Parenthood and Risk Assessment

[Independent Gal]

I was just looking at the kid stuff thread, and found this post:

Date: 3/20/2008 11:12:01 AM
Author: diamondsrock
there was a segment on the today show the other day about safety of some baby products. Thought you might want to see it. I was super paranoid about safety when my son was little so some of these were surprising to me since we had used some of them.


http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23693290/

Of course I had to check out the article and I was a little surprised by what I read. For example, the article claims that approximately 1 child every year dies from suffocation by bumper pads. Bumper pads, apparently, protect kids from smashing their head. There was no information about how many kids are seriously hurt by smashing their head.

Let''s put this in perspective. Your child has a ONE in FOUR MILLION chance of being killed if you put bumper pads in his crib.

Now, those are odds I''m definitely willing to take if there''s some real benefit to the bumper pads on the other end. What are the risks of your baby hurting himself badly by knocking his head? We''re not told.

ONE IN FOUR MILLION. Seriously guys, those are some looooong odds.


I think one of the important things that I''m going to have to adjust to when (and if) the cub is born is risk assessment. Just because something poses SOME risk doesn''t mean it should necessarily be avoided. Instead, it''s important to be able to gauge how serious the risk is and how high a risk it is, and to balance that against the likelihood of benefits or protection from a more likely or serious risk.

I was just surprised at how irresponsible the article was, at not discussing the potential benefits and allowing readers to weigh them.

I''m guessing that the baby industry is going to try to sell me a lot of crap, and that people are going to try to scare me upside down and backward, and my plan is to try to learn about and keep actual risk levels in mind and be reasonable.

I want my kid to climb trees, even though the risk of serious injury is welllll higher than 1 in 4 million.

Anyway, I just wondered if the moms had any thoughts on this. I was just kind of surprised to see what struck me as pretty irresponsible reporting.

 

[TravelingGal]

IG, obviously this a no brainer...as moms we all weigh risks and make decisions from there.

re: crib bumpers...let''s see...the consquences are: possible death vs. bruises on head (with the latter having higher odds). Well, I''ll take bruises on the head. If I can eliminate any threat of death, no matter how small, I will. Plus there are other good options besides a full crib bumper. But lots of moms use full bumpers and that is their call.

It''s like bottles with BPA. Plenty of moms have used them with ill effect. But now that we know about, why not err on the safe side, especially since there are lots of cost effective BPA free options?

re: marketing baby sh*t....IG, go to Amazon and check out a book called "Parenting Inc." I think you will find it interesting.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I know what you mean. I was the only kid allowed to eat cookie dough because of the samonella risk. My mom looked it up and having a pet reptile is a bigger risk. Besides, she and her siblings did it their whole life and never had a problem.

I feel this way about the vaccines causing autism too. There is no evidence for it, but there is unarguable evidence that not giving them the vaccines put them at very great risk for potentially fatal diseases.

 

[Independent Gal]

But, TG, don't you still want to know whether any babies have died or seriously injured their brains from bumping their heads hard on the crib? That doesn't seem so implausible. And that's what I would want to know!

I'm going to check out that book you recommend right now.


BIH - I've always eaten cookie dough too. So. good.

 

[Ellen]

IG, I''ve raised 3 kids, and well before many, many things were considered risks. We did just fine.

You are an intelligent person. Be informed, use your common sense, and trust your gut. That''s really all you need to do.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 6/22/2008 12:48:47 PM
Author: Independent Gal
But, TG, don''t you still want to know whether any babies have died or seriously injured their brains from bumping their heads hard on the crib? That doesn''t seem so implausible. And that''s what I would want to know!

I''m going to check out that book you recommend right now.


BIH - I''ve always eaten cookie dough too. So. good.

IG, I agree with Ellen. Going after all the stats is overthinking the issue. Trust your gut or go insane. That''s what I say.

 

[qtiekiki]

I think a lot of moms err on the "safe" side even when the odds are low. It''s like why take the chance. Personally I don''t think the odds of dying or getting serious head injury by bumping their heads on the crib are that high. I would be more concerned with their little heads getting caught in between the rails, but there are mesh bumper that helps with that problem.

I don''t think the article is irresponsible reporting because they are stating possible risks and safety options. Not just with parenthood, but in life, there are risks. You have to assess them and decide what''s more important/poses more concern for you.

