Wrapping Kids In Cotton Wool
By Sweetpeas
@Sweetpeas (738)
Australia
February 1, 2007 4:32am CST
My Aunty has a little boy and he's 2. We were at one of the kids parties the other day and all the little ones were playing in the sandpit with there shoes and socks off as it turned out to be quite warm. Well anyway he was the only one with his shoes and socks still on and I said oh ill take his shoes off for you and she says nooo i dont want his shoes off, we were all asking why and her reply was..he will cut his foot! Now to me that is pretty extreme. So what he cant do anything cause he might hurt himself? I have a 3 year old and im happy to let him explore and have new adventures, he loves it and of course im with him or watching him at all times. Im just wondering what your thoughts are on this matter as I fear that some children out there are just being wrapped in cotton wool and i dont think that can be at all good for there self esteem or there immune system for that matter.
3 responses
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I think that it is fine not to take the shoes off. It is possible that he could get his foot cut in the sandbox. I have seen it happen many times.
1 person likes this
@Sweetpeas (738)
• Australia
8 Feb 07
Thanks hun, I agree with you there if say they were at a public park or something but this was at my auntys place and the sandpit was new and had just been installed for the kids birthday so it was definatly clean, I certainly wouldnt have allowed my son in there otherwise. Thanks for your reply :)
@Sweetpeas (738)
• Australia
8 Feb 07
Here here, we were the same, playing is meant to be fun :) Thanks hun.
@jan1972 (80)
•
1 Feb 07
When I was a child we loved digging in the garden for chunks of clay and moulding things out of them, It must have been a nightmare for my mum having to clean us all up, but she never once stopped us.
In more recent years people have become paranoid about germs and safety, I was very rarely ill as a child, I had accidents, but that was how I learnt what risks to take and not to take.
By wrapping our children in cotton wool I believe we are depriving them of a wonderful experience, That of being a child. Children in todays society are expected to grow up so quickly and I believe miss out on alot of the things that have given me my happiest memories over the years.
If a child cuts their foot it can be fixed, childhood memories can never be replaced and I do not want my children to grow up remembering all the things mummy wouldn't let them do, Rather all the fun that they were allowed to have.
1 person likes this
