I guess I am welcoming a shit storm
Every time I go to Market Basket, or as I like to call it HELL ON EARTH, I pick up the New Hampshire Parenting magazine. I pick it up because one I am to cheap to subscribe to a real parenting magazine that is more then 5 pages long and two because maybe there will be a idea for something to do with the rug rats locally. In this particular edition the editors note was quite interesting...enough so that I was able to read it out loud to my husband and he didn't just nod and pretend to care while staring at the Ipod screen.
It was about how the largest teachers union in New Hampshire recently banned field trips to the State House due to the fact that you are allowed to carry a gun while in the State House. Now hold your fire all my anti-gun parents out there, but this is just ludicrous. For years the State House has hosted a read-a-thon and many politicians and local celebs have come out to read to groups of kids that are there on school sponsored field trips. This will no longer happen because our current generation of parents like to parent out of fear. Fear of letting our kids play outside, fear of vaccinating, fear of NOT vaccinating, fear of not scrubbing everything they touch with anti-bacterial wipes, fear of lead, choking hazards, toy recalls...I mean sheesh what the hell can we do with these kids that is considered acceptable by the masses? I guess breast feeding, that seems to be the one thing you can do to gain acceptance into the popular thinking moms club. I have never bought into the latest trends so the fact that this article kinda bothered me is no surprise.
My husband owns guns. Just so you know, I don't like them. I also do not think that he shouldn't be allowed to carry one if he wants. I don't want my son to think that every person that owns or carries a gun is a bad guy. At least in my experience most people that have guns do not want to hurt you and if the situation arose would more then likely protect you. My father, brother, husband and countless others that I know have guns, and yes at a young age I knew about guns, the dangers of guns, and that I personally did not want to touch one. My brother on the other hand took interest, as boys usually do, with manly things and learned the proper way to use a gun and to this day hunts, another faux pas I know, and eats his kill. We are leaning into a generation that will not know how to do these things. We are so worried about our children being exposed to anything that is not COMPLETELY safe. And I mean not a chance of getting hurt.
Now I am not saying we should be letting children play with guns, that is not the jist here, but I am glad that I live in a state where the decision to ban public school field trips because of this issue is NOT popular in the parenting circles. In this same issue there were two separate articles favoring the constitutional right to bear arms, and these were written by people with young children.
We have to be careful not to teach our children to be afraid of everything because who wants a generation of adults, yes these little people will god willing be big someday, that are unable to leave their house due to the fear that SOMETHING might happen. I personally think that is scary. We live in a world were yes terrible things happen. We hope and pray they don't happen to us, and especially our children but the fact is you can not protect them from life. They have to get sick, fall down, hey maybe they get a tick on them someday, that is life. You live it the best you can, you let your kids go to the State House for a field trips, you let them play outside, you let them have experiences. There will always be tragedy. There will always be guns. Most of the people that shouldn't have them would have them if it was legal or not. That is just the world we live in. I didn't make the rules.
Bell and I, on the other hand made some bedazzled onesies and a few I.D. bracelets which I am sure are a choking hazard ;) ohhh I am so bad!
And we top the night off with a bubba...so long as it is made out of the right plastic we should be OK. Notice how she is not attached to my chest breast feeding, that is because I am a rebel!
It was about how the largest teachers union in New Hampshire recently banned field trips to the State House due to the fact that you are allowed to carry a gun while in the State House. Now hold your fire all my anti-gun parents out there, but this is just ludicrous. For years the State House has hosted a read-a-thon and many politicians and local celebs have come out to read to groups of kids that are there on school sponsored field trips. This will no longer happen because our current generation of parents like to parent out of fear. Fear of letting our kids play outside, fear of vaccinating, fear of NOT vaccinating, fear of not scrubbing everything they touch with anti-bacterial wipes, fear of lead, choking hazards, toy recalls...I mean sheesh what the hell can we do with these kids that is considered acceptable by the masses? I guess breast feeding, that seems to be the one thing you can do to gain acceptance into the popular thinking moms club. I have never bought into the latest trends so the fact that this article kinda bothered me is no surprise.
My husband owns guns. Just so you know, I don't like them. I also do not think that he shouldn't be allowed to carry one if he wants. I don't want my son to think that every person that owns or carries a gun is a bad guy. At least in my experience most people that have guns do not want to hurt you and if the situation arose would more then likely protect you. My father, brother, husband and countless others that I know have guns, and yes at a young age I knew about guns, the dangers of guns, and that I personally did not want to touch one. My brother on the other hand took interest, as boys usually do, with manly things and learned the proper way to use a gun and to this day hunts, another faux pas I know, and eats his kill. We are leaning into a generation that will not know how to do these things. We are so worried about our children being exposed to anything that is not COMPLETELY safe. And I mean not a chance of getting hurt.
Now I am not saying we should be letting children play with guns, that is not the jist here, but I am glad that I live in a state where the decision to ban public school field trips because of this issue is NOT popular in the parenting circles. In this same issue there were two separate articles favoring the constitutional right to bear arms, and these were written by people with young children.
We have to be careful not to teach our children to be afraid of everything because who wants a generation of adults, yes these little people will god willing be big someday, that are unable to leave their house due to the fear that SOMETHING might happen. I personally think that is scary. We live in a world were yes terrible things happen. We hope and pray they don't happen to us, and especially our children but the fact is you can not protect them from life. They have to get sick, fall down, hey maybe they get a tick on them someday, that is life. You live it the best you can, you let your kids go to the State House for a field trips, you let them play outside, you let them have experiences. There will always be tragedy. There will always be guns. Most of the people that shouldn't have them would have them if it was legal or not. That is just the world we live in. I didn't make the rules.
On a lighter note, MUCH lighter, Noah brought home a dinosaur egg that he made at school yesterday and we had a blast busting that sucker open!
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| By the look on Dov's face I think he was more excited then the kids! |
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| Let us pray that is not lead paint on that egg! ;) |
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| Sporting her owl onesie |
Hey Michelle!! Brett actually sent me a BBM a few minutes ago, telling me to come over to read todays post! :) I know he did it because we are on the opposite spectrum when it comes to guns and gun ownership, (I guess that's just what happens growing up in two separate countries with very different outlooks on the issue) and I know he agreed with what you had to say here. You've definitely given me a different way to look at things (Brett isn't always as articulate when it comes to such issues... so yours made more sense).
ReplyDeleteOverall, I do agree with your post though. Raising a child with fear is the worst thing we can do. Brett and I have already discussed how we don't want to be those parents who don't let their kids do or touch anything because of fear. Kids most definitely need to make mistakes and hurt themselves to learn things, and I'm so happy to read that more parents think the same way!
Hi Kerry,
ReplyDeleteI too was a little ummm surprised when my husband started acquiring guns after we had children. I think it has something to do with the caveman "I protect my family" thing. I grew up around guns so it wasn't scary just a little weird I guess. He has been great with teaching Noah about why he has them and what they are for etc. That was key for me. Teach your kids, don't just shelter them right? In general I think that you should be able to decide if you want your kids to go to the State House and not have the teachers telling us it is putting them in a dangerous position. I am sorry but last time I checked I wasn't afraid to walk down the street here in New Hampshire and this is a open carry state! People just aren't happy unless they have a cause I guess. :) Oh and thanks for reading!
Once again....great blog. Love the onesies!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jess! I spend far too much time at Michaels trying to find crafts for the kids...I usually just come out with stuff for myself to do. As you know a child has about a 90 second attention span unless it is Dora or Diego!
ReplyDelete