 

[Independent Gal]

I'm flipping through the book online that T'Gal recommended and it looks like exactly the sort of thing I ought to read. I love that she's addressing the issue of 'oversupervision' too. DH and I both grew up running around outside, playing with the kids on the block, or sitting and reading, or in my case walking to swimming lessons (by myself, from about 9 onward) in DH's case making make-shift "bombs" with his cousin

. We're both freaked about the idea of 'play dates' and not being able to just leave your kids be when they're old enough, to explore unsupervised. We were talking about this with a couple the other night, who have a 5 yr old and an 18 month old and they said they hate that too. The father of this couple said that his mom used to tell him 'Go out and play. Don't come back until dinner time. Got that?' and that that's his happiest memory of childhood. But the mom said that the peer pressure is too intense to resist. If you're the ONLY mom not supervising your kid, people talk. If no one else's kids are allowed to run around the neighbourhood climbing trees and stuff, then you can't really send your kid out to play alone either.

ARGH!

Can a kid develop a sense of adventure and freedom with mom always there? And what about that article in the NYT recently about how law firms and banks are having to deal with an exodus of bright young staff, because they are so used to being coddled and told 'Good job! Good job!' by teachers, mommies, even professors, that they can't handle not getting CONSTANT praise ?

I don't want to raise The Cub like that!

OK, rant over.

I'm sure all this will change as soon as it's born, right?

But yeah, I think y'all are probably right that it's best just to go with the gut. I think my gut is going to be fairly permissive compared with the average.

 

[TravelingGal]

Here you go IG...a bumper study by sid alliance. I didn''t read it so you can tell me if it''s any good...

http://www.sidsalliance.org/PDFs/BumperArticle.pdf

More later...Amelia is losing it upstairs...

 

[Independent Gal]

Thanks for the link T''Gal.

 

[somethingshiny]

I guess I do things the old fashioned way. Let him pull it on himself and he''ll leave it alone. Let him climb the tree and figure out how to get down. Let him play in the hay mow. Let him ride the tractor, heck, let him DRIVE the tractor. Let him go wading in the creek. Let him eat raw cookie dough right off the beater. Let him swing on the big kids swing. Let him use a hammer and screwdriver.

My son is 2 and has never been wrapped in bubble wrap. He is already showing mechanical aptitude, independence, courage, and reasoning skills beyond most 5 yr olds. I see NO problem with allowing children to test their limits.

btw-my son has only had scraped knees as results of his courageous adventures.

 

[Independent Gal]

Somethingshiny, that''s exactly the sort of childhood I want the Cub to have. Even if s/he ends up breaking a limb or spraining an ankle, I consider that WELL worth it to have freedom, adventure, exploration, independence. Those, for me at least, have always been the things that make life worth living. Certainly worth the risk.

I hope I don''t change my mind when the baby is born.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 6/22/2008 1:05:41 PM
Author: TravelingGal

IG, I agree with Ellen. Going after all the stats is overthinking the issue. Trust your gut or go insane. That''s what I say.

No kidding, raising kids "the old fashioned way" was/is hard enough.


The one thing I will sadly have to admit that has changed, is letting kids be kids and roam free. I did it, and my kids did it, though by the time my youngest one was running about, I did keep a bit closer check on him (he''s 17 now). Things are not like they used to be, and there really are WAY more pervs/questionables running around.

This story pretty much sums it up. When two little girls (though technically old enough to be out by themselves) can''t walk a country road, well, where can they walk?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/10/national/main4168258.shtml


Also, we have 4 sex offenders living within a 4 block radius of us. And it''s like that all over now. Sad.

 

[diamondfan]

I know some of those odds seem tough and huge. I can only say having my own kids that if my kid was the one in a million or 4 million...you do not want that!

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 6/22/2008 1:38:02 PM
Author: Ellen


The one thing I will sadly have to admit that has changed, is letting kids be kids and roam free. I did it, and my kids did it, though by the time my youngest one was running about, I did keep a bit closer check on him (he''s 17 now). Things are not like they used to be, and there really are WAY more pervs/questionables running around.

But is it that there are more people to be concerned about now, or just that we''re armed with more knowledge -- the ability to click a few buttons on the internet and find out where sex offenders live, the bombarding of news stories about kidnappings and so forth -- that has made us more protective? I grew up in a not so great neighborhood, the park less than a mile away was a known spot for drug dealers, we were told to avoid the park but still allowed to roam, and we did as we were told. Some might say my parents were reckless for making us aware of the danger that existed, but allowing us to go about unsupervised; I say thank goodness they did as it taught us to be aware of our surroundings while still having fun, being kids.

