Dogs, Children, and Foolish Parents

This makes be SOOO angry! 

My wife was having coffee with a friend today.  The friend glanced out the window of the coffee shop and saw furniture being moved out of her Chiropractor’s office.  She said, “Oh, I hope he’s not quitting business.  He might have been forced to…”

She went on to tell this tragic / foolish / terrible story…

The Chiropractor was in the habit of having his dog at his office.  It was a gentle dog, had never caused any trouble, but had been adopted by the Chiropractor out of an abusive situation.  A customer had come into the Chiropractor’s office with her little girl.  The Chiropractor saw the little girl playing with the dog in a manner that wasn’t very safe.  She was getting it it’s face, holding it’s ears, etc.  He told her not to do that sort of thing because the dog didn’t like it.  She continued to do it anyway.  The Chiropractor warned her again – repeatedly.  She still persisted in her behavior.  All the while the mom, within earshot of everything, did nothing.

I don’t have to tell you the end of the story.  The dog eventually DID bite the little girl – right across her face.  My wife’s friend was alluding to a hope that the Chiropractor didn’t have to quit business because he was sued.

For the sake of clarity I have to say – dogs will be dogs.  They are animals.  They will bite when they feel intimidated, harrassed, or in danger.  No question.  But was the dog the one to blame in this situation?  I don’t think so… I think it was a very foolish mom who was to blame.  Let me explain…

I can only find a handful of options for why we continue to read about this sort of thing in the papers…

1. The mom didn’t have the ability to control her daughter (an issue of bad parenting)
2. The mom didn’t care to control her daughter (an issue of neglectful parenting)
3. The mom had not taught her daughter a proper respect for animals and adults (another issue of bad parenting)
4. Or a combination of these…

But like most of our lawsuit-happy culture, the Chiropractor was to blame, not the mom or the girl.

I’ve seen this sort of thing happen again and again.  People (or their children) do stupid things to or around animals and when the animal responds as animals are bound to do, they owner of the animal is slapped with a lawsuit.  Then I being to wonder, “Who’s more foolish?  Those who bring such tragedies on themselves and then sue, or the courts that find their lawsuit to be valid and rule in their favor?”  It’s certifiably insane how our society has devolved into an “Anyone-to-blame-but-me” mentality.

The moral of the story:  Parents – BE PARENTS!  It is your responsibility before God to control your children, teach them proper boundaries (for their own safety, if nothing else), and teach them respect for other people and their property (including their pets).  It may take a firm hand if you’ve lost ground with your child in this area.  It may take the dreaded “S” word (spanking – gasp!).  But the bottom line (no pun intended) is that your child NEEDS you to enforce healthy boundaries for them.  If you don’t, life eventually will. 

Weigh out the difference: Would you rather spank your child if needed and save them from consequences much more horrible than a spanking, or will it take a tragic circumstance, where YOUR child is the one injured, to make you wake up?!!???

Don’t worry so much about damaging your child’s fragile ego… be more concerned about damaging your child’s LIFE by allowing such foolish behavior to put them in harm’s way!  It’s the epitome of foolishness to expect that your child can behave any way they want to, simply because they are a child, and others should be liable for the results.  That’s unwise (foolish) parenting – at best.