Quote:
Originally Posted by GGG
It's good for children to see homeless people and drug users from an early age to understand their choices have consequences and to see the affects of mental illness. It's a parenting opportunity not something to be sanitized from life.
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Do you have children?
I get what you are trying to say, I just think you’re underestimating the potential negative effects seeing certain darker aspects of society can have on a child. I don’t think Kjesse’s 4 year old is going to walk away from seeing a homeless person strung out on the street or a crack deal gone wrong thinking wow I better make better choices. They’re likely going to walk away terrified and feeling anxious whenever they see someone who looks homeless. It’s the same reason why parents have to carefully approach subjects like death, kids aren’t always able to properly process the information they’re given on certain matters. I’d agree that most teenagers could learn these lessons through experience as you’re suggesting, but the last thing you would want is for a young child to be exposed to a situation they can’t understand and that has the potential to make them anxious about it. Things like anxiety seem to stick with kids and cause them issues down the road.
Also I don’t think it’s sensible to send a message to children that homeless people are on the street as a result of the consequences of of their choices. Escaping domestic violence, abuse, having mental health and addiction issues or any other reason a person may be homeless aren’t always a choice. Ignoring these issues and teaching a child the blame is on the person and their choices is only going to end up with the kid growing up to be one of those people who sees a homeless person and obliviously asks themselves “why don’t they just go get a job?”