serving hard time...

 

sometimes as a parent you are faced with protecting your children or letting them learn from their mistakes.  i think most parents have this overwhelming urge to protect their kids.  guard them from danger, shield them from the harsh world we live in, and attempt to keep them innocent as long as we can.   sometimes allowing our children to make mistakes, even colossal mistakes, is important.  important to their growth as a human.

our children grow up in a world where they are bombarded with information that they cannot process.  not because they are dumb or incapable of it, but for the simple fact that their brains haven't developed enough to process adult material.  even though we as adults know this, we tend to take a blase attitude about what our children are exposed to.  the it's just a video game or it's make believe attitude. 

i am guilty of this.  i have let my kids watch movies that are inappropriate for their age telling myself it's above their heads, they won't comprehend what is happening.  this in itself is exactly what i am talking about.  the reasoning that they can't comprehend isn't good enough.  they are still watching and taking it in, coming up with their own idea of the meaning. 

i draw the line at certain things.  i do not allow violent video games in my house.  i played video games when i was a kid, but there is a big difference between duck hunt and call of duty.  in duck hunt you actually hold a gun, aim and fire at a duck that falls to its death on the screen.  however, you aren't watching a soldier or yourself be blown into tiny pieces with blood squirting all over the screen.  i'm sorry gamers, but in my opinion this is too much for our youth. 

so i will come to the point of my post today.  this is my son, ashton.  he is 8 years old.  he is a fairly typical little boy, he loves playing army, drawing, picking on his sister, eating chicken nuggets and french fries.  he plays soccer, video games, shoots hoops and will ride his bike any time he can.  he is affectionate, empathetic and caring of others.

recently he brought a "tool" to school.  he had a multitool, like a leatherman or swiss army knife, in his backpack.  for most a multitool would not seem to be a weapon.  people my age grew up watching MacGyver.  i know several men my age that carry this type of tool on their person at all times.  at one point getting a swiss army knife was seen as a right of passage, so to speak, to manhood.  however, times have changed.  you simply can't have anything that resembles a weapon at school.  it doesn't matter if you never take it from you bag, they are prohibited.

i am not one of those parents that is disillusioned about my kiddos.  they make mistakes, they are far from perfect and i feel if i protect them from all those learning opportunities i am doing them a disservice.  when i got the call to check his backpack for a weapon i could have very easily said nope he doesn't have anything, but i am a rule follower and i am a horrible liar.  he received his consequence, which i felt was fair considering all the information i was told. 
at the end of the day this has been a good lesson for my buddy to learn.  it has also been eye opening for me.  my job of guiding and teaching is far from over and there are some areas that i haven't paid enough attention to.