Yesterday, we were driving down our street and the adolescent who lives a few doors down was sitting in his driveway, in 108 degree whether, with a magnifying glass setting fire to something in his driveway. When we came home an hour later he was still sitting there, and raised his magnifying glass to wave as we drove by. My husband and I were cracking up and I thought, thank goodness we''ve choosen to live in a place where kids can still do things like that without people feeling the need to call CPS. The unfortunate thing about our neighborhood is that the houses are so far apart that people tend to keep to themselves, so I''m not sure when we have children that they''ll be able to make friends to explore with.

I don''t have children yet, but I share your fear Indy, that we overprotect and shield our children from everything and then when they grow up the idea of problem solving, and instrinsic sense of right and wrong, and doing the right thing because it is, not for the reward or praise, is totally lacking.

I read an interesting article over the weekend about helicopter parents, who are driving to their childrens'' colleges to do their laundry weekly, and bargaining for benefits and salary when their children graduate from college and start seeking work, and I am appalled and terrified about the direction we are headed in. And I see it all the time, in the classroom in elementary school and I wonder what is going to happen to our society as a result.

 

[jas]

I had to laugh at the term "helicopter parents" as that is totally what they are. When teaching, I was more concerned with the parents who (falsely) took the blame when their kids didn't do homework or study for a test...it just got ridiculous.

My sister is a dean and a professor at an Ivy League college here in the U.S....she has had more parents calling her about grades this year than any other. She also gets to be the one to call Mom and Dad when Little Johnny drinks himself into the hospital. It's usually, apparently, my sister's fault.

I don't know what I'm going to be like in a few weeks when the boys arrive. I do know already that I am amazed at how judgemental people are for choices I've already made during pregnancy, and I also know that they will be the last ones to step up and help any new parents beyond raising eyebrows and clucking their tongues.

I remember being told during the summer to come home for lunch, then come home for dinner. Outdoors was FREEDOM, baby! I got more than my share of scraped knees and bug bites.

I was also, for the most part, on my own for school. Not that my parents weren't involved -- they were. They watched me do my homework every night. However, on those rare occasions I messed up and forgot my homework/lunch/gym uniform...I suffered the consequences. I believe those three detentions in the whole of my school career served me well. When teaching, I would really really really have to be up for a parental fight if I a student needed to stay after school/come in before school.

Ultimately, are we letting kids grow up at all? I know it will pain me the first time one of the kids mars his perfect newborn skin with a bump or a bruise or a cut, but I'll tell ya...with scars (literal and figurative) come strength. And more often than not, some really interesting stories to tell on dates.

ETA: i hope it goes without saying that I would never put my kids in harms way or feed them poison. Or have them play in traffic. Or intentionally get into trouble at school just to "learn a lesson."

 

[diamondsrock]

I was the one who posted that link, and to be honest, I''m not sure how that could be deemed irresponsible reporting??? They are discussing the dangers and giving alternatives to other products you can use.

There are so many things little kids can get into, ingest, put into their mouths, etc.. I don''t think anyone in that article was suggesting raising your child in a bubble, but seriously, there are a ton of recalls on baby items every year, and there are valid reasons for that. Like tgal said, bruises to the head aren''t so bad, but suffocation is. There has been a lot of research into SIDS and the proper precautions. I don''t think any of that is to be taken lightly. You''ll notice they changed safety requirements of cribs in general over the years (smaller slat spacing, etc...) The pediatric community has put a lot of effort into that. It seems like their recommendations change occassionally due to research.

Kids will always get scrapes, bruises, etc....it''s part of childhood. I guess every parent will make their own judgements based on risk. To me why use an item which may cause a problem?

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Indy, I haven''t read all of the responses but once your holding your baby in your arms it will amaze you the length you will go to keep him/her safe. I researched BPA forever and like TGal said if there is a chance, why take it? So she has ALWAYS had BPA free bottles. This is not some abstract child, it''s YOUR baby. Same with bumper. I got a mesh one (that DOES have padding BTW) and I sleep better at night.

 

[Independent Gal]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. Lots to think over. I suppose I''ll

Diamondsrock, the reason I suggested it was irresponsible was that they didn''t explain the risk that the safety equipment was meant to protect against. So I''m still not sure whether bonking one''s head is dangerous for a baby or not. It''s very responsible to explain the risks of using the equipment, but without understanding what risks the child is SAVED from, it''s hard to make an educated choice. Instead, it''s easy to panic. Like with autism risk and innoculations, where people can SEE the risk of the innoculation, but somehow don''t understand the risk of NOT innoculating kids, and react to the risk they can see rather than looking at the big picture, weighing the pros and cons.

