Quote:
Originally Posted by ccrn
I also do not believe any 5 year old child, no matter who his or her father, is mature enough to understand with true depth and weight the repercussions of his or her actions fully (with respect to grave consequences) let alone able to concieve their own mortality or that of others.
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I will have to strongly disagree with this statement, both as the father of 3 and the healthcare provider for countless children with life-threatening and, unfortunately all-too-often, terminal diseases.
If you shelter your children from death, including the death of children, they will not learn. My children used to ask me why I came home some days and just wanted to hug them for a few minutes - I was very open about losing a young patient (often near my childrens' ages) and what that meant. We also discussed the Sandy Hook tragedy at good length. They do not live in fear of dying, but also comprehend their own mortality.
Now, if I've had a "rough day in the office", they just hug away, and let me know they're saying prayers for that child and his/her family. They also know there are loaded firearms in the house, know not to touch them without appropriate supervision (or specific permission in my oldest's case), and know that they are safe.
Having said that, there are a few children in our neighborhood with whom we do not allow our children to play outside of our home due to a consistent lack of parental supervision/involvement and consistent demonstration of poor decision making skills by the child. I do not know or care what dangers lie in these children's homes - I know there is no one in that hyome willing to stop a child from making bad choices. These children are welcome to play in our home, but they are expected to follow our rules. Strangely, these particular children don't want to play here - likely because they don't like being held accountable for their actions and are not used to disclipline (of which they are in desparate need).