What's Hot

    Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

    June 1, 2023

    Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age

    June 1, 2023

    Summer Learning Loss is Real

    June 1, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy
    • Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age
    • Summer Learning Loss is Real
    • 315 Bulletin
    • Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole
    • Summer Activities Guide
    • A Day for Dad
    • Wondrous Waterfalls
    Facebook Twitter Instagram RSS
    Family TimesFamily Times
    • Community Guide
    • Things to Do in CNY
      1. Central New York Events
      2. Activities
      3. Treat Yourself
      Featured

      Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

      By Courtney KlessJune 1, 202311
      Recent

      Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

      June 1, 2023

      Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age

      June 1, 2023

      Summer Activities Guide

      June 1, 2023
    • Parenting
      1. Pregnancy
      2. Babies
      3. Kids
      4. Preschoolers/Toddlers
      5. Special Needs
      6. Teens
      7. Pets
      8. View All

      The Power to Save a Life: Cord blood is being used to treat more than 80 diseases

      January 30, 2020

      It’s Not What It Looks Like: Reflections on motherhood’s changes, outside and inside

      July 29, 2019

      In Search of Sleep: 8 Strategies for coping with wakeful babies

      July 29, 2019

      A Surgical Birth: Many pregnant women are likely to deliver by cesarean

      July 29, 2019

      Strangers Bearing Advice: New babies bring out the expert in everyone

      August 1, 2021

      Hand to Mouth: How to help babies start to sample solid food

      August 1, 2020

      315 Bulletin

      August 1, 2020

      Name, Please? Expectant parents face another momentous decision

      August 1, 2020

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      A Blooming Craft: These homemade flowers make a great centerpiece

      March 1, 2021

      Rainbow Snowflakes: A colorful craft even little ones can make

      November 24, 2020

      DIY Critter Magnets: Make cute clips for hanging reminders and more

      September 1, 2020

      DIY Critter Magnets: Make cute clips for hanging reminders and more

      September 1, 2020

      Allergy Adjustments: Parents can support their food allergic child

      September 3, 2019

      Calming Commotion: How to deal with car sickness and more

      June 27, 2019

      Introducing Riff Rockit: Kindie artist to play jingles at Leon Fest

      June 1, 2017

      A History of Inclusion: The Jowonio School marked 50 years in 2019

      March 30, 2020

      Reaching a Milestone: Now the largest chapter in the country, Special Olympics New York is celebrating 50 years

      March 30, 2020

      Come Out and Play: Move Along offers adaptive sports for youth, adults

      March 30, 2020

      Let’s Get Together: Remaking classrooms so all students are included

      September 3, 2019

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      A Blooming Craft: These homemade flowers make a great centerpiece

      March 1, 2021

      Environmental Club: Auburn Junior High School

      January 30, 2020

      Furry Friends: What it takes to adopt a pet for the first time

      July 1, 2020

      Tail Wagging Fun: Lights on the Lake Dog Walk 2019

      November 14, 2019

      Uncommon Companions: Local pet store sticks to its niche

      May 30, 2019

      Dog Food for Thought: Trying to keep your pet from your plate

      May 30, 2019

      Summer Learning Loss is Real

      June 1, 2023

      A Day for Dad

      June 1, 2023

      Crash Course: Help your child brush up on study skills for final exams

      May 1, 2023

      A Day Just for Mom: Mother’s Day celebrations and gifts she’ll treasure

      May 1, 2023
    • Health
      1. Child Development
      2. Food
      3. Nutrition
      4. The “Recipe Doctor”
      5. View All

      Financial Literacy for Families: How parents can teach children, teens about money management

      April 1, 2022

      Strangers Bearing Advice: New babies bring out the expert in everyone

      August 1, 2021

      Choosing a Daycare: Learn As You Grow’s Joshua LaGrow offers some tips for finding the right fit

      August 1, 2021

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole

      June 1, 2023

      Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

      June 1, 2022

      Nutrition in No Time: Are you always on the go? These tips will help you stay on track.

