Talk To Your Kids
Anthony
As a father of three, it is hard to read about children dying for any reason, but senseless deaths are particularly hard to take. Since 1995, it has been reported that at least 85 young people have died trying to get a high, by choking each other. The purpose is not to kill each other - that’s just the body’s response to a prolonged denial of oxygen. The purpose - according to the article - is to cut off the oxygen supply for just long enough to experience a high. Kids that have experience it have described the sensation as a cool and dreamy feeling. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention believes the numbers of reported deaths are far below the actual numbers. The activity for whatever reason seems to be more prevalent in young men than young women. And while death is the final and most severe result of prolonged strangulation, other serious injury can occur including brain damage or seizures. Some of the warning signs can be as simple as bloodshot eyes, marks around the neck and excessive headaches. You should also look for ropes, scarves and leashes strategically positioned in their bedroom. I think the article falls short regarding signs for which parents should be watching. At the end of the day, parents have to be more involved in the lives of their children. While some parents claim that problems just spring out of nowhere right around age 14, I’d wager that they merely overlooked warning signs from an early age. After all, most psychologists tell us that the foundation for our kids is set by age 5 or 6. What do you teach your kids? Do you teach them to reason, to think, to problem solve? Do you give them the love and acceptance they need while remaining consistent on matters of discipline? Oh yeah, I said the D word. When did discipline and disciplinarian become such bad words? Cause and effect are the tenants of our physical world. Yet when we attempt to introduce these concepts to children we’re accused of stifling their creativity. There’s a balance between risk and reward and kids need to learn it. Teaching kids to value and respect their life for the long haul, not just for today, is an important lesson. Young people crave family. They seek structure. Give it to them. And for goodness sake, pay attention to them. Don’t just look for chains and nooses or markings on their neck … by the time you find them it may well be too late. Look for aloofness. Watch out for an inability to articulate what they are feeling and what they are going through. Talk to your kids. Talk to your kids. And most importantly … Talk to your kids.
Posted on: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 at 12:40 am 
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