Okay – maybe I’m wrong, but I think parents are acting a little skittish lately. I’m no exception. Before my child can go to a neighbor’s house, I have to meet the parents, inspect the house, and play twenty questions to make sure that there are no guns or open bottles of pills lying around. When I was a kid, parental control was limited to “be home before dark” and that was about it.

Recently, a friend went to pick her son up from day care. She was met by the teacher who said that another parent reported that her child pulled a knife on his child while on the school bus. Shocked, my friend said, “My son doesn’t own a knife! How could that happen?” The teacher explained that the so-called knife was actually a plastic utensil that was brought to school for a recycling project. My friend remembered including the plastic knife along with milk cartons and empty cans of soda so that her son could earn points for a trip to the treasure box. She later discovered that her son and the other boy were playing the age-old game of Cops and Robbers and the plastic knife was used as a prop.

A plastic knife is no more dangerous than a pencil or a can of tuna for that matter. Still, parents are suffering from a form of post-traumatic stress as a result of being inundated by news and information. Although the national crime rate is lower than 1970’s, we hear the horror stories and consequently consider children with plastic utensils a threat. It’s really sad when you think about it and I don’t see it getting any better.

Parents must continue to be vigilant and proactive when protecting their kids. However, I also think parents should use discretion before blowing the whistle at children who are victims of what has become a paranoid society.

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