Genius or ridiculous? Fun poll

[CJ2008]

I vote genius and loving.

And TEMPORARY.

I'd tear that contraption down as soon I could get my hands on it.

And then maybe put it back up when I couldn't figure out anything else that looked better.

 

[jordyonbass]

My mother had every sharp-ish corner of her house covered in special foam corner thingies when she was taking care of my niece a few days a week. She is a firm believer in babies living in bubbles! We all kind of laughed about it but she was very firm and said "hey, no baby here has ever died on my watch!"

I absolutely hate the idea of 'bubbling' a child! I may not have any kids yet but when I do I will be sending them out in the dead of winter in a singlet and shorts with no shoes, bringing them into the wilderness with me where the words 'clean' and 'hygenic' are another language, teaching them how to deal with Aussie wildlife in the safest possible manner.

To some parents it's irresponsible parenting, to others it's the way children should be raised but aren't nowadays thanks to video games and other vices. For me it's how I was raised and I don't know any better (at least that's my story and I am sticking to it!).

Jordy, I agree! And here's the funny part: my parents let my brother and me roam free around their wooded property with ponds and all kinds of places to basically die in when we were kids! We did the craziest things, ran around with bb guns, knives, you name it! Now all my mother wants to do is protect protect protect and my brother and I just sort of die laughing internally because we know she was a totally hands off type of parent with us! My dad had us out in the woods all the time and taught us survival basics and had us riding around on the side of the tractor, etc. Things that people would call Child Protective Services on parents today! We also didn't have a seatbelt law back then...times have changed for good in some ways. I don't know if my child will have a similar upbringing at all. We were just at my parents' a few days ago and my mom was worried that the girls were going to trip on a hole in the yard (it was basically a divot about 8" deep) and break a leg. I mean, when I was little she just handed us a referee whistle and said "if you get in trouble signal me with this."

I think there is a balance between helicoptering and neglect with regard to parenting. It's definitely a fine line. I hope I can teach my daughter all the things she needs to know and call in experts when I don't know the answers, I guess. Parenting is crazy, but one hopes that common sense prevails and our kids will grow up strong and healthy despite pressure to raise them with all sorts of training wheels!

I think we can show our children dangerous situations while mitigating the risk and teaching them; when I was about 5 or 6 years old my father came across a venomous king brown snake and brought me over to it as it was all coiled up and not moving. He showed me the signs to look for with a venomous snake and behavioural indications. We were probably standing about 10 feet from it so it was safe but the moment it moved I know my father would have been putting more distance between us and it. He also would take me out into the bush overnight with no food, just water. We would have to find our own food and while we would get very hungry at times we never faced starvation.
But then he let me handline a Tiger Shark 3 times my size when I was 10 years old, something that I actually wouldn't let anyone else do on my own boat unless I know they're as experienced as I am. I usually take that risk nowadays and I still get a rush of nerves when doing it, dad was probably soiling himself as a parent at the time!!

Parents are only human and make mistakes, while I probably wouldn't be as 'rough and tumble' with my kids as my dad was with me I will still want them to see the world. But I've made it through life with all the risks and dangers that have been in my path, I'm sure my future kids will do the same

 

[Mayk]

Loved this... Made me smile! She's awesome.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I just loved thus topic. It made me smile too. Please hug that woman!


Annette

 

[momhappy]

Momhappy, everyone's entitled to their own feelings but geez! My children are well behaved but, like any, can get under your skin. If my MIL is ever annoyed with them she never shows it. I think they and her own children are more important to her than anything else.

I wasn't sure what you meant by your post (when you said "jeez') - if you were responding to me or the fact that my MIL was irritated by my children? I hope my post didn't come off the wrong way. Your MIL sounds lovely and I certainly can understand why it might be trying having her as a house guest despite the fact that she sounds very helpful with your kids.
My kids a pretty well-behaved too, but MIL is just not a kid person. I've come to terms with it. It just is what it is.

 

[canuk-gal]

My mother had every sharp-ish corner of her house covered in special foam corner thingies when she was taking care of my niece a few days a week. She is a firm believer in babies living in bubbles! We all kind of laughed about it but she was very firm and said "hey, no baby here has ever died on my watch!"

