Things that make you say hmmmm....

I was listening to the Michael Baisden show yesterday and learned a very valuable lesson.

There are 'life' things that we naturally teach our children...that goes without explaining. But how often do you possess knowledge that you don't share with your children that could potentially keep them out of harms way?

An example used on the show was children talking to police officers. I've never thought to teach my children 'not' to answer an officers questions. Why not? Because they're officers and the magnitude of their positions causes most of us to teach our youngin's that the POLICE are good people; they are your friends...although we know that's different, at times.

We don't teach them 'not' to answer their questions because we want to believe that most are intrinsically good. The law calls for officers not to question minors without their parents being present, yet we know that most officers lay the questions on thick and quick because they know children don't want to be in trouble (well most don't), especially not with the PO-PO...so they answer and most of it is honest. This is definitely AGAINST the law...but do your children know that? I doubt it.

I'm sharing in the vision of awareness, especially when the law is concerned. While I have encouraged my children to look up to law enforcement officers, which in my hood is hard to reinforce, I have also stolen a little of reality away from them by this action. Children implicate themselves the most so we must learn, right now, how to teach them the right way...as soon as we find out what the right way is.

I had a discussion with my daughter, who hadn't heard the show, and she had so many questions about not answering her 'friends' (cops). I answered all of them the best that I could but we never lost focus on the message....

Teach your children 'not' to answer questions from the police without your presence. It's against the law and if they had anything to do with a crime in question, answering without your presence can land them with a rap sheet.

Upon discussing this with my five-year-old son, he emphatically stated "I hate the po-po"....but that's a whole 'nother discussion

Stay peace,

Genesis