On special occations, (usually a vacation) I will by my kids a coffee at *$'s. Onlookers stare at me and act like I was giving drugs to children. They forget about all the caffiene in soda pop I guess.... But nowadays one of the worse things you can do is to spank your child in public (child beater!)

When I was a kid, us kids used to ride in the back bed of a pickup holding on to the "headache rack" for dear life. Sitting down can get your tail bone broken if you hit a bump....

Joe your getting your butt tore up here. These nice ladies have children and maternal instinct is kicking in. You are wrong here Sir :nono: I have see photos of your beautiful children and there should be nothing in this world that you would not do to protect them as much as you can anytime any place. My hats off to the ladies you can not work this one out with a abacus:nono: :nono: You kids do not have the choice you and your wife do !!

>No, I don't carry a snake bite kit with me, but I have taught my children that to watch where they walk. I have taught them to obey they laws. They are for their safety. I put them in their car seat from the moment they came home from the hospital and they have been in that or a seat belt ever since.

So what you're saying is you weigh the inconvenience against the potential risks and then act accordingly? Me, too.

> I don't have the right to play with their safety.

Sure you do, you're their parent.

>Neither do you just because you think they odds are in your favor. Well, they odds can always shift.

So I guess I shouldn't take them to the pool at all, then? They're safer at home locked in their closets, after all. Only a reckless and careless parent would needlessly subject their child to the dangers of the outside world for no reason other than convenience or fun.

Actually if you want to be such a wisea**, I don't need to carry a snake bite kit, Daddy Belle is a doctor!!!!!!!!!!!Does that make you feel better? We have our own built-insnakebite-kit-live-in-the-house right here if you know what I mean!

No, I don't have the right to play with their safety. God entrusted me with these precious beautiful children to love, nurture, and protect. Until they are old enough to make wise decisions and think rationally for themselves I have to do it for them. Choosing to be unsafe in a vehicle is something they have no say over so I have to think for them and know that they should be as safe as possible in that car.

You can try and justify your poor choices here with us all you want but should something ever happen on that short car ride home, you will wish you had listen because the guilt you will feel will make your life not worth living.

Joe you seem to like the idea of locking your kids up. Choice right Joe :rolleyes:

>there should be nothing in this world that you would not do to protect them as much as you can anytime any place

That's absurd. If I followed that principle they'd never go to school, never go outside, never eat anything other than formula, and never interact with any other human beings. Instead of being that kind of awful parent, I choose to take reasonable risks, same as every other parent in this forum (and every other parent on Earth).

I wanna know who sucks the venem?? (not me) I might donate some bone marrow but I ain't suckin no snake bite. Now where's that turkey baster run off to?? :D

>You can try and justify your poor choices here with us all you want but should something ever happen on that short car ride home, you will wish you had listen because the guilt you will feel will make your life not worth living.

How have my choices been poor? There has been a 0% injury/accident rate, I've been right 100% of the time.

What is funny about that :rotflol: :rotflol: :rotflol: JoePOLE right 100% of the time :rolleyes:

Rhertz, you need to be more up to date on your first aid skills. They don't suck snake bites anymore big boy! Just put on a tournaquet and mosey on over to the nearest ER. Speaking of snakes, T'belle almost stepped on a copperhead last night while weeding her flower beds! You probably heard me screaming all the way into Shreveport.:w00t: :w00t: :w00t:

Jo, I am not saying you are a bad parent for taking your kid swimming, or playing ball, or any other kid enjoyable activity. My hat is off to you for that. They are kids, they need to socialize and learn to be in civilization. But as far as the car seat, don't hand me that line of bull****! If you do not want to get the car seat wet then put some towels in the seat to keep it dry. The excuse you don't want to get the seat wet sounds like the ramblings of a lazy person.:rolleyes:

All this said and done it sure does get down to being lazy and careless parents over the idea of getting the carseat wet!! It will dry soon enough!
Just use a towel like Piemaker suggested!!:nono:

Better hope I'm not around if someone gets hurt! ;) No telling what I might do.

Actually I did save a women's life once at an accident scene, or so the front page of the newspaper said. Rather it was true or not, being a "hero" (for a day or whatever) is not at all what somone might think it would be like. Ever since that experience, I have always felt that the true heros in this world are mostly anonymous. Well it's not like the media ever gets it right is all I'm saying. They want a juicy story. yeah I said it, the media is/are drama queens..... :D

I'm with Pocahontas & Piemaker - towels are easy!!

You know what's even easier than a towel and ends up being the exact same injury/death-wise? Letting the kid sit in my wife's lap for 90 seconds.