So I've been reading some posts about how people are feeling nostalgic about being young and watching cartoons and eating a big stack of pancakes for breakfast on their Sunday morning and how much the times have changed, and I got to thinkin about safety today.
I am a babysitter. I babysit a lot. I find that when I am sitting and the children want to go outside to play, I go with them and watch them like hawks. When I was their age, I was allowed outside with friends withour supervision. I just had to be home in time for dinner. I didn't have a cell phone, so my parents couldn't call me every half an hour to see where I was; I just went where I wanted. We would play in the backyard, in the frontyard, rollerblade or bike around the neighborhood and that was that. Today, if the kids I am watching want to go on a bike ride, I go too. If they want to play outside and I am trying to make them dinner, they have to play in the back so I can watch them through the kitchen window. If they want to go somewhere with friends, I have to call their parents and their friends' parents to make sure there is supervision and that it is alright.
Perhaps I'm just paranoid because these parents have entrusted me with the care of their children and I would feel absolutely horrible should anything bad occur, but I really am scared. As I've mentioned in past posts, I absolutely abhore watching the news because of all the negative stories that are read each night. We have all heard about JonBenet Ramsey and Madeline McCann...
If things are this bad right now, how are they going to be within the next 4 or 5 years when I am ready to have my own children?
Something needs to change!!!
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for parents. My daughter is absolutely gorgeous and that is an understatement...I don't just say that because she is mine, if the babies ugly call it ugly. Recently, a man was drooling over my daughter, he couldn't keep his perverted eyes offf of her...I flipped out. I let him know if he ever went near her he would deal with me...I looked online...sure enough, on the sexual predator list. I will kill for my daughter, and cannot let her out of my sight. I won't let her go anywhere without me, not even to people I trust. She has playdates but never stays overnight, you can't be too cautious, nor can you be overprotective...there is no middle ground.
Unfortunately for you, things are not getting better. But do not sell yourself short, if you want children, have them...just be wary of strangers, and always aware.
One of the problems lies in our justice system. Child rapists and sex abusers are given long sentences, but then are let out on parole for "good behavior." They then attack children again and the cycle repeats. Same thing goes for murderers. The only reason that I'm for the death penalty is that I don't trust our justice system to keep people behind bars. I'd rather see them dead than back on the streets.
John Colby- 17, Tampa, FL
They get put on a list, get their hands smacked and return to society. That is only the ones accused and found guilty. MANY do not even get found out. But they do deserve to die. There is NOTHING sexual about a child, and tearing away a child's innocence makes these men and women worse than monsters. Forget a witch hunt, a child predator hunt is in order.
I speak about it a lot, but I feel passionately about it...I only get ONE Kylie Liz...and I am not about to let anyone ruin her.