Relative Something

Have you noticed a trend? There is a commercial where automobiles being driven by teens are actually being carried by groups of parents to keep them safe. The groups of adults hold the car up in the air and lift it over another car to avoid a collision. In another shot, the adults are bringing a car to a stop at a railroad crossing. If I recall correctly, the ad is for an insurance company and they make reference to having cameras in the car so parents can see how their children are behaving as drivers on their own. How ‘on their own’ is that? The next thing you know, parents will ‘helicopter’ over kids that have left home to be in college. Of course, that is exactly what some parents are doing.

In a way, it seems logical to look at something tragic that happened and react with a plan to prevent the possibility for that tragedy to ever happen again. But I think it always runs a risk of punishment not fitting the crime. It is very sad that children die. I ask, is it logical that we should devise a way to live that will prevent any childhood death, or near-death and the resulting disabilities? I think it is an over-reaction. At what point do we actually become the problem we want to solve? We want our kids safe, but if we get so busy over-stepping our bounds to protect by doing for them, we rob them of the actual, valuable lessons that teach them to make responsible, intelligent decisions that lead to outcomes ultimately desired.

It makes sense to control the urge to over-protect our children and instead, teach them the lessons to discern the right course of action in unexpected situations. Instill confidence in their abilities to best face life’s risks. Risks not dissimilar to the ones that we successfully survived to ultimately become their parents.

Life is lived, it is not controlled.