Some questions?

Question

I was wondering what's ethical or not in such situations. If you are the aunt/uncle/cousin/grandparent of a child, do you NOT have the right to help them stay out of harms way? Meaning you can't tell them to climb on the tv or bookshelf or run in the house or kick the cat, because you're not the kid's parents?

Or is it ok to warn them every now and then to make sure they don't get hurt? Do I make any sense?

Answer 1

You have every right to tell a child, known to you or not, that their behaviour could result in harming themselves. You also have the right to tell the parent or guardian that you have warned the child of the possible danger.

If the child is in your home then the parents or guardians of the child are to respect your property and adhere to your standards of behaviour.

Some parents/guardians don't like anyone commenting about their children's behaviour, but if the children are harming an animal, each other or damaging property I have no hesitation in demanding they stop immediately. Nor, do I hesitate to physically stopping them by standing in their way, pulling them off each other or the animal, etc. But, usually my voice and bearing is enough to make any one stop what they're doing.

Answer 2

I agree with the first poster. To NOT act to keep a child from harm's way is negligent. It does not matter if you are the parent or not - if you see a child about to get hurt, you have to act.

Answer 3

It is imperative if you are the adult in charge to create a "reasonably" safe environment and ensure "reasonably" safe activities. However, if the kid's parents are present, it is their responsibility.

With things that won't result in catastrophic injury, once in a while, natural consequences are a great teacher.

Answer 4

Use the commons sense God gave you; if a child is about to hurt themsleves, err on the side of caution and stop them.