From: leadfoot@bigbootay.sw.stratus.com (Mark Curtis)
Newsgroups: ba.general,misc.kids
Subject: Re: East Bay Regional Parks/dog restrictions
Date: 30 Sep 92 20:19:44 GMT
Followup-To: ba.general

In article <1992Sep30.170232.8558@adobe.com>, pngai@adobe.com (Phil Ngai) writes:
|> In article <6869@transfer.stratus.com> leadfoot@bigbootay.sw.stratus.com (Mark Curtis) writes:
|> >>If you own a pool, you must do all that is within your power to ensure that
|> >>that pool cannot be accessed by local kids.
|> >
|> >Why?  I didn't put the pool on public property.
|> 
|> Because children (by definition) can not be held fully responsible for
|> the consequences of their actions and a pool is an attractive nuisance.
|> There have been people who suggest keeping the kids at home, building
|> fences to keep them locked up, etc. That is reasonable for infants
|> and toddlers, but once in the age range of perhaps 8-16, they need
|> to be allowed to go out, see their friends, etc.

8-16 you say.  Well at these ages children are old enough to know to
stay off private property unless invited.  You know that, they know
that, so why is it my problem you allow them to act dumb and do what
ever they want.  It is your charge as a parent to control your children.

Bart Simpson maybe funny on TV, but having an unruly child as a neighbor
is a pain.  I'm not saying I was a little angel as a child, but I knew when
I was doing something wrong long before eight.  I was taught about these
things at an early age.  If I did something wrong my parents made sure I
knew it was wrong.  If I did it again I payed the price, I couldn't pull
that "I didn't know" crap.  Letting them get away with that kind of crap is
criminally wrong.  You're teaching them something very wrong, something
that will get them into big trouble sooner or later.

Children of that age aren't that dumb, but if their parents let them get
away with acting dumb they will do it.  You have to teach them manners and
respect for other people's property at an early age.  If you don't you're
not preparing them for real life situations.  It isn't unreasonable to
expect your neighbor's children to stay out of your yard if asked to stay
out.  If their parents can't control them, then they need to do what ever
is required to keep them out of other people's property.  It isn't their
neighbors fault you can't control your children.

It is all up to how much time their parents spend teaching them to have
manners, street smarts, and consider the cost of their actions.  That
doesn't seem to be popular these days, and people wonder why little
Johnny can't read and uses drugs at age 14.  His parents never took the
time to teach him how to be responsible for his life and actions.  No
one gave a damn what he did, so why should he.  Children don't raise
themselves, you have to.

Raise your children properly, don't expect me to cover for your lack of
parenting.  You give me no means to really effect their behaviour, but try
to stick me with the bill if they screw up.  I don't send you the bill
if my dog gets in your garage and gets hurt.  It was my dog that was on
someone else's property uninvited, and it was my responsibility to teach/keep
the dog on my property.  I don't buy the line that your child is the my
responsibility just because you feel they're the most important thing in
the world.  If they are that important then teach them realistic goals,
manners, and how to be responsible for themselves.

I didn't have or create them, you did!  I had nothing to do with it,
so don't push them off on me.  If you don't want to be a parent, don't
have children.  It isn't a halfway thing, you're either a responsible
parent or you're not really a parent.  Volunteering me, my property,
and resources after the fact isn't reasonable.  If it is, then I have
a few things I would love to volunteer my neighbors for.
Xref: sparky ba.general:4133 misc.kids:24990 misc.legal:17994