Parents Needed!

Last night I watched the 4th rendition of To Catch A Predator on Dateline NBC. It was nauseating to see these despicable people attempt to seduce a 13-year-old girl (who was played by a 19-year-old actress). Of course, they were busted red-handed when they walked through the "set-up" house, where they thought they were going to meet the young girl who they had been chatting with online and over the phone.

I appreciate this show's attempt to open our eyes to what is really out there, however ratings-grabbing it may be. One of the main perps focused on, was a 6th grade school teacher; he works with this age group everyday. Wow!

But I think the problem lies in the fact that we don't think we are vunerable to this sort of problem. We are okay. We know what our children are doing. And besides, they are way too busy to get involved with anything like this online anyway. Right?

Well, with the ever popular growth of the internet, access to it through cell phones, portals available like MySpace.com, our children are being given every avenue to expose themselves to these predators. Yes, being a needs-met-only-parent (food, clothes, shelter, etc) is a full-time job as it is without any other burdens involved. To throw this stressor on top of it all, is just plain overwhelming.

Yes, my friends, it's overwhelming. The thought of someone coming after Addison makes my skin crawl and my body feel anxiety-ridden. After watching a show like this, I want to place Addison in a bubble, never to be exposed to this nasty, secretive world again. But ya know what, I'm a parent and this is what I do.

It's okay to feel scared about this issue. But we all can do something about it. We can be vigilant with our kids. We can make sure they don't have computers in their rooms, make them use one in the family room. We can limit their access and time on the computer. We can know where they are at all times; yes, you will need to be that parent. You can tell your children No when they want to get involved in things that make you feel uneasy (i.e. staying out late, hanging out with shady people, etc). This is not the time to be his/her friend; the show's title should have read Parents Needed.

And who said kids need these fancy cell phones?? There are many other options out there: beepers, Firefly Mobile phones, Leapfrog's Tic Talk cell phone, etc. There are ways we can control the situation. After you have exhausted all resources, just leave the rest in God's hands. You've done all you can do.

Anyways, that's my spill. I just really feel passionate about this subject. We all need to take heed and not bury our heads in the sand. This could SO happen to you!!