Have you ever watched four-year-olds playing? It’s really kind of an interesting lesson in sociology when you think about it, especially because an unfortunately high number of toddlers carry the “I’m going to take my toys and go home if I don’t have my own way” mentality into adulthood.
One of the coolest things about being a human being is formulating your own ideas based on unique life experiences. Opinions are shaped by what we see, hear, and live … at least ideally. And as a parent, I think that providing my children with conversations, literature, and differing viewpoints on a variety of issues is the greatest gift I can give them as they travel their own paths.
My children watch the news regularly, for example. Should a six-year-old be privy to current events as they’re presented on television news? I guess that’s a matter of opinion, but I would rather know where she is getting information and have open lines of communication with her based on some sort of fact than have her getting false information from a classmate (one of her peers told her last year that gay people are going to hell and that’s why they can’t get married and have children … my little spitfire replied, “Actually, gay marriage is legal in a lot of states, so you clearly don’t know what you’re talking about”).
One of the most ostrich-with-its-head-in-the-sand parental temper tantrums involves the banning of books, a stance that’s stirred up New Hampshire’s Bedford High School in recent weeks.
