Cotton Wool Kids

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
M

Matthew

Guest
#1
#1
I just saw a documentary called 'Cotton Wool Kids' and it showed several families that are extremely protective of their children, to the point where some are looking into having their children chipped so they can track where they are at all times, others are buying all the latest games consoles in order to prevent the kids from wanting to play outside and in some cases they literally didn't ever take their eyes off them.

They showed one family on a car journey and the parent was talking to the child about how every pedestrian they passed by might be a potential abductor and the children were talking with serious worry about being outside and around anyone outside of the family.

I understand the need to protect the children but these parents were on the extreme end of paranoia and it was being handed down to children who are living a lifestyle that in an adult would be considered reclusive, but for the children is called protection.

I can try and understand the parents view and I can imagine the worry must be hard to deal with but I have always believed a general rule for good social development in children is to expose them to life rather than shield them from it, otherwise they will always fear it and never embrace it and conquer it.

I am interested to hear from parents and non-parents, how do you view this sort of approach to parenting? do you think it is better to be extremely protective to keep them safe or do you think that by keeping them safe that way you are just causing emotional damage that will cause problems in later life?
 
D

dee133

Guest
#2
#2
If this documentary was on television, we should remember that this media sensationalizes everything. They focus on fringe groups and show extreme news stories because that (unfortunately) is what sells. All through history, we can read of bad things happening to children. There has always been evil people doing evil things, but that doesn't mean we should live under a spirit of fear. We should protect our children (that's our job as parents) but I believe taking this to the extreme actually harms our children. This kind of attitude passes on fear and could, actually, create rebellion in them through a controlling attitude. Young children should enjoy a childhood of play, love, and all good things and when they are at an appropriate age, learn adult responsibilities and knowledge. Having children "chipped" sounds to me like they plan on not trusting their children when they get older and maybe not necessarily to protect them. If parents are keeping an eye on children and imposing rules and guidelines, chips aren't necessary. The Bible tells us that if we raise up a child in they way they should go, they will not depart from it. This is a promise from God.
 
P

peekaboo

Guest
#3
#3
I agree with you kids do need protection specially when very young,but to make them fear life is not on.You've got to trust God with your children, and if you teach them in the ways of God and to be responsible kind and forgiving, be open with them teach them about the bad things like drugs, alcohol and hopefully they turn out to be kind clean and responsible adults. Of course when they are little teach them about stranger danger but not scare the poor kids so they won't go out to play, that's just being a paranoid overprotective parent.

GOD BLESS YOU
 
M

Matthew

Guest
#4
#4
It did set off an alarm in my mind to keep fighting the cynical attitudes in society, being aware of dangers is one thing but allowing the fear to cripple you is just a different way of becoming defeated by life, these parents seemed to be nearing the point of seeing nothing good out in the world, nothing that might be positive for their children and it was sad to see.

It does remind me consider the wider implications of my actions and how the mistreatment of another person affects their behaviour and attitude towards others, in this case their children, it is a shame when a persons life seems to be informed by only the negative, it seems to me these parents are a showcase of how suffering can go beyond the initial victim and have a damaging knock-on effect.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.