Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Tempting fate in the nanny state

My boys have really enjoyed going to the neighborhood playground this summer. We just got back, as they joined several kids for a game of "Midnight."
For those who don't know, in Midnight one child is it. They have their eyes closed and must try to find someone else on the playground structure. If the others are tagged, or on the ground when the it child says "Midnight," then they are it for the next round.
So you have kids climbing on areas of the structure not meant to be climbed on. The outside of the tube slide. On top of the railings. On top of the protective coverings. Trying not to be tagged. While a child with their eyes closed climbs around, hopefully not falling off the structure.
The playground equipment is the newest and safest we have, but kids are still doing dangerous stuff.
The other day, one of the little neighborhood girls joined my boys in climbing a willow tree. She's a pretty good climber. When I looked to the top of the tree and could see her, I had to yell for her to come down. She was as high as a human could be on that tree. A squirrel might go one branch higher.
These are our kids. They learn in school about global warming and saving the environment, then leave the TVs and lights on in every room of the house. Everything is a gun for the boys. Sweets are great.
Good luck, government, trying to change behaviors. You can set up fences to keep kids from sugary snacks, and they will be climbing over the fence to get to them. They'll pass your test at school and never once think about applying it at home.
They definitely aren't going to be happy to be paying taxes for our spending for all of their working lives.

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