The Eight Never-Nevers
Posted by CircuitGuy 8 years ago to Education
My kids' school plays this exact video, has them sing the songs, and promotes the message. Just read this summary because you can never get those two minutes of your life back if you watch the video.
Your grown-ups will protect you and sure things are good. They're there for you to keep you safe.
1. Never-never touch a gun.
2. Never-never play with fire.
3. Never-never go on wheels without a helmet.
4. Never-never dive right in. Ask before you get wet.
5. Never-never use sharp tools alone.
6. Never-never pet a dog without asking your grownup.
7. Check for traffic both ways before you cross the street.
8. Never-never ride in cars unless you're buckled up.
The cool thing is my kids seem to detect intuitively it's crap.
My son mentioned that adults who are old and gray and remember when kids could run around and play without adults constantly keeping us safe take it less seriously.
Possible reasons for the hyper-safety:
- Maybe there's a segment of the population, a segment >>50% women, who wants to focus on kids, but starting in the 90's started feeling uncomfortable saying their wants aloud. They did feel comfortable saying circumstances demand they make sacrifices. So they made parenting more complicated and difficult to get what they wanted without admitting it.
- Maybe people who were old enough to be aware of the Sept 11 attack but under 18, people who are now 21 to 34, were affected in such a way to make them more cautious.
- Maybe the hyper-safety stuff in the school is motivated to help the few kids whose parents are really irresponsible and leave dangerous things lying out without teaching their kids to respect them.
I do not believe there's a figure like Toohey behind it asking young people their dreams and then purposely quashing them. I do not believe politicians in Washington are the cause either; they respond to the zeitgeist rather than drive it. The only part I believe might be have a political motive is which one got the top Rule #1 position.
At any rate, the video reminds me how important it is to teach kids to handle guns, fire, and tools responsibly and to be skeptical.
Your grown-ups will protect you and sure things are good. They're there for you to keep you safe.
1. Never-never touch a gun.
2. Never-never play with fire.
3. Never-never go on wheels without a helmet.
4. Never-never dive right in. Ask before you get wet.
5. Never-never use sharp tools alone.
6. Never-never pet a dog without asking your grownup.
7. Check for traffic both ways before you cross the street.
8. Never-never ride in cars unless you're buckled up.
The cool thing is my kids seem to detect intuitively it's crap.
My son mentioned that adults who are old and gray and remember when kids could run around and play without adults constantly keeping us safe take it less seriously.
Possible reasons for the hyper-safety:
- Maybe there's a segment of the population, a segment >>50% women, who wants to focus on kids, but starting in the 90's started feeling uncomfortable saying their wants aloud. They did feel comfortable saying circumstances demand they make sacrifices. So they made parenting more complicated and difficult to get what they wanted without admitting it.
- Maybe people who were old enough to be aware of the Sept 11 attack but under 18, people who are now 21 to 34, were affected in such a way to make them more cautious.
- Maybe the hyper-safety stuff in the school is motivated to help the few kids whose parents are really irresponsible and leave dangerous things lying out without teaching their kids to respect them.
I do not believe there's a figure like Toohey behind it asking young people their dreams and then purposely quashing them. I do not believe politicians in Washington are the cause either; they respond to the zeitgeist rather than drive it. The only part I believe might be have a political motive is which one got the top Rule #1 position.
At any rate, the video reminds me how important it is to teach kids to handle guns, fire, and tools responsibly and to be skeptical.
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Guns be used for good or evil.
I would actually point my finger and mimic gunfire sounds while pretending to ride a horse.
And guess what?
NOBODY CARED!
I would toss the bombs into a lake to admire geysers at least twice as tall as I was, blow up the sizable mounds of hated fire ants and to make a rocket out of an overturned bucket.
Ah! The good life! Bring back the good ole' days!
Or perhaps, crossed wires in the brain in a constant feedback loop!
I agree with helmets and seat belts, but I will point out that car seats are more difficult than seat belts. I think if they came out with a design to modify seat belts to work for small children, we would still prefer a more ungainly approach. The culture right now likes to make caring for kids difficult. We take comfort in the ritual of strapping into car seats and strapping on helmets. Each little thing is no big deal, but it adds up to lot of hassle that makes us feel safe. I used to bike to the park with friends when I was six y/o, but now well-meaning neighbors asked my 8 y/o playing at the park if he was okay to be separated from his parents. The helmet is a symbol that biking to the park is a scary thing that needs special equipment and probably a parent hovering close behind. Despite their proven safety benefits, I almost oppose kids' bike helmets for that reason.
https://www.galtsgulchonline.com/post...
You can find other links if you google his name. He lets kids play with fire and sharp knives, among other amusements.
The other day at work, some of the other old salts remembered back to high school when it was not unusual for kids to drive to school with rifles in gun racks. Back then, there were no school shootings. Note also, though, that they lived in rural areas, not urban. So, culture was a factor. Still, the point was made.
(Wearing a seat belt in a car is appropriate. Checking both ways for traffic is similarly a darwinian requirement.)