do you know what your kids are doing?

[The Haymaker]

Maybe I am an overbearing parent, but I cannot understand how I would not notice my child dangling, throwing, pushing, hurling something out of my vehicle window.

Boy Loses Hand in Freak Jump Rope Accident - amputation - jems.com

And, while looking for the boy, which happened close to home, I found this one too:

Surgeons Reattach South Bay Girl's Hand After Freak Accident (Jump Rope Crudely Amputated Hand)

Both are tragic, preventable, stories.

[CompactTractorFan]

Wow...those stories are unbelievable. The parents were probably texting or talking on the phone...

Also, the story about the girl has got me wondering...Would a six year old girl tie a slip knot...or did one of her parents or someone else tie it??? If so, I would not let my child play with a rope with a slip knot tied in it...

[BeeferMan]

I wouldn't be so fast to say this is some new phenomena caused by cell phones. When I was a kid back in the 60's we had one of those huge Plymouth station wagons with the rear facing rear seat. My brothers had a lot of things hanging out that rear window. I remember fairly clearly having to duck quickly when a sneaker we had on a rope got catapulted right back in the rera window after the hooked around a phone pole on a corner. We learned a lot about basic physics doing these "experiments"...

[cqaigy2]

I wouldn't be so fast to say this is some new phenomena caused by cell phones. When I was a kid back in the 60's we had one of those huge Plymouth station wagons with the rear facing rear seat. My brothers had a lot of things hanging out that rear window. I remember fairly clearly having to duck quickly when a sneaker we had on a rope got catapulted right back in the rera window after the hooked around a phone pole on a corner. We learned a lot about basic physics doing these "experiments"...

BeeferMan, i hear you. Us kids used to play in our parent's barn upstairs in the hay storage, swinging on ropes, jumping, climbing. I even fell out when i missed the rope i was going to use to repel down the side. Leaned back before i had the rope in my hand and oops... basic physics at work.

[JRobyn]

One time when my cousins and me all stayed at our Aunt's house we learned some thermodynamics! There were too many of us boys to sleep in any of the regular bedrooms, so we got to sleep in the attic room. During the night, we lowered the pee bucket on a rope out the window to the snow below and hauled up enough snow to have a good snowball fight! Unfortunately, we learned that snow melts after it is inside the house, and if there is enough melted snow, it leaks through the ceiling and wakes up what is now one's ANGRY uncle! A lesson in physics (involving a paddle) resulted.

[BlacknTan]

I know what my children are doing... My son is watching his two kids, and my daughter's watching her three.. LOL

[rswyan]

Unfortunately .... yes .... I do ....

[scaredychicken]

oldest - reading a book on the deck
middle - leadership at bible summer camp for next 3 weeks
youngest - going to noted summer camp for the week


we had a moment years ago when the very competitive, middle (then age 4) and youngest (then age 2) were having a grand time playing outside and swinging. we glanced up from house/ yard work to notice that the two of them were no longer using the swing set in traditional manner. they were now on the cross bar (6 ft off ground), gleefully laughing and dangling their feet. my quick thinking wife "causually" called them in for ice cream, and they climbed down carefully and ran to the house... yelling for them to be careful / stay right there for help down - would have likely startled them into a much quicker and more direct dismount. no injuries and ice cream faces.

though we thought the kids would all enjoy country life and 4 H clubs, they all turned out to be gifted athletes (who knew ?) and are now in their teens

[boggen]

it only takes a little moment for things to happen. when ya driving your focused on the road ahead of you. and only so many quick looks and times between quick looks can be done.

there is only so much you can do.