Stranger Safety

Note: Make sure your children are not reading over your shoulder before reading this!





I got the kids up for school yesterday morning as usual, no big deal. Aurea kept talking about strangers though and I wasn't sure why, but we've talked about not taking candy from strangers and knowing what to do if one approaches her. This being said, I didn't think too much about it.

Aurea takes her time doing everything in the mornings. Normally, I send her on out to the car while Adam and I are getting our shoes on cause I know she might actually make it down the deck stairs by the time we get out the door. However, yesterday I sent her out and she stopped on the stairs and started crying and screaming that she was scared.

I just looked at her in shock and was like, "Scared of what!" She said she was scared a stranger was going to kidnap and kill her. I was shocked! I got her to the car and asked her why she was scared of something like that.

Apparently, the D.A.R.E. officer came to school and did a program on Stranger Safety for the kindergarten classes. She was scared to get out of the car at school because she was afraid someone would grab her. When I got home, my mom informed me that the day before after school (I was at work) she went out to swing in the backyard, but wanted the back door open so we could hear her scream if a stranger came in the yard to get her!

I was appalled, so I called the school. I asked her teacher what this officer told these kids because he obviously did not tailor his message to the minds of 5 and 6-year-old children! She said he never said anything about children getting killed. She said he spoke about safety and some of the children started talking about kids being kidnapped and killed by strangers.

I have a problem with this! How do these kids know these things? Do parents really tell their kids about strangers by telling them they will be kidnapped and murdered in their own homes? Do they let these young children watch news reports of kidnappings? Or did the officer really include too much information for my daughter's sensitive ears to process?

I am confused! The teacher assured me she and the aide would talk to the children and try to clarify some of the confusion. In the meantime, I told Aurea last night I was going downstairs while she finished eating but I would be back upstairs in a few minutes to get her bath ready. She flipped out and refused to stay upstairs even though Adam was in his room. She went downstairs with me. My daughter is terrified to even be alone in a room in the house now, thanks DARE officer and fellow kindergarten students!

I tried to explain to her that she didn't need to be terrified. I'm not really sure how to alleviate her fears though without making her think that doesn't happen. I know it does, but I don't want her to be unable to live out of fear. Any suggestions?

Feeling better

I am feeling much better. Thank you to those who asked. I started my job on Thursday. So far, it is going really well. I like the job and the people I work with. That always makes a big difference. I won't say I love it, too early for that, but I am liking it. I also like getting to be the boss! No, I don't have a big head. It's just nice to finally have a position of authority. I've trained other servers when waiting tables and I managed a gas station briefly. This is much better. I get to make decisions about the store, do paperwork, and I'm in charge of hiring/firing my associates. Not to mention, I get 40% off all merchandise, that doesn't hurt either! We'll see how things go, but for right now, I'm not complaining.

Random

I'm trying to write something today because I have gotten in a bad habit of not doing so. However, I really don't feel well today. I was up most of the night and let's just say I didn't feel well then either!

Thank you to everyone for the comments and still reading despite the fact that I'm not keeping up well. To Lisa, my book is about Multiple Sclerosis. My aunt died in 2004 from the horrible disease, so it's about her as well as MS in general. Thank you for asking.

I think I have a new job. The lady keeps telling me that anyway, but she has yet to tell me when to actually start! Go figure. Anyway, (assuming I ever actually start) I will be the Store Manager for a local clothing/shoe store called Underground Attitude.

The kids are at school, but they are doing good. Monday was hard on them since it was the first day back after Spring Break. Aurea especially was irritable and not wanting to listen!

Well, I guess that's it for now. Thanks for listening.

I'm a carousel

I took Damama's quiz and my results are below:

You Are a Carousel

You are young at heart and a truly playful person. No one would ever accuse you of taking life too seriously. You are definitely in things for the fun. You find joy easily, and you are often building up anticipation for your next adventure. In relationships, you tend to want to be babied and taken care of. And while you may be a bit high maintenance, you are incredibly loyal. Your life is simple and satisfying. Each day you treat yourself to something you enjoy. You have a lot of emotional attachments, and experiences are extra vivid to you. You tend to be nostalgic and sentimental. The past is important to you. Comfortable around all living things, you have a special connection to animals and children. At your best, you are whimsical, free spirited, and creative. Even if your schemes seem a bit strange, they usually work out wonderfully. At your worst, you are spoiled, demanding, and impossible to satisfy. You've been known to act like a brat if you aren't getting your way!

What Carnival Ride Are You?

I really don't think this fits me, but I took the quiz twice and got the same answer, so I guess it must fit somewhat!

Anyway, I spent the weekend in Lexington with friends and Aurea got to visit her grandmother. I miss it there so much. I thought moving back to Glasgow would be "coming home." While I do have friends and family here, it's not the same anymore. I miss my life there. Of course, that's easier to say now that I'm almost entirely out of debt and back on my feet! I'm just really torn. Except for coming home to my son, I had no desire to leave yesterday. It was hard.

On a lighter note, my book is nearing completion. It's not done yet, but I'm getting close. I just have no idea where to even begin looking to get it published. If anybody has any suggestions on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

Spring Break

My children have been on Spring Break this week and it's been an interesting week. They are getting bored though, I think they are ready to go back to school Monday, even though I'm sure they will whine and complain when it gets here.

Monday I took Adam to the movies. We went to see "Superhero Movie." It was funny, but certainly not something I would take little ones to see. It was mostly making fun of Spiderman. At any rate, it was just the two of us. As the big brother, Adam rarely gets that one-on-one time with mom so it was a nice break for us both. He actually thanked and hugged me, which is unusual for him since he's 12 and embarrassed by me most of the time. We had a fun afternoon together though.

Tuesday morning Adam left with my sister and nephew to go Sandusky Water Park in Sandusky, Ohio. Aurea and I stayed behind. So I gave her time by going to the mall and Toys'R'Us. She didn't buy much, but she had a blast. She quickly realized the mall did not have a toy store. After getting a beanie baby and a T-shirt, we headed to Toys'R'Us. That made her day more than anything else we could have done, and it was just the two of us.

We didn't do much yesterday but relax at home. I did some cleaning and job searching, she did some playing. We did go get her bangs cut, they really needed it!

This morning, my son and nephew got in, so we now have three kids in the house throwing balls and creating craziness. Yeah, the quiet of one child for a couple of days was nice, but I did miss the boys. I'm glad they had fun and I love them, but I think I'm ready for them to go back to school!