Parenting Tactic I Will Never Use
Wednesday, 19 March 2008 by Jacob TomawIn response to Tim Janecyk’s comment, ToddlerMom asked, “If the police cannot protect the children, who will.” Well, Parenting Magazine has ranked the 50 states using some great nanny state criteria to help people like ToddlerMom.
My jaw dropped when I read this from the report,
Surprisingly, basic safety devices like booster seats and bike helmets aren’t required in most states — 31 fail to mandate one or both of them. “Having a law is essential, even if you wouldn’t dream of putting your preschooler in the car without a booster seat,” says Alan Korn, director of public policy for Safe Kids Worldwide, an advocacy group in Washington, D.C. “Not only does a law educate parents who might not be as safety-conscious as you, but it also makes it easier for you to handle protests from your kids. When my 7-year-old says he’s too big for a bike helmet, I just remind him that it’s the law. Argument over.”
I don’t think I can respond better than Radley Balko,
God forbid you teach the kid to wear a helmet because it’s the rational thing to do. Maybe teach him something about risk and responsibility. No, instead, just tell him he’s gotta’ wear a helmet because the all-knowing legislature … simply say so, and if he doesn’t do as they say, he’ll be breaking the law.