is going INTO these brains, rather than brain injuries. I mean – how many times can you remember REALLY bad scrapes on your knees? Elbows? Toes? Hands? (from putting them in front of you when you fall). You may have tried the same “trick” again – the one that got you those scrapes – but you always thought out what you may have done wrong – and you knew Not TO TRY IT AGAIN that WAY! We are breeding a whole generation of wimps!
I mean – if I would have never stuck my head through the railing on the deck at 1-1/2 years old – and got it stuck – I would have tried it at 5 years old – if not 5 – then 10, if not 10 – then 15. And at 15 – my head was A LOT bigger – and believe me – I would still be there – cause if my head would have been stuck in a railing at 15 – NO ONE would have tried to save me. It was a little different at 1-1/2 years old! But See? I learned from it and never tried it again! Maybe we should “try” and allow our children to live a little. Allow them to have pointy scissors, allow the pencil sharpener, allow elastics – and allow them to drink DIRECTLY from a pop can or a hose! How the hell is a child going to get their heads stuck in a railing when they are always wearing a helmet? Now there are also nice little “covers” for helmets so that they don’t look so dorky….I remember helmets being for “certain” kids who took the short yellow bus to school…we are raising a bunch of chicken kids – I mean – yes – once someone is big enough to ride a “proper bike” or to ride in the streets, then a helmet is warranted….don’t get me wrong – but there is a time and place for safety – and sterilizing pop cans so that germs don’t transfer to your child – or putting up safety rails on a bed that has a 6 inch drop?…..Learned thru MANY scrapes-DIZ
