We wouldn’t have to tell our kids such things
Joey had a cub scout meeting last night. My intentions were to drop him off and then come back in an hour and pick him up…giving me enough time to mop my floors at home…but it wasn’t that easy.
Instead, I walked him inside and he started to get nervous. He whispered to me , “don’t leave me here. I am nervous.” His little eyes swelling up. I told him that I was very proud of him for using his words and telling me his feelings, and that I wouldn’t leave. I had him sit at the table with his fellow scouts and I sat in the back of the room…thinking of my floors and how I was going to be up later than I wanted tonight doing them…
Tonights discussion was about stranger danger. They read off different scenarios and asked the children what they should do. To my suprise they were very blunt with the boys. One leader, a former police told the boys straight out “there are people in this world who want to hurt you. I am not trying to scare you, but you need to know that they will hurt you.”
That got their attention and mine.
I heard a statistic on a commercial the other day and again last night at scouts. I was shocked and horrified.
“1 out of every 6 boys will be sexually abused.”
I felt my throat tightening, my eyes starting to burn. I wanted to cry. Grab my son and keep him within my reach forever. I was scared…scared for each and every one of the boys in that room. Scared for all boys. Scared for their parents and loved ones.
I also felt terrible at the fact that I wanted to get my floors cleaned and I was sitting there thinking about how my “plan” was going to be off and this and that. I realized that my son is safest when he is with me. Nobody can hurt him if I am with him. My floors could wait. Will wait.
I was freightened…still am
October 21, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Hooray for you listening to your little one telling you that he was uncomfortable and he wanted you to stay. Becareful with this though, if you are going to stay each time he’s a little skiddish, he may become conditioned and start relying on you always to stay. If he’s frightened, ask him what in particular makes him so. Maybe he can verbalize the exact cause of his uneasiness and you can address it headon. I would be a bit more curious though if he’s been dropped off before for the hour and is now uncomfortable, than if this was his first time there. Be cautious, very cautious but not fearful. Fear will constrict you both.
October 21, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Thank you Smille33…I was thinking those same thoughts. He says he is scared because I am “not with him” … I tried explaining to him that it is just like being at school…I always pick him up…but none the less he was nervous. I plan on attending the next meeting if need be, however I am hoping to be able to sit in the the hallway during…gradually ease my way out of the parking lot over the next month!