The Undiscovered Country

Parental Idiocy and Places I Can't Go

There comes a time when every child believes his or her parents are idiots. This becomes especially prevalent during teenage years when the teen knows everything, and, of course, the parents know nothing.

I realized not long ago this parental idiocy phenomenon starts even before the child learns to walk.

From little ones' point of view, when they talk and cry they know exactly what they're expressing though it sounds like nothing but babble to us.

Our talking I'm sure sounds much the same to them - nothing but babble. To children I bet we sound like the "waa waa waa waa" in those old Charlie Brown cartoons.

I can tell when Thomas gets frustrated with me. He talks and whines and cries and soon gives me this expression that says, "Come on, Mom, it's so obvious what I want here! Now give it and quit giving me that stupid, 'I have no idea what you want' look!"

Before Thomas came I didn't like to see or read stories about child abuse and death. Still, I could at least stomach the details.

Now when I see the title of a story or hear about one on the television my skin wants to rip itself from my body. I can't even tolerate reading the headline let alone read (or watch) the details. I keep seeing Thomas in that situation for one, and second I feel so helpless because I couldn't do anything to stop it. Children are so helpless and trusting, I consider harming one the ultimate of an evil act.

As David McClain talked about in an entry a while ago, the death penalty should be a given when it comes to harming children.