Seat belts are an interesting example. Apparently, seatbelts don''t save lives. Why? Because people drive faster and more recklessly when they are wearing a seatbelt. So while, if you are wearing a seatbelt, you are less likely to die in a crash, once everyone is wearing a seatbelt, there are so man more crashes that fatalities, overall, are not decreased. This is documented statistically (although lots of people are trying to pick holes in it, and maybe they''ll succeed).

We very rarely look at the whole picture, and the media rarely reports it. So that''s all I meant. They should have told their readers that the risk they were avoiding by using the products was LOWER than the risk they were taking in using the products, not just that the product had some risk associated with it.

Everything has some risk associated with it!

 

[diamondfan]

I am a total helicopter parent. And maybe the dangers are not so different now as before but we know more issues with the internet and publicity.

However, I just read about two 13 year old girls shot to death in a rural area on a Sunday in the day time. The girls asked the grandmother if they could walk a short bit somewhere, in the outskirts of a very small town where all people knew one another. They left the home at about 5 pm and did not answer cell phone calls. Within 30 minutes the grandfather walked the same path and found the two girls in a ditch shot a couple of times each. No one knows if it was a local or not, but this a small town and they were not in the main town area or near a highway. Stuff like that makes me want to put my kids back in the womb. I tell my kids they cannot have MySpace and they are monitored with content block, and I do have frequent talks with them about strangers on line being just like any unknown person...

and what about those murders at that very upscale mall in Florida? It also involved adults along with a kid, taken in daylight. It is getting so terrible. Honestly, a car accident or illness I think is something we all know in the back of our mind can happen. We all know of a teen ager killed in a car accident, maybe they just got their license, maybe they did not wear a seatbelt...the driving and going off to college issue is so terrifying to me as a worrywart parent...but some of this stuff is just beyond incredible to me. I do feel some of the Mayberry Leave it to Beaver type existence is now gone.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 6/22/2008 2:28:45 PM
Author: KimberlyH

Date: 6/22/2008 1:38:02 PM
Author: Ellen


The one thing I will sadly have to admit that has changed, is letting kids be kids and roam free. I did it, and my kids did it, though by the time my youngest one was running about, I did keep a bit closer check on him (he''s 17 now). Things are not like they used to be, and there really are WAY more pervs/questionables running around.

But is it that there are more people to be concerned about now, or just that we''re armed with more knowledge -- the ability to click a few buttons on the internet and find out where sex offenders live, the bombarding of news stories about kidnappings and so forth -- that has made us more protective? I grew up in a not so great neighborhood, the park less than a mile away was a known spot for drug dealers, we were told to avoid the park but still allowed to roam, and we did as we were told. Some might say my parents were reckless for making us aware of the danger that existed, but allowing us to go about unsupervised; I say thank goodness they did as it taught us to be aware of our surroundings while still having fun, being kids.

Yesterday, we were driving down our street and the adolescent who lives a few doors down was sitting in his driveway, in 108 degree whether, with a magnifying glass setting fire to something in his driveway. When we came home an hour later he was still sitting there, and raised his magnifying glass to wave as we drove by. My husband and I were cracking up and I thought, thank goodness we''ve choosen to live in a place where kids can still do things like that without people feeling the need to call CPS. The unfortunate thing about our neighborhood is that the houses are so far apart that people tend to keep to themselves, so I''m not sure when we have children that they''ll be able to make friends to explore with.

I don''t have children yet, but I share your fear Indy, that we overprotect and shield our children from everything and then when they grow up the idea of problem solving, and instrinsic sense of right and wrong, and doing the right thing because it is, not for the reward or praise, is totally lacking.

I read an interesting article over the weekend about helicopter parents, who are driving to their childrens'' colleges to do their laundry weekly, and bargaining for benefits and salary when their children graduate from college and start seeking work, and I am appalled and terrified about the direction we are headed in. And I see it all the time, in the classroom in elementary school and I wonder what is going to happen to our society as a result.

I hear what you''re saying Kim, and of course I have no way of knowing for sure which of us may be right. Honestly, I think we both may be. I realize that we definitely have access to info we didn''t in the past. I''m sure there are many things that have been going on forever. But without going off on a tangent and derailing this thread from topic, I personally feel there are more now. I think there are many influences/forces at play with people that also weren''t readily available to us in the past, which may be causing more to turn nefarious.