I absolutely hate the idea of 'bubbling' a child! I may not have any kids yet but when I do I will be sending them out in the dead of winter in a singlet and shorts with no shoes, bringing them into the wilderness with me where the words 'clean' and 'hygenic' are another language, teaching them how to deal with Aussie wildlife in the safest possible manner.

To some parents it's irresponsible parenting, to others it's the way children should be raised but aren't nowadays thanks to video games and other vices. For me it's how I was raised and I don't know any better (at least that's my story and I am sticking to it!).

Jordy, I agree! And here's the funny part: my parents let my brother and me roam free around their wooded property with ponds and all kinds of places to basically die in when we were kids! We did the craziest things, ran around with bb guns, knives, you name it! Now all my mother wants to do is protect protect protect and my brother and I just sort of die laughing internally because we know she was a totally hands off type of parent with us! My dad had us out in the woods all the time and taught us survival basics and had us riding around on the side of the tractor, etc. Things that people would call Child Protective Services on parents today! We also didn't have a seatbelt law back then...times have changed for good in some ways. I don't know if my child will have a similar upbringing at all. We were just at my parents' a few days ago and my mom was worried that the girls were going to trip on a hole in the yard (it was basically a divot about 8" deep) and break a leg. I mean, when I was little she just handed us a referee whistle and said "if you get in trouble signal me with this."

I think there is a balance between helicoptering and neglect with regard to parenting. It's definitely a fine line. I hope I can teach my daughter all the things she needs to know and call in experts when I don't know the answers, I guess. Parenting is crazy, but one hopes that common sense prevails and our kids will grow up strong and healthy despite pressure to raise them with all sorts of training wheels!

I think we can show our children dangerous situations while mitigating the risk and teaching them; when I was about 5 or 6 years old my father came across a venomous king brown snake and brought me over to it as it was all coiled up and not moving. He showed me the signs to look for with a venomous snake and behavioural indications. We were probably standing about 10 feet from it so it was safe but the moment it moved I know my father would have been putting more distance between us and it. He also would take me out into the bush overnight with no food, just water. We would have to find our own food and while we would get very hungry at times we never faced starvation.
But then he let me handline a Tiger Shark 3 times my size when I was 10 years old, something that I actually wouldn't let anyone else do on my own boat unless I know they're as experienced as I am. I usually take that risk nowadays and I still get a rush of nerves when doing it, dad was probably soiling himself as a parent at the time!!

Parents are only human and make mistakes, while I probably wouldn't be as 'rough and tumble' with my kids as my dad was with me I will still want them to see the world. But I've made it through life with all the risks and dangers that have been in my path, I'm sure my future kids will do the same

ohmigod I just read this and needed a bubble for my butt! lol PuppM: can I borrow one of those corner protectors?

all in good fun

cheers--Sharon

 

[ADN]

" Depends"

+1 ...now that's genius

 

[Puppmom]

Momhappy, my "geez" was directed at your MIL not being a kid person. Sorry for the misunderstanding. It would just upset me if my or DH's parents found my kids annoying.

I wish I could tell MIL how much everyone liked her little trick but then I would have to confess I posted about it on a public forum!

 

[momhappy]

^Ah, gotcha. Yes, it's upsetting. She sort of pretends like she's into the whole grandma thing, but you can tell she's not. The one good thing is that she lives far away, so she doesn't have to "deal" with my kids too often

 

[MarionC]

Brilliant! There are parents that have kids with scarred eyebrows all over the world wishing they had thought of this sooner!

this is true! I have one myself.
maybe we should have a "who has an eyebrow scar?!" thread.

According to my Mother eyebrows REALLY bleed a lot LOL

maybe covering a corner with an absorbent diaper IS genius....just in case the corner still gets ya.

 

[simurgh]

Totally awesome!! Way better than a hurt kid, even if the dresser gets ruined!

 

[missy]

And for another alternative:

http://www.amazon.com/My-Baby-Essentials-Corner-Proofing/product-reviews/B00K5JFIEO/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_one?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=one_star&showViewpoints=0

http://www.buybuybaby.com/store/category/health-safety/babyproofing/edge-corner-guards/32235/


Just giving you more options and whichever you choose depends on different factors.