Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Carolyn Hax: Beware teaching children to fear all

Washington Post

While I’m away, readers give the advice.

On “never leaving my children with a stranger”: You’ve had a built-in audience for this, because your children are always present, watching your decisions. What they’re learning is that everyone’s to be feared until they’ve proven themselves.

If that’s the message you want them to take away, then I’d suggest being prepared for them to take your position to the opposite extreme. There are true red flags out there, people who are legitimately untrustworthy, but if you continue on this path, you aren’t teaching them how to sensibly meet and evaluate new people. By teaching them that everyone’s a threat, you have chosen not to teach them how to identify real warning signs. So one day they’ll figure out that no, actually, most people are OK. And when that happens, they won’t have the skills to properly figure out when something’s seriously wrong, and they’ll go too far in the “trust everybody whee!” direction.

Also, the implied incredulity that anyone could possibly feel differently than you about “a stranger” is probably not helpful. – popslashgirl

On finally facing the box of artifacts from a painful part of your life: My first husband died young in an accident. For several years, I had a couple of boxes of his papers and possessions that I couldn’t face sorting. My second husband asked gently if it would help if he sat in the same room while I sorted the boxes. So I sorted boxes while he sat beside me and read his book and listened when I shared memories.

This is a favorite example of my current husband’s loving gestures. As with many things in life, actually sorting the boxes wasn’t as painful as anticipating the task.

Perhaps, too, someone else (a sibling or cousin?) could sort the material, removing things you do not want to ever see again. – J.