| Monday, January 16, 2006 |
| Risk or Irresponsibility |
My niece on H's side was riding a battery-powered scooter this weekend and fell and hit her head. She was not wearing a helmet and, therefore, hurt herself pretty bad. She was rushed to the emergency room with a concussion and was in the hospital for several hours.
Now, take a second to recover from the shock. Don't misunderstand me here; I'm not being heartless. I have a point to make.
When I was a kid, your "coolness" was determined by how far you could jump your BMX bike. I remember my first jump on a big wheel was while I was in Kindergarten or 1st Grade. My first bicycle jump was on a homemade ramp of bricks and a sheet of plywood. I jumped every little hump of dirt in the yard. I jumped curbs. I would measure the height and distance of nearly every jump. I even remember asking my little sister to lie down so I could jump her. I also remember that she chickened out. But one thing I certainly didn't do on my BMX was wear a helmet. You were just plain sissy to wear a helmet. I'd rather have ridden half-naked in my Spiderman Underoos than ride with a wussy frown crown. You know? Brain bucket? Crash cup? Skid lid?
Now, in hindsight, some of the things I did as a child I wouldn't for anything in the world allow my own kids to do. I remember when seatbelts in the back seat of the car were optional. I remember standing on "the hump" in the back and leaning over the front benchseat to be a part of the conversation with the adults up front. I remember going on long trips to the beach while riding in the floor of the van. Oh, no, my kids won't be doing that.
That brings my to my point. As a parent, where do I draw the line between risk and irresponsibility? Sometimes it's obvious: "No, you're not going to chase your little brother through the house with an aerosol can and a Bic lighter." But sometimes it's not so easy. Was it so bad that my niece wasn't wearing a helmet while riding her scooter? Is it so bad to let the kids climb to the top of the tree?
OK, maybe I don't have a point. Maybe all I have is questions. But one thing that is certain is that raising kids inside a traditional family -- one dad and one mom -- is necessary for a properly developed, well-rounded child. You see, if it were up to me, the boys would play on tightropes over vicious, wild animals. If it were up to my wife, they'd sit still in a padded room all day. We tug and pull and, hopefully, the boys will grow up with wisdom and mature independence. But they certainly won't wear a cranium catcher while riding their scooters....
[1/17/06 Edit: They won't wear helmets unless Momma says so. Wasn't that implied?] |
posted by Joe Napalm @ 8:39 PM   |
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| 6 Comments: |
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I see that you have learned well my young padawan!
Oh and by the way, K was not in the hospital for a few hours. Her concussion lasted three hours and she was in the hospital almost a full 24 hours.
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I say each situation is unique based on the child and the circumstances. For instance, a motorized scooter may go faster than your bmx did? If so, wear a helmet. Or, the child in question may be a total clutz, if so, wear a helmet. On the other hand the child may be agile, and the scooter may not exceed that of baby drool running uphill in the winter, if so, no helmet. Please visit www.childandeagle.blogspot.com for other useful and practical advice regarding childrearing, life questions, etc.
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M: I don't think I made a big deal about the newborn sleeping in the bed thing. I just shared some information that I had read about newborns and fluffy comforters.
BK: Was that shameless blog promotion? Strike one!
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If you do not find what you are looking for at "BJ not Bk"'s blog, you can always visit http://wesleysonofcornelius.blogspot.com/!!
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I don't have much to say on the subject of children. I just know they colored my face. (see www.danielshares2.blogspot.com)
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I see that you have learned well my young padawan!
Oh and by the way, K was not in the hospital for a few hours. Her concussion lasted three hours and she was in the hospital almost a full 24 hours.