      January 1, 2022

      Easy Holiday Recipes: Are you searching for some new dishes this season? These are some of our favorites.

      November 1, 2021

      Nutrition in No Time: Are you always on the go? These tips will help you stay on track.

      January 1, 2022

      Liking Lunch: Best bets for serving kids a delicious, nutritious meal

      September 1, 2021

      A Little Jolt: Caffeine’s risks for kids and teens

      March 1, 2021

      Better Choices: How about a resolution to eat vegetables and other nutritious foods?

      January 1, 2021

      Best Friend’s Treats: Bake up some special dog biscuits

      June 1, 2018

      Colorful Soup in a Jar: Give the gift of winter comfort

      December 1, 2015

      Berry Good! Use a summer favorite in this ice cream

      July 1, 2015

      Flapjack Fever: Even pancakes can be a healthy breakfast

      June 1, 2015

      Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

      June 1, 2023

      Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole

      June 1, 2023

      Treat Yourself: Watch a show – or two – at Redhouse Arts Center

      May 1, 2023

      315 Bulletin

      May 1, 2023
    • Travel
    • Education
      1. Educator of the Month
      2. Class of the Month
      3. Education News
      4. Reading
      5. Teaching
      Featured

      Summer Learning Loss is Real

      By Kimberly BlakerJune 1, 20236
      Recent

      Summer Learning Loss is Real

      June 1, 2023

      Lzay Colella, Lead Instructor for Le Moyne College’s Summer Arts Institute Musical Theatre Camp

      June 1, 2023

      Ben Borenstein, Education Coordinator at Redhouse Arts Center

      May 1, 2023
    • Crafts & DIY
      • Create
      • Holiday Crafts
    Family TimesFamily Times
    Home»Health»Child Development»Danger Ahead! What to tell our kids about the hazards of life
    Child Development

    Danger Ahead! What to tell our kids about the hazards of life

    Neil DavisBy Neil DavisJanuary 3, 2018Updated:August 28, 2018No Comments0 Views
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    My daughter grew up. I try not to blame her, as this apparently just happens. Spoiler alert: If you feed kids enough, they become teenagers. Who knew?

    It was probably in one of those baby books, but I can’t remember. I was focused on the sections that outlined the first terrifying year of childrearing. Was there a chapter toward the back called “What to Expect 15 Years Down the Road When Your Child Becomes Self-Sufficient?”

    I was prepared for her to age, to become less interested in Legos, to no longer fit into shopping cart seats. I didn’t want these things to happen, but I made my peace with them.

    What I was not ready for, however, was her independence. Sadie not only grew up, but she also grew out of the idea that she needs one of her parents there at her side, 24/7. Somewhere along the way, she learned to dress herself, brush her own teeth, and sometimes even moderate her intake of chocolate chip cookies.

    This would all be fine, except that her autonomy has amplified life’s inherent risk. Let’s face it: The world is an unnerving place. Click on the television any given day and you will hear a litany of reasons for never letting your children out of your sight: hurricanes, terrorism, mumps, Snapchat. Each night, I’m left wondering if I’ve adequately coached Sadie on the minefield of horrors that awaits her. Is she aware of the threats of fake news and cyberbullying? Does she know about the irreversible damage that can be caused by staring at the sun or Zac Ephron’s abs?

    To me, the 1970s seemed like a simpler time. As a kid, before I set off on my morning walk to elementary school, my mother would offer up warnings: Don’t talk to strangers; look both ways before crossing the street. Generally within the realm of normal parental worry.

    One particular piece of advice, however, always stood out: “Watch for falling icicles. You could lose an eye.”

    True, the icicle threat in Central New York can stretch from November to April. I still recall giving any hanging icicles a wide berth. To hear my mother tell it, half my school had been partially blinded. I used to scan every classroom for eye patches as I walked by.

    Such anxieties made me believe that my mother worried too much. Her teachings were often fear-based, intended to instill caution in an adventurous boy. She came backed by several nursing degrees and an impressive string of letters after her name, so it was tough to argue with her theories about the goodness of vegetables and the dangers of playing in the road.

