Hailey wants to know why she isn't allowed to participate in sleepovers. I have already explained why to my readers, but have not given her the full details. I don't want to give her more than she can handle, and sometimes it is good to ask your kids to trust you. That the decisions you make are not arbitrary, but rationally thought out, and with their best interest at heart. We make the tough ones because we love them. It's what we do. It's what God expects of us. And we don't want to let them down if we can help it.
So I started off with this example: (this is a variation of another example I have heard before.)
Imagine I brought out a pan of brownies and offered them to you. They are still warm from the oven, and cut into huge pieces, six in all. They have chocolate chips and chocolate chunks in them. They smell delicious, and they are oozing chocolatey yumminess. You reach for one, but just before you grasp it, you hear my warning.
"One of these brownies has a piece of Zacchie's poo in it. I didn't put a big piece in there, and I'm not sure which one it's in."
What would you do? Would you eat one because there's five chances you won't get the poopy brownie? Or would you pass?
Her answer, "I'd walk away."
Well, this is a little like that. I know the chances of her being hurt at someone's house are slim, but I also know that the statistics are that she might. Why would I be willing to risk her innocence? So I told Hailey that I believed Mr. Tom* wouldn't hurt her, and Mr. Dick* wouldn't hurt her, and that Mr. Harry* wouldn't hurt her, either, but I also believed my friend's daddy wouldn't hurt my friend, and I was wrong.
So I'd rather she missed out on five perfectly good brownies because I wouldn't want to feed her poo.
*names have been changed to protect the innocent.
6 comments:
Ack for poopy brownies!
I am not a fan of sleepovers, but more for the shallow reasons that I never held a successful one as a birthday girl. I'd invite the very nice (and very popular) classmate over and through no fault of her own, everyone wanted to sleep next to HER! It just put a wet blanket on my whole Birthday Princess fantasy.
Now, poopy brownies however... my college roommate and I once took our last sad and crumbly brownie from our dorm room and snuck down to the showers on the floor below ours. We moistened and fashioned the brownie into a perfect poop shape and then left it sitting prettily by the drain in one of the showers.
THAT was a fun "slumber party"!
In all seriousness, this is a great illustration for the purposes of cautioning kids. I'll have to tuck it away in my memory.
Thanks for stopping by Paper Lanterns. It's nice to "meet" you.
I do love the title! :)
I believe it was Bro. Rob that I heard this illustration from the first time...and we couldn't get passed someone from the pulpit saying POOP over and over and over again! Hilarious, but true.
Wise, you are.
Making purposeful decisions for her best interest and not just going with the flow, because it's easier. That's was good moms do. She will be all the better for it. Keep up the good work:)
I do not let my kids do sleepovers either. Sleepovers at friends houses exposed me to headlice, horror movies, and nudie-revealing movies. (the movies were at the house of a preacher) You just never know what your child might be exposed to, even if you THINK know the person really well. Some people are so good at faking niceness that they can fool everyone.
I think you are a good mom and your kids are very lucky to have you!
Take care - Kellan
Good call!
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