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Opinion Thursday: A Dangerous World

Opinion Thursday: "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  prompt for May 2, 2013 is
Give your opinion on the age "children" should be allowed to read material about death, killing, sex, recreational drugs, etc. In your entry, discuss your thoughts on the WDC rating. Is it enough?

Death is a part of life! It is a part of the natural process of living and should be discussed with a child when that child first encounters the phenomenon through the death of a pet or a relative. The parents should use age appropriate language and terms to discuss demise, but the fact that a beloved pet or relative died should not be conceal from the child. If the parents belong to a religion or spiritual path, they should use those terms to explain the death. The fact that someone died or perhaps is dying should not be hidden from the child because you cannot protect children from these encounters not matter how hard you try.

I remember my Grandmother or my Mother teaching me the following prayer.

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take."

As for, killing, sex, recreational drugs, etc. parents need to give children enough information to protect them. Parents need to instruct the children that there is appropriate and inappropriate touching. If a child comes to a parent with information like this, the parent (no matter what he or she thinks of the accused) should believe the child and have the incident investigated. Children should be given enough information to protect themselves or find someone who will protect them.

The WDC rating system is good. Is it enough? That depends on how involved the parents are with their child's online and off line life. Involved parents will watch what their children are doing online. The parents may even have software to track the activity of their children, this is not being over protective, it is being proactive and knowing that we live in a dangerous world. It is knowing that children have difficulties make certain decisions because the brains are not yet fully developed. It is being loving and responsible parents. It is knowing we live in and dangerous world and that we must face those dangers.

Thought of the Day: "One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!" - Winston Churchill