"Excuse me . . . "

"Your child is standing on top of your truck." Why would anyone think that I wouldn't notice this?! Let me explain.

This morning my children were playing outside while I was in the house. I do check on them and I generally know what they are doing. My youngest loves to climb . . . especially on top of our truck. So what? What is the difference of climbing a truck than climbing a tree? So this morning a driver-by (we live on the highway) turned around and pulled into my drvie to inform me that my child was climbing my truck. "OK, yea, thanks."

This also reminds me of the many times in grocery stores that customers have the great desire to tell me that my child is sitting on the edge of the grocery cart. "DUH, I am looking right at her!" I admit that these activities are dangerous, but how many of us did stupid stuff and lived through it? Kids are active, busy creatures and need to experiment. I am always there with a watchful eye, but I have to let them explore on their own. I could tell them 500 times that they might fall out of a tree and break a bone, but until they actually fall and hurt themselves, they aren't going to have fear of climbing that tree. I am not a child psychologist, nor am I a child rearing expert, but I can decide the limits for my children.

I also want to note that the majority of the "helpful onlookers" are childless. So to all those that feel the great desire to "help" out - please don't. I understand they are just trying to be helpful and are sincere, but after telling the child to sit down in the grocery cart 20 times, I really don't need to hear it from a stranger. And as far as climbing on the truck . . . please. Our rule is she can't climb on the hood - she is ok with that and I am ok with that. I actually think climbing the truck is safer than climbing a tree and since we don't have any trees in our yard - the truck works!