Statistically speaking, it has never been safer to be a kid than it is right now.

US article, but you get the idea:

https://www.washingtonpos...a/?utm_term=.a0126f459351
- Atomic Wedgie

While I know that is true on a statistical level, emotionally I am invested in doing everything reasonable to keep my son safe, even if it is detrimental to his independence and even if it is unnecessary.

... I have some additional concerns also that are not "normal", that have to do with the way orphanage kids react to adults/strangers.

Best line I've ever heard was from my kids' pediatrician:

"I don't worry when I see kids with a few bruises. I worry when I see kids with no bruises whatsoever."
- Atomic Wedgie

Ya,, really soft kids these days. My buddies boy has never mowed the lawn, snow blown the driveway, ran power saw ... . OMG, he is starting his second year of Dalhousie University. Ruined already.


Oh, the kid thinks he is God's gift to the females on the planet as well.. Sickening.

Best line I've ever heard was from my kids' pediatrician:

"I don't worry when I see kids with a few bruises. I worry when I see kids with no bruises whatsoever."
- Atomic Wedgie

I am not admitting to, or suggesting kids be wrapped in bubble wrap. My son has bruises everywhere from horsing around on the playground. I have no problem with that. I have a problem with him being alone or with another equally young kid at the playground.

Ya,, really soft kids these days. My buddies boy has never mowed the lawn, snow blown the driveway, ran power saw ... . OMG, he is starting his second year of Dalhousie University. Ruined already.


Oh, the kid thinks he is God's gift to the females on the planet as well.. Sickening.
- bixll

LOL, my son is very small, too small to safely operate that stuff. As soon as he is though, he'll have those chores.

Started to teach him how to cook

Ya,, really soft kids these days. My buddies boy has never mowed the lawn, snow blown the driveway, ran power saw ... . OMG, he is starting his second year of Dalhousie University. Ruined already.


Oh, the kid thinks he is God's gift to the females on the planet as well.. Sickening.
- bixll

My dad still doesnt like when i use a chainsaw....

So i just get up before he does so he wakes up to the sound of me cutting wood..

Sometime you need to be a Richard to your parents and tell them (frank) off, you're being ridiculous.

I am not admitting to, or suggesting kids be wrapped in bubble wrap. My son has bruises everywhere from horsing around on the playground. I have no problem with that. I have a problem with him being alone or with another equally young kid at the playground.
- Aetherial

the age of your kid might shed some much needed context to this story..

LOL, my son is very small, too small to safely operate that stuff. As soon as he is though, he'll have those chores.

Started to teach him how to cook
- Aetherial

You give them all the skills you can before they are grown and gone.. But teach them FFS.. Like you say, put the bubble wrap away.

My dad still doesnt like when i use a chainsaw....

So i just get up before he does so he wakes up to the sound of me cutting wood..

Sometime you need to be a Richard to your parents and tell them (frank) off, you're being ridiculous.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

To be fair, I don't trust most people with chainsaws.

I woke up to a friend cutting a stump while wearing flip-flops once...

I am not admitting to, or suggesting kids be wrapped in bubble wrap. My son has bruises everywhere from horsing around on the playground. I have no problem with that. I have a problem with him being alone or with another equally young kid at the playground.
- Aetherial

Try reading this:

https://www.nytimes.com/2...y.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

Don't worry, I don't expect you to agree with it 100 per cent (and as the father of two girls, I find it to be a bit misogynist) but it is some pretty tasty food for thought.

My dad still doesnt like when i use a chainsaw....

So i just get up before he does so he wakes up to the sound of me cutting wood..

Sometime you need to be a Richard to your parents and tell them (frank) off, you're being ridiculous.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

Country kids are brought up differently then City kids. We didn't worry about the gang member with the knife.. or getting grabbed.

To be fair, I don't trust most people with chainsaws.

I woke up to a friend cutting a stump while wearing flip-flops once...
- markmark

So you're saying if he were wearing steel toe boots he'd still have a leg and not just a stump?

Country kids are brought up differently then City kids. We didn't worry about the gang member with the knife.. or getting grabbed.
- bixll

My parents worried about that stuff but they taught us how to deal with those situations instead of shielding us from them. My parents hated having me in the house on the weekends.

To be fair, I don't trust most people with chainsaws.

I woke up to a friend cutting a stump while wearing flip-flops once...
- markmark

Many of my friends have the track marks of a chainsaw on them.. One guy 114 stitches in his head.. boys play differently in the country.

My dad still doesnt like when i use a chainsaw....

So i just get up before he does so he wakes up to the sound of me cutting wood..