    Still, I think she inflated the figures on cancer caused by Kool-Aid and the number of illnesses correlated with not wearing the right jacket. Or so I believed until I had a child of my own.

    Like all good parents, the instant my daughter was born, I developed an unhealthy suspicion of the universe. Things I had once considered harmless were redefined as hazardous.

    “There’s a guy outside trying to lure kids to his truck with a Popsicle,” I would say with concern.

    “That’s the ice cream man,” a friend would reply. “It’s kind of his job.”

    And I actually have less to worry about than some parents. Sadie doesn’t have a nut allergy, a skateboard or a compulsion to climb tress. But that doesn’t matter. As a normal parent, I invent worry where none should exist. Every trampoline or swimming pool looks like a death trap. Every raccoon out in the middle of the afternoon is rabid. Every untied shoelace will get caught in an escalator.

    I wish I could go back, start over and warn Sadie about the truly scary things the world has to offer, like spiders and cauliflower. What about global warming and ingrown toenails? The outbreak of pumpkin spice items each autumn? That girl in The Ring? Clowns.

    And isn’t there more rational advice I could have imparted, like that every driver forgets how to merge when they approach Carrier Circle? Or that cellphones become obsolete the instant you buy them? Or that the inside of a warmed Pop-Tart is nearly the temperature of the sun?

    We can’t raise our kids in a bubble. Helicopter parenting can provide a comforting — and false — sense of security. It can also drive you and your children crazy.

    I’ll admit that some of my mother’s advice was useful. Drinking alcohol and driving really is a bad idea. Doing homework is a good one. But some of her concerns were no more rational than my dog’s fear of the vacuum. Television didn’t make me stupid. Video games didn’t warp my vision. I kept making that face, and it didn’t stay that way.

    The bottom line is that the world only seems scary. If you think about it too much, you will never let your kids leave the house. In the end, there’s really only one warning that I hope my daughter heeds: Your own children will eventually grow up, and you won’t be ready for it.

    child development First Person Growing Up Safety
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
    Neil Davis

    Related Posts

    Prep Work: Keep your family’s food safe this summer

    June 1, 2022

    Financial Literacy for Families: How parents can teach children, teens about money management

    April 1, 2022

    The Tree in the Forest: In search of a Christmas evergreen

    December 1, 2021
    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    Top Posts

    Summer Activities Guide

    June 1, 202330

    Wondrous Waterfalls

    June 1, 202325

    Lzay Colella, Lead Instructor for Le Moyne College’s Summer Arts Institute Musical Theatre Camp

    June 1, 202318

    Treat Yourself: Watch a show – or two – at Redhouse Arts Center

    May 1, 202315
    Flip Through Our Latest Issue!
    Recent Posts
    • Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy
    • Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age
    • Summer Learning Loss is Real
    • 315 Bulletin
    • Berries and Cream Croissant Breakfast Casserole

    Family Times Magazine publishes a digital magazine highlighting events, businesses, and content to inform and entertain families here in Central New York. Sign up for our twice monthly newsletter to have the magazine and other featured content.
    ____

    Email Us: [email protected]
    Contact: 1.315.422.7011

    Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn RSS
    Our Picks

    Treat Yourself: Explore restored wetlands, more at Canastota’s Great Swamp Conservancy

    June 1, 2023

    Explore CNY: Cazenovia has something for every age

    June 1, 2023

    Summer Learning Loss is Real

    June 1, 2023
    Most Popular

    Summer Activities Guide

    June 1, 202330

    Wondrous Waterfalls

    June 1, 202325

    Lzay Colella, Lead Instructor for Le Moyne College’s Summer Arts Institute Musical Theatre Camp

    June 1, 202318
    © 2023 All Times Publishing. Designed by Crossroads Media Productions.
    • Our Authors
    • Archives
    • Community Events Calendar
    • Advertising

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Go to mobile version