The Mormon Kids Next Door & Bad Strangers

[_KimberlyAnn]

Mormons live next door to me. And I love them to pieces. We've had some squabbles since my family left the LDS church, but still, I care very much about my neighbors, and love their kids, who spend a lot of time with mine.

If you've read my blog, you know about Seth, who drowned our pet rat in the birdbath when he was three. (Don't fear, I gave it CPR and it revived.) He was also the mastermind behind putting the water hose into my dryer vent and turning it on, flooding half of our downstairs area. Well, we had more fun with Seth last week when I took him and his sister to the Methodist church my family attends for a presentation on how to deal with strangers.

The policeman conducting the presentation asked if the kids could tell him what a "bad stranger" looked like, and up popped Seth's (probably sticky) hand. "I know what a bad stranger looks like! They gots beards! And they smoke cigarettes." His sister, Emily, piped up and added, "They might be drinking beer, too."

The policeman laughed as did many of the parents in the room, because to them it was hilarious that a child would think someone was bad because they smoked or wore a beard or drank beer, but unfortunately, my neighbor kids weren't kidding. Right then, at that moment when other people were laughing, I was so glad in my heart that my girls aren't Mormons. I think they're lucky kids to have gotten out so young.

It was explained by the children's pastor that people aren't bad because they smoke or drink beer or wear beards. She wanted to make that clear, though I'm not sure it any effect on the neighbor kids. I hope it did.

The neighbor kids also seem to be preaching to my kids all the time. It's kinda funny. Seth was over playing cowboys and Indians with my youngest daughter, Annie, yesterday, and during a snack break, I overheard a conversation which went something like this:

Five year old Seth: "Annie!! (He shouts everything...) Do you know I lived in heaven before I was borned?!"

Five year old Annie: (tiny, squeaky chipmunk voice) "HAHAHAHA! No you didn't! You lived in your mom's belly before you were borned! You're silly!"

Seth: "Yeth, I did too!"

Annie: "Whatever..."

Kids are a handful, but I find them endlessly entertaining!

KA

PS. As a bonus, here's a pic of my Annie in her cowboy get-up, which she absolutely loves. She has a new pair of pink cowgirl boots, and she loves them so much, she slept in them last night!

[_Moniker]

My kids told my parents that my ex-husband did drugs! Oh, my parents flipped out!

Come to find out that DARE (in secular school) taught them that you were a drug user if you smoked or drank....

:)

[_KimberlyAnn]

My kids told my parents that my ex-husband did drugs! Oh, my parents flipped out!

Come to find out that DARE (in secular school) taught them that you were a drug user if you smoked or drank....

:)

Yeah, we had that problem here, too. A Mormon woman (from my former ward) was conducting the DARE education at my children's elementary school, and she included beer right next to things like cocaine and heroin in a list of drugs! I was appalled, and looked up more about what DARE had to say about alcohol and cigarettes, and she was, in my opinion, misrepresenting the program. She no longer teaches the program. I don't think that happens only with Mormons, though, and it's likely that many educators are, in an effort to curb teen drinking, going overboard in their vilification of alcohol.

Here is what DARE has to say to parents about alcohol (I agree with their statement entirely.):

Your message to your child must be simple and clear-cut: Drinking beer, wine, or distilled spirits is only for grownups who drink responsibly. Underage drinking is not only breaking the law, but also can seriously injure your health, your future success, your friendships, and possibly even kill you. Couch it in terms they can relate to by using the D.A.R.E. fact sheet.

Here are some other things parents can do to keep their children off alcohol until they are at least of legal drinking age:

# Be an exemplary role model.
# Establish a two-way dialogue [sic] with your children about drinking, whether you imbibe or not.
# Know the facts about alcohol use and abuse and discuss them with your children.
# Offer loving but firm advice with clear boundaries and consequences by setting down firm guidelines.
# Set a rule that your child must never drink and drive.
# Be prepared for other families having different standards of acceptable behavior.
# Do not joke about alcoholism or drunken behavior.

While alcohol is a gateway drug that can lead to other, stronger chemical dependencies, it has its own addiction: alcoholism. Alcoholism is a progressive disease that only gets worse by drinking irresponsibly.

KA

[_antishock8]

Ugh, I wouldn't tolerate that kind of behavior from demon spawn. I don't know how you do it. I would layeth the smacketh downeth.

[_harmony]

Ugh, I wouldn't tolerate that kind of behavior from demon spawn. I don't know how you do it. I would layeth the smacketh downeth.

What possible good could come from laying the smack down on a 5 year old? It would be like hitting a worm with a sledge hammer.

PS. Sweet pic, KA.

[_Sam Harris]

Oh my gosh, you have the most beautiful kid. :-) She's adorable!

[_Sam Harris]

Oh, and while in a meeting yesterday, I found this hair that keeps recurring on my chin. Does that make me a bad girl? I pulled it out... *worried*

[_Yoda]

Annie is a cutiepie! :)

In our schools, the DARE program was taught by police officers, and they stuck to the curriculum and statements you listed. I think it's a valuable education tool when taught correctly.

It sounds like the LDS woman was clueless. Glad she isn't teaching the class anymore.

Edited to add---If Seth and my 4 year old son ever got together, I would be scared. I doubt there would be a house left! LOL

[_KimberlyAnn]

Ugh, I wouldn't tolerate that kind of behavior from demon spawn. I don't know how you do it. I would layeth the smacketh downeth.

Antishock, if I remember correctly, you're a parent. To me, people should be prepared for age-appropriate behavior in children, and, in my opinion, Seth's actions are to be expected from a little boy of his age. That doesn't mean he didn't get corrected for putting the water hose in the dryer vent. He did. He was only four at the time, so I had him and Annie bring me towels from upstairs to soak up the water, and then sent him home for the day. Maybe I'm a softie, but that was the way I "laid the smack down". At any rate, he hasn't done it again, so I guess he understood what he did was wrong.

I guess I put up with him because I love him and think he's adorable. And he's my daughter's friend. He's ornery, but a good kid.

KA

[_Jason Bourne]

VEry interesting and entertaining. Beards can be associated with bad people. Consider how many villains in movies have beards.

Anyway as Art Linketter said and had a show about many years ago "Kids say the darndest things!"