And as I said, I was all for letting my kids be kids. I am in total agreement that some parents have gone nuts with protecting their kids. I just know how I would feel personally (and again, each parent must do what they feel is right) if I were raising little ones now, and I just don''t think I''d let them run like I did, and like mine did. To be truthful, I''m glad I don''t have to make that decision.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 6/22/2008 2:48:38 PM
Author: jas
I had to laugh at the term ''helicopter parents'' as that is totally what they are. When teaching, I was more concerned with the parents who (falsely) took the blame when their kids didn''t do homework or study for a test...it just got ridiculous.

Ultimately, are we letting kids grow up at all?

Jas, as a teacher I feel them buzzing around all of the time. Those parents who took the blame for their child not completing an assignment, or doing poorly on a test, are the same parents who would argue with me when I delivered any sort of consequence for misbehavior on the part of the student. I had a parent come into the classroom at least four times during my 12 week student teaching stint to complain about some consequence I or another teacher had laid out for her child. She felt that as long as her daughter apologized she should be forgiven and there should be no repercussions. At open house night the mother intentionally stood in front of me with her back towards me to make a point about how she felt about me because I wouldn''t back down. I told her daughter "I know you feel like I''m picking on you, but I''m not, I simply want you to do your personal best and when I don''t push you you don''t do all you''re capable of." At that point a lightbulb went on for her, dimly, and she was better for my remaining few weeks at school, but I think in the long run this little girl is in for it, because she''s never held accountable for her actions at home.

I totally understand wanting to do for and protect ones child, but when I see 8 year olds who are still asking their mothers to tie their shoes, and ten year olds that have parents doing their homework for them I am a bit unsettled, and I wonder how are these kids ever going to make it on their own? Or will they just live with their parents forever (which is what we are trending towards at this point).

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 6/22/2008 5:33:53 PM
Author: Ellen

Date: 6/22/2008 2:28:45 PM
Author: KimberlyH

Date: 6/22/2008 1:38:02 PM
Author: Ellen


The one thing I will sadly have to admit that has changed, is letting kids be kids and roam free. I did it, and my kids did it, though by the time my youngest one was running about, I did keep a bit closer check on him (he''s 17 now). Things are not like they used to be, and there really are WAY more pervs/questionables running around.

But is it that there are more people to be concerned about now, or just that we''re armed with more knowledge -- the ability to click a few buttons on the internet and find out where sex offenders live, the bombarding of news stories about kidnappings and so forth -- that has made us more protective? I grew up in a not so great neighborhood, the park less than a mile away was a known spot for drug dealers, we were told to avoid the park but still allowed to roam, and we did as we were told. Some might say my parents were reckless for making us aware of the danger that existed, but allowing us to go about unsupervised; I say thank goodness they did as it taught us to be aware of our surroundings while still having fun, being kids.

Yesterday, we were driving down our street and the adolescent who lives a few doors down was sitting in his driveway, in 108 degree whether, with a magnifying glass setting fire to something in his driveway. When we came home an hour later he was still sitting there, and raised his magnifying glass to wave as we drove by. My husband and I were cracking up and I thought, thank goodness we''ve choosen to live in a place where kids can still do things like that without people feeling the need to call CPS. The unfortunate thing about our neighborhood is that the houses are so far apart that people tend to keep to themselves, so I''m not sure when we have children that they''ll be able to make friends to explore with.

I don''t have children yet, but I share your fear Indy, that we overprotect and shield our children from everything and then when they grow up the idea of problem solving, and instrinsic sense of right and wrong, and doing the right thing because it is, not for the reward or praise, is totally lacking.

I read an interesting article over the weekend about helicopter parents, who are driving to their childrens'' colleges to do their laundry weekly, and bargaining for benefits and salary when their children graduate from college and start seeking work, and I am appalled and terrified about the direction we are headed in. And I see it all the time, in the classroom in elementary school and I wonder what is going to happen to our society as a result.

I hear what you''re saying Kim, and of course I have no way of knowing for sure which of us may be right. Honestly, I think we both may be. I realize that we definitely have access to info we didn''t in the past. I''m sure there are many things that have been going on forever. But without going off on a tangent and derailing this thread from topic, I personally feel there are more now. I think there are many influences/forces at play with people that also weren''t readily available to us in the past, which may be causing more to turn nefarious.

And as I said, I was all for letting my kids be kids. I am in total agreement that some parents have gone nuts with protecting their kids. I just know how I would feel personally (and again, each parent must do what they feel is right) if I were raising little ones now, and I just don''t think I''d let them run like I did, and like mine did. To be truthful, I''m glad I don''t have to make that decision.

