Socialization (spontaneous)

[phyloxena]

Had an interesting encounter with a woman who keeps her kids at home and doesn't read them folktales because they (tales) are full of violence and cruelty.  Next breath, she tells me, kids around and all, that she doesn't recommend we go to town via the Bay Bridge because Bush needs another catastrophe right now, and it's almost 9/11.  Guess what, my freestyle-wrestling, rock-climbing, Tolkien-retelling kids were puzzled and scared and asked me on the way home in very small voices if we a going next time by BART or not at all.

Comments

[phyloxena.livejournal.com]

The ironic part is that I don't mind exposing children to fictional violence; I even think it's dishonest to avoid the topic altogether (and kids are very good at avoiding whatever they don't like themselves). But she essentially told in front of them that somebody in charge wants to kill them, almost personally. And they are not raised to trust people in charge a priori, so they don't have anti-conspiracy-theory filter in place yet. mitodoteira even had bad dreams (but didn't tell what exactly she dreamed) Well... I hope I consoled them sufficiently, will see next week.