Sometime you need to be a Richard to your parents and tell them (frank) off, you're being ridiculous.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

I'm at the opposite end now.

My soon to be 82 year old dad is still doing stuff.

My parents' house has a solarium - basically a room made up of windows, including a slanted roof.

My dad refuses to pay anyone to clean the roof - he will get up on a ladder and climb up on the roof (so he needs to step perfectly on the cross beams, or you know, kill himself) with a bucket of water and a squeegie and clean it.

Or last year, he asked me to come up to the house on the weekend - they had bought a new washer and dryer, and the delivery guys wanted to charge him $50 to haul the old ones out of the basement. That was an outrage - so he wanted me to come up and help him get them out himself.

They paid off their house in 1975. They both have full pensions. And he wants to risk his life for $50.

My parents worried about that stuff but they taught us how to deal with those situations instead of shielding us from them. My parents hated having me in the house on the weekends.
- TheMussel

Exactly, why be in the house. TV had 2 to maybe 6 channels that were English..

To be fair, I don't trust most people with chainsaws.

I woke up to a friend cutting a stump while wearing flip-flops once...
- markmark

been there done that

thats not at bad as splitting wood barefoot....

The key is to let them hurt themselves alot when they're kids.. nothing teaches safety like pain

LOL, my son is very small, too small to safely operate that stuff. As soon as he is though, he'll have those chores.

Started to teach him how to cook
- Aetherial

This, my friends, is the most important thing that we can teach our kids today.

Obesity is a full-blown epidemic today. The stat they always cite is that 1/3 of the population is overweight, and 1/3 of the population is obese.

What people don't realize is that 2/3rds of the population is unhealthy.

Teach your kids to cook. Teach them what normal-size portions are.

Seriously, obesity is the new smoking. And nobody seems to care.

Many of my friends have the track marks of a chainsaw on them.. One guy 114 stitches in his head.. boys play differently in the country.
- bixll

yeah my cuz in pet has a huge gash on his leg from when his dad was cutting a tree and the saw went right through and into his leg

he coulda died.. they were at the hunt camp 40 mins north of Round Lake. If he hit an artery he would have bled out.

Exactly, why be in the house. TV had 2 to maybe 6 channels that were English..
- bixll

Didn't have a TV until I was 9....

1993 D:

This, my friends, is the most important thing that we can teach our kids today.

Obesity is a full-blown epidemic today. The stat they always cite is that 1/3 of the population is overweight, and 1/3 of the population is obese.

What people don't realize is that 2/3rds of the population is unhealthy.

Teach your kids to cook. Teach them what normal-size portions are.

Seriously, obesity is the new smoking. And nobody seems to care.
- Atomic Wedgie

I ran through what I spend in a month on food vs what my friend spends (he buys lunch and orders out almost every day).

He got interested in learning how to cook when he found out that I budget 200/mo on food.

Metric is in my top 5 all time fav bands...
- Arctic_AARDVARK

you should adjust the size of your post so that its 400 x 315

I'm at the opposite end now.

My soon to be 82 year old dad is still doing stuff.

My parents' house has a solarium - basically a room made up of windows, including a slanted roof.

My dad refuses to pay anyone to clean the roof - he will get up on a ladder and climb up on the roof (so he needs to step perfectly on the cross beams, or you know, kill himself) with a bucket of water and a squeegie and clean it.

Or last year, he asked me to come up to the house on the weekend - they had bought a new washer and dryer, and the delivery guys wanted to charge him $50 to haul the old ones out of the basement. That was an outrage - so he wanted me to come up and help him get them out himself.

They paid off their house in 1975. They both have full pensions. And he wants to risk his life for $50.
- Atomic Wedgie

he's just cheap..

been there done that

thats not at bad as splitting wood barefoot....

The key is to let them hurt themselves alot when they're kids.. nothing teaches safety like pain
- Arctic_AARDVARK

My brother and I once played with an electric fan - in the sink.

Because filling the sink up with water, and making the water spin in cyclones was hilarious.

We probably did it for an hour before mom caught us.

yeah my cuz in pet has a huge gash on his leg from when his dad was cutting a tree and the saw went right through and into his leg

he coulda died.. they were at the hunt camp 40 mins north of Round Lake. If he hit an artery he would have bled out.
- Arctic_AARDVARK

I stuck a hunting knife into my hand while helping my dad skin a deer. Still have the scare today.. I was 9... We were 5.5 miles in the woods. He stuck a face cloth in my mouth and poured pure Iodine over the cut.. Shake it off..

you should adjust the size of your post so that its 400 x 315
- zazzle

i still dont know how to do that..