I''m pickin'' up what you''re laying down, Ellen. My mom has said she would never want to raise children in this society, which I find to be very interesting. I just think there has always been, and always will be, bad people and good people, in a variety of forms and parents, teachers, caregivers, etc. need to find a balance between protecting and allowing children to grow (and suffer some of the pains that come along with that growth).

 

[asscherisme]

I have been married for 13 years and my baby will be 5 this year, (youngest of 4) so I've been there done that with the baby stage.

Here is my assesment:

I thought the wedding industry was a money sucker, that is until I got pregnant the first time. Then I realized the wedding industry is a warm up for the baby industry. And the kicker is that the baby industry prays on your fear and insecurity of something happening to your child if you don't buy their product (or if you DO buy their product). Its confusing and contradictory and overwhelming.

So, I found from having 4 kids and surviving the baby/diaper/crib/stroller phase that a little research along with a good dose of common sense goes a long way.

And I agree with others, trusting your gut is very important.

My husband and I have laughed over some of the baby products we were sucked into buying for our first. Our 4th child has far less accessories and pricey things and it does not make a difference!

However, something super important is to get a good age/weight appropriate car seat.

 

[ephemery1]

So funny... DH and I were just discussing this today. And I agree that article was irresponsible reporting... but then again, I think MOST reporting is irresponsible nowadays. People are constantly quoting "research studies" that are poorly done, with results that aren't significant and variables that haven't been considered. Drives me crazy. I am such a skeptic of anything where I haven't done the research myself. A product of too much grad school, maybe.

My grandmother had a lot of influence over my upbringing, and she was "eccentric" to say the least. We (my brothers, cousins, and I) were ALWAYS being encouraged to touch, learn, play, explore... everything in our surroundings was fair game. She'd buy old electronics at yard sales, give us some tools and we'd spend hours taking them apart. We'd go for "nature walks" and if a fallen log was crossing a river, we were encouraged to crawl over it. If we fell in, no big deal. She rigged up a line of rope behind her car and pulled us around empty parking lots on our roller skates. I did all sorts of elaborate cooking "experiments" as a preschooler, using mixers, the juicer, the oven, etc. She also had a jewelry box drawer filled with liquid mercury that we used to poke and prod and play with.

And that was just a typical Saturday.

I think a lot of things have changed since then, both environmentally and socially, and our society has responded by becoming hyperaware and oversensitive. There ARE increased risks in a lot of areas... and it makes sense that as parents, we would want to do everything in our power to decrease those risks. But there HAS to be a balance... frankly, the risk of breaking a bone while being pulled behind a car on rollerblades was pretty high... but in retrospect, was it worth it? Absolutely. It taught me to conquer fears, take risks, the power of adrenaline and working as a team. Why aren't people more concerned about the emotional risk of not allowing your child those kinds of experiences?

And I say all this as somebody who DID end up breaking her arm (jumping off a giant rock because it looked like fun... NOT under my grandma's supervision, though

). Frankly, having a broken bone was a fun learning experience too... going to the E.R., having a cast put on, learning to write left-handed, then having the cast sawed-off, etc. It's all about perspective, I think... "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" (in a moderated, age-appropriate way, of course!).

But people freaking out about Bumbo seats and that sort of thing? C'mon. Take some responsibility and get some perspective, folks.

(Just an example, obviously not directed at anybody here!)

 

[Ellen]

ephemery, great post. And yes, there has to be a balance. This country is notorious for going from one extreme to the other, on just about anything that ever becomes a national issue. It drives me nuts.

 

[Miranda]

Date: 6/22/2008 6:29:41 PM
Author: Ellen
ephemery, great post. And yes, there has to be a balance. This country is notorious for going from one extreme to the other, on just about anything that ever becomes a national issue. It drives me nuts.

Ditto Ellen and ephemery! Making responsible choices as a parent is the important thing. And those choices will be different for all parents. That''s what makes life interesting. Safe choices for one family may be deemed dangerous by another. That''s ok.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Part of the reason I am skeptical like you IG, is the asessment of risks can change dramatically. When I was born, I wanted to sleep on my back and all the wisdom of the day said that is was much safer for kids to be on their bellies because they wouldn''t spit up and choke on it. Well, about 5 years after I was born, the recommendation changed to it being safer for a baby to sleep on their back because of SIDS. If the experts couldn''t agree on the risk, it makes it hard for a parent to know.