Stranger Danger!

I was reading this post earlier www.abovetopsecret.com... and it reminded me of a conversation that I had with my 6 year old daughter yesterday.

Apparently, my daughters school has been having "Stranger Danger" drills since shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting. She said the teacher will tell them that they are going to have a drill and a little bit later the teacher will say "stranger danger" and all of the children have to get under their desks.

But yesterday the teacher didn't announce that they were going to have a drill. My daughter said her teacher started whispering over and over, "stranger danger, stranger danger, stranger danger". My daughter said she hurried and got under her desk and that she was shaking and crying. She said "mommy I was scared and I was crying, but I was trying not to make any noise because I didn't want to die". She said that after a couple of minutes the teacher told them that they had done a very good job of hiding from the stranger.

I really, really need help making sense of this. On one hand, I am happy that the school is "trying" to teach my daughter how to stay safe (although I don't know how a desk can stop a crazy person). But on the other hand, I am really worried about the level of anxiety that this is causing in my child.

I know that they have tornado, earthquake and fire drills, but this is a whole new level of fear that they are instilling in my daughter. I don't know what to do to ease her fears. She goes to a private school and the doors are always locked. If someone shows up at school they have to be buzzed in, once they are in the first set of glass doors, there is another large wooden door that someone has to open for them to get into the school. Would this stop a person who is hell-bent on destruction, probably not but it's a good start.

What can I do? What should I do? What would you do? And finally, to all the parents out there, are they doing this at your childs school? Are you sure?

Mods if this is in the wrong place I apologize in advance.

Its probably best to go into the school and have a chat with someone so you understand the schools reasoning and as for them hiding behind the table i'd imagine its more so the shooter can't see the kids then they'll move on if they're just looking through doors to see which classrooms are occupied

reply to post by newsoul


I would also suggest talking with folks at the school to understand what the program is about.

As to hiding under desks, I don't see the point in it, unless, as suggested the desks would hide the children from view.
If not, then, huddling against the wall out of line of site from any door window or casual visibility away from outside windows and such may be a better strategy (all dependent on location and layout of the room in question).

reply to post by newsoul


Fear. It's all about fear.

Fear to motivate the children.

TSA uses fear to keep you in line at the airport.
DHS uses fear to keep you from speaking your mind.
The government uses fear to initiate war.


Land of the free and home of the brave.
*cough*
Bullspit.

It's now land of the shhhhh, see something, say something and home of the cowards behind drones.

Is there really that many mass shootings in the USA that they need to tell children that this is a real every day concern?

I'm sensitive to these events, they are very horrible to watch and read about, and I find the whole thing upsetting ... but if a school started making my child think this was a very real every day possibility I'd be angry about it. As others have said I suppose ... talk to school ... but I'd be pretty upset at them.

reply to post by Maxatoria


The desks are small and would not hide the children from someone peering in. There room has 2 doors about 30 feet apart, the doors both have a glass window to look through. There is no place to hide in the room. There is not an attached restroom, there are no cabinets, there isn't even a closet.

reply to post by beezzer


I totally agree with everything that you said.

Is this our fate?

Originally posted by newsoul
reply to post by beezzer

 

I totally agree with everything that you said.

Is this our fate?

Apparently.

If we allow it.

reply to post by newsoul


I fully understand how some of the other posters feel, yet I sympathize with you.. Being a father of two now grown daughters, this is not an easy issue you are facing

I wish I could give you some really sage advice, but I never had to face this with my girls and I am simply not sure how I would have reacted.

I guess the most I can do is assure you that you are not alone and that you have people here to lean on and get advice from. We are all a part of humanity and more importantly, Members here so kind of a family.

Semper

reply to post by beezzer


Personally, I don't think it's ALL about our government trying to instill fear in us in order to control everyone.

The truth is, the crazies are getting crazier and bolder in their actions throughout the entire world.

I feel sorry for our children today. They'll never see or have the freedom that some of us had when we were kids.

From my own personal experience in the past, my daughter wasn't even safe from playing in a fenced in backyard without some kook trying to approach her. Every single time it looked like there was an adult out of view (a park, a private residence, it didn't matter), she was approached until an adult came into view and I live in a conservative mid-western town.

I wish I had some good advice for the original poster, but I'm not sure what I would do or say in that situation, but I sure know that I would be upset about anything frightening my daughter.

Yup, it's simply fear.

The probability a gunman will walk into a school is very, very, very low.

It's just conditioning kids to be frightful, and carry on that fright when their older. And it's best to do these things as young as possible. Because people grow up thinking that there's things around every corner after them.

Terrorists, bees, mad cow disease, bird flu, germs, guns, bombs, pedophiles, murderers, rapists, strangers, you name it.

Not coming off disrespectful though, I understand kids need to be protected, but our society in general is going to ridiculous lengths for the illusion of security.

Honestly OP, If I were you I'd take my daugher out of public shools. Period! It's not like she's learning anything that will make her better than any of the other dumbed down kids these days.




Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

reply to post by Deetermined


People have always been crazy, though. We're just noticing it more because the media is complicit in generating the fear.

reply to post by beezzer


I'm pretty sure we're seeing new advancements in drugs that are causing the crazies to act bolder than all of the crazies known throughout past history.

Good advice in this thread, talk to the teacher, talk the school administrators... most importantly though, talk to your daughter. Tell her that yes once in a very small while something bad happens and she should always be aware of strangers, and that it is good to know what to do in case one of those rare bad things happen but that most of the time everything is fine. Remind her that the adults at her school care about her and will keep her safe.

It sounds though like the school or teacher is definitely over doing it, don't let them.

reply to post by Monkeygod333


My daughter attends a private school.

I am seriously considering home schooling, but I don't want to make her antisocial. She loves her friends at school and loves going to school everyday. Well, up until now she loved going to school

reply to post by Kali74


Thank you all for responding to my post. I do intend on speaking to the teacher and possibly the principal of the school.

I think what is upsetting me the most is that I hadn't told my daughter about the Sandy Hook shooting. I don't think that a 6 year old is mature enough to process that kind of tragedy. I have talked to her about strangers and "bad people", but I don't want her to be a misanthrope. I don't want her to fear life.

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by Deetermined

 

People have always been crazy, though. We're just noticing it more because the media is complicit in generating the fear.

that's exactly right, the media plays their part. but people also forget how large the worlds population is now.
so that means that there's more whackos out there. in just about every kind of degenerative group you want to mention.

reply to post by hounddoghowlie


Absolutely. We not only have more wackos, we have synthetic drugs turning them into cannibals and zombies on top of it.

The world is getting scarier...I don't think anyone will dispute that.

But, I sure don't get how instilling that much fear HELPS.
Fear numbs the mind and makes it hard to do the right thing.
Fear controls.

So, one wonders what they are really trying to accomplish....

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

Frank Herbert, DUNE
thinkexist.com...