I have two beautiful young children whom I adore and I want to protect.I try not to be over protective. I teach them about protecting themselves and I work at building their self-esteem.I'm tired of worrying all the time but the News is constantly filled with cases of crimes against kids..it makes me sick.I'm especially wary of the internet so I usually play it safe.
Is there anyone out there who feels the same way I do?
I'm a very spiritual and sensitive person so no sarcastic remarks please.
2006-09-05 00:22:01 · 15 answers · asked by Ceri 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
What conscientious parent would not be paranoid in this day and age?
However, remember that we hear about EVERY suspected and/or convicted pedophile on the planet. In our parents day the pedophiles were out there, but our parents probably only heard about those incidences which occurred in their own neighborhood.
We have a much broader range of information to assimilate and deal with these days.
This is not to say that we should ever 'relax' where the safety of our kids are concerned, but it helps to keep the comparisons in perspective.
2006-09-05 02:28:01 · answer #1 · answered by Puzzler 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ignore the news. The news is there to scare you, and sell advertising, because the more they scare you, the more you watch, the more they can sell advertising for. Do these things happen? You betcha. Is this something that you should be overly worried about? No. Odds are nothing will happen. Also, by teaching your children the way you do, and just by being a little cautious, you drop your odds to almost nil.
Also, as mentioned, it's not the strangers you have to watch for, it's people you know. The old adage of "stranger danger" is b/s! Teach your kids to seek out specific strangers when they need help and you aren't around. If yall get seperated in the mall or at the store, they should know to find another mom, or any other kid.
Forgot to mention, spending too much time here will do that to you. You've got a lot of bored kids making up rather ridiculous questions, and as a mother, you subconciously think that there might be something to them, or that out of every hundred you see, one or two might really be from a Michael Jackson or John Karr type.
2006-09-05 10:37:39 · answer #2 · answered by Manny 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, I am very paranoid of pedophiles too. My daughter's one and I am always checking her body for anything unusual because she can't tell me what's wrong. Here in D.C. they had some guy who was having sex with a one year old baby girl, who's mom didn't even know! (I blame her for not being assertive) I also don't allow anyone other than her father, me, sometimes her older half brother (trust me I call relentlessly and drop by) and my mother. I don't even allow her to spend the night out I have never been away form her more than a full 8 hours!!!!!!!!!! I pray too, this world is just changing so much! God bless you, and your beautiful children! I would rather be over protective and paranoid then a victim or sorry later!
2006-09-05 09:38:45 · answer #3 · answered by souljagirpart2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not spiritual (in the traditional sense) but I am a mother. You are not alone in your fear.
Every good parent has that fear in their heart. More so for me because I was abused when I was younger. Not by family either. But I try to bite back that fear. I do set guidelines and not only do I teach my children what to do in this situation but build their selfesteem as well. I also let them know that they can talk to me at anytime about anything. My parents and I didn't have that open line of communication hence after being raped twice almost raped once molested and suffering a miscarriage (not from any of them) I could not tell my parents and to this day my mom still doesn't know. My dad has sense went to be with God and my mom drinks too much...we don't even talk but once every 6 months. I urge you to stress that open line of communication as well. PS thanks I thoguht it was just me
2006-09-05 07:29:59 · answer #4 · answered by johnsmom326 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
like you said it is all over the news,so that's part of why you feel the way you do.i have 4 children and they are not allowed to leave my back yard ever with out an adult.my oldest is 11 and wants to walk around the corrnor to a friends house and i say no way we will take you and pick you up.i mean things happen to fast to many times.we make sure we know all our children's friends and parents before we let them go any place.don't get me wrong being protective isn't bad you just have to make sure you don't go over board and shelter them from all the things we got to do at the same ages.let them have friends over if they go any place make it in groups not one or two people.talk to them about stranger safety and talk to your local schools systems to see if they have any thing for them to do after school to be around kids too.its OK you are mot a bad parent,you just love them
2006-09-05 08:57:01 · answer #5 · answered by tiffany_bare2000 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are not the only one i am so paranoid about it that i make sure her window is locked and i am about to get one of those things that makes a loud noise if someone tampers with the window because you hear about these people taking children right out of their own beds.I talk to her about strangers alot and watch her even when she is outside.I am scared to death but i try to let her have fun and not let her know i am worried for her safety most of the time.
2006-09-05 11:53:47 · answer #6 · answered by samwise25 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's mostly the fathers or stepfather's of the children. It's good to have that talk with your kids about bad touch, tell them to never keep a secret from you.
I feel the same way you do. I am very concerned about my daughters and don't like men around them. I don't date because I don't trust anyone around my kids. I don't even want their father around them, he's another one I don't trust! There are too many bad men in this world. You have every right to feel the way you do. It just happens so much.
2006-09-05 09:26:33 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You're not alone. Any good parent has the same fears. It seems pedophiles are on every block, hidden behind our own community religions.
I would suggest you look at your states sex offender registry. This will allow you to know how many live in your county or city. These are by law accessible to you and viewable online.
2006-09-05 11:13:31 · answer #8 · answered by Jormir 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't even allow my kids(4,6,and1)to play in the front yard.I'm so paranoid I pay over 500$ a month to send them to some high priced Christian school that doesn't allow men teachers.Talk about paranoid much?
2006-09-05 20:10:28 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is because of all the things that happened. My children know the rules, don't talk to strangers... don't go to public toilets, etc. You have to teach them to defend themselves. Internet they know the rules, only talk to friends.
My children are learning martial arts (Tae Kwon DO), I know they can defend themselves.
Why don't you try for your kids?
2006-09-05 08:14:29 · answer #10 · answered by Lyz A【★】 α∂єℓαι∂α【★】 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