PREACH

I have tried really hard not to get preachy on here. I know sometimes I have failed.  Like my stand on extreme dog people, or extreme bear do gooders.  My apologies.  But here comes another one:

As I watch todays parenting, educating and general public expectations with regard to children, I am eternally grateful that I was able to raise my kids before:

-limo extreme equipped strollers
-ergo dynamic padded thousand dollar baby back carriers
-baby clothes that wick
-zero spanking
-belonging to ten different sports and lessons or some sort or other, no unscheduled down time
-no playing outside without adult supervision
-monster over attended birthday parties
-having a boyfriend or girlfriend at ten is 'cute'
-car seats until you are twelve or thirteen
-safe, padded, low height, no slides, no teeter totters playgrounds
-no strangers in bus stations or ferries allowed to -help you out by holding your baby for you
-moms or dads unable to look after their kids for too long by themselves
-moms or dads that can't shop and take their kids with them at the same time
-must take the kid to the dr if he/she sneezes, coughs, pukes, scrapes their knee, bends a finger

Well you get the picture.  But I heard another one this morning that absolutely takes the cake.

I was watching the news and basically the girl scout association has recommended that we do not encourage our girls, not the boys, to not hug anyone they don't want to this holiday.  Even if its a grandma or auntie or friend.  Just because you haven't seen them for a long time or they have given you a gift, its not a reason to hug.  Apparently this sets them up for future confusion on if affection is owed or not.  This teaches them that to set physical boundaries and have them respected.

Are you kidding me?  One...this is teaching them super rudeness.  Two...this is teaching them to mistrust people outright.  Three...this is seriously underestimating women's intelligence.  This isn't forty years ago.    If women get taken advantage of now, I believe there is a whole lot of other things at play (like freaking alcohol) and self esteem possibly.  Obviously there are people out there that are out of bounds for casual hugging but the scouts are talking about everyone, including trusted loved family and friends. 

Anyway, thats my preachy rant for the day.  TTYL