. . . give it to a crawling baby. Whether it's your keys, your phone, or the vacuum cleaner attachments, they will mysteriously disappear if you don't keep both of your eyes on them. Luckily, you can call your phone and search by sound (unless it is on vibrate.) And keys generally come with a spare you'd be wise to keep somewhere safe (but don't forget where.) But alas, vacuums only come with one of each attachment. If your child has thrust an accessory somewhere unknown, there is a way to clean those difficult places (stairs, baseboards, etc.) without the vacuum extension. Simply find a stiff scrub brush and acquaint your hands and knees with the floor. Then, manually brush the carpet. You may feel like a modern Cinderella, but it gets the job done. I once "swept" my dining room carpet with a brush and dustpan. It worked wonders.
I fail to see the logic in silencing a crying child with a valuable or important object. Especially if you're a more absent-minded person. I know keys jingle and phones light up and make noise when you push buttons, but they're not children's toys. Besides if your 2-yr. old pushes the wrong buttons, your phone can become an uncontrollable mess with numerous additions to your monthly bill. If you must give keys and phones to your little ones, give them actual toys. Plastic keys and phones are colorful and entertaining. If you must provide the "real deal," create a keychain just for the kids. Use old keys etc. so that your necessary keys don't risk being lost in the great abyss. Unless, of course, you have the money to throw about replacing missing keys and phones. In that case, get your kids their own toy keys and send the money you'll save to me. :) Or to your child's savings account. It's never too early to start saving for college (which gets more expensive every year.)
One final note: if you insist on letting your kids play with important items, teach them how to find missing things as soon as possible. Help them identify the objects so that they know what they are looking for. And try to think like a little kid when you go searching yourself. Don't be afraid to dive beneath the sofa cushions or behind the dresser drawers.
We all want to protect our children from the horrors of the world around us. The question of how long we should shelter them, however, plagues every parent. Ideally, there would be nothing from which to shelter them. Their innocence would never be lost. In our modern world, however, we know that eventually the disagreeable and immoral aspects of society will eventually surface regardless of our efforts. I am all for sheltering your children as long as possible, but there are so many things it would be better to hear of from your lips rather than the mass populace and pop culture. As your children grow older and mature, you must use your best judgment when to inform them of the evils that pervade our culture. Even if you do not inform them directly, please establish a genuine and strong relationship with them so that if they have questions, they do not fear asking you.
I know bubbles of innocence or ignorance can be immense safety zones to many people, myself included. I like my bubble where, regardless of the immorality in parts of society, we couldn't really devolve into a terror-stricken country beset by tyrants and revolution. Things like that are only historical facts, right? I wish I could believe completely in the faith of my country, but I fear we've lost our right. I have determined, then, that it is better to be informed than ignorant. While ignorance may be bliss, it can also be childish and immature. An adult who refuses to accept the facts of reality may eventually draw so far within their idealistic fantasies that they can no longer function in society. It is my duty, therefore, to remain educated on the issues at hand. Part of this education, however, includes a cautious preparation. This preparation is a readiness for the worst while hoping for the best. The medium will most likely ensue. While present-day facts may seem cause for despair, we should rather prepare and fortify ourselves for any approaching days of danger. I don't mean to sound hopeless, but things tend to get worse before they get better. Of course, maybe right now is the "worse" and things are on the up. Unlikely, but still . . . there's my bubble again.
As you educate yourself, you should not let your innocence be completely shattered. While you should prepare for any ill weather, you should also hold on to your faith in the truth. Do not transform your ideals for a better world into a cynical pessimism that fuels despair in mankind. Just because men have failed and continue to do so, does not mean the entire world is going to Hell in a hand-basket. There is still good in the world. All you have to do is see it. It is this good that we must strive to preserve. Thus, while the degenerate culture demands a loss of innocence, we can still resist temptation and promote the truth. Do not be afraid to form the bubbles of protection from outside influences, but build them from a material not impenetrable. Allow information and further education to enter in that you may know how to apply the truth to the modern world. It is through a delicate balance of informed innocence that we can truly combat the evils of the world.
