From last week’s Dear Abby comes this pointless fear-mongering:
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I disagree about how to handle taking our children shopping with us. I believe that, especially while our children are small (they are 3 and 5), the adult with them should keep them in sight at all times, or at least the majority of the time. If a child moves out of eyesight, the adult should find them within a minute. Are there guidelines on what is appropriate by age or developmental stage on this issue? — HELICOPTER MOM AND FREE RANGE DAD
DEAR HELICOPTER MOM: Your husband is an optimist, while you are a realist. Common sense should prevail. When you take your children to a public place, they should remain under your or your husband’s supervision at all times until they are aware enough that they can’t be lured away by a stranger, and big enough to fight off a predator.
According to this, I should go dig up my mom if I want to go to a public place, as I remain not “big enough to fight off a predator.” If you’re determined to snatch me and over 5’6″, I’m sunk.
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I’m actually totally ok with this response. When my children were 3 and 5, there was no way I was letting them out of my site. Sorry, but that’s how it is. If you have kids, it’s just instinct to not want them out of your site at that age. I’m not sure what the issue is here with this.
Aren’t parents legally responsible for their children until they are of legal age? I believe they are and if this was practiced, they would be a lot less children in jail and more parents in jail.
I watched my kids like a hawk. What dummy would let them wander around in a crowd unsupervised? My dad allowed me to just do whatever unsupervised and it led to me being molested by a predator, so I would have to say this is sage advice.
Apparently Dear Abby does not know that 68% of abusers are immediate family members and 90% are abused by someone in their circle. It may be that one day they’ll be fighting off the one of the people she say’s should remain under their supervision “until they are aware enough that they can’t be lured away by a stranger” who isn’t luring them away.
….
I have a 9 and 6 year old and dispatch them as a team for this and that at the supermarket. If it’s just me and the 9 year old and she’s taking too long to choose a cereal box, I’ll tell her to meet me in the bread aisle. 6 year old is not ready for that yet. They work well together. It gives them a sense of independence, strengthens their bond and it is fun for them. However, the neighborhood Ralph’s is pretty much the only place I’d feel safe doing this and, while predators cross my mind, statistically they’re more likely to be harmed by another shopper’s cart, or worse, run over in the parking lot. Indeed, parking lots are where we all hold hands, not to protect from bogeyman, but idiotic drivers.
I support Dear Abby on this one.