Community Chat

[J Town Girl]

As a very young child I remember a family friend told me I could catch a bird by sprinkling salt on it's tail.  Ond day there was a bird in our yard and I ran into the house and asked my mother for the salt shaker. She of course wondered why I wanted it.  When I told her why she laughed and explained that this gentleman was just joking with me.

He was a wonderful and kind man and meant no harm in teasing a little girl.  He and his wife were childless and they just doted on their friend's children.  

This couple who were family friends during all of my growing up time are fondly remember by me as someone who helped make a little girl's childhood happy. 

When I married they even hosted my bridal shower.

[lovescats]

I don't think it is a big deal either why aren't we given the full story of how the child did react?  if you weren't there how do you know they had a serious look on their face

[lovescats]

when I was little my parents left a small glass of wine out for santa because milk would be sour by the time he got here

[pigletsmom]

A lot of outrage here but I don't think we even have enough info to have an opinion. No idea of the relationship with the adult and child. No idea if the child would no that this could have been someone teasing him. My father probably would have said this to me and if I fell for it stopped me or my mother would have heard it and told him to quit it. Of course I knew my Dad was a tease. At best if you overheard this you shoul have just said stop teasing him and handled it that way. 

[jubilant]

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@Goodie2shoes wrote:

A  5 yo child (not yours) tells you he or she is about to lose a tooth.  So you look at the child and with a serious look on your face you tell the child that after the tooth falls out to run and get some of his or her's white play dough and stick it in the hole to make a new tooth.  You don't know the child or his parents on a personal level. This actually happened and for me it was a shock. Children are very vulnerable and I think that was very inappropriate. Just curious as to what others think. Now the person may have been kidding but under the circumstances (school) I just don't think that was appropriate. Opinions please, thanks

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@Goodie2shoes   I went back and re- read this post and noticed you did give the age of the child. Sorry, I didn't pick up on that before.  My short term memory is not all that great. 

Seeing that the child was only 5 and this person didn't know the child or the child's parents....I feel it was out of line.  Even if this person's intentions were good and meant well, a child of 5 might very well have thought the play dough thing a  possible choice. You can't put an  adult head on a young child.  I totally get your reaction.

[mom2four0418]

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@jubilant wrote:

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@Goodie2shoes wrote:

A  5 yo child (not yours) tells you he or she is about to lose a tooth.  So you look at the child and with a serious look on your face you tell the child that after the tooth falls out to run and get some of his or her's white play dough and stick it in the hole to make a new tooth.  You don't know the child or his parents on a personal level. This actually happened and for me it was a shock. Children are very vulnerable and I think that was very inappropriate. Just curious as to what others think. Now the person may have been kidding but under the circumstances (school) I just don't think that was appropriate. Opinions please, thanks

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@Goodie2shoes   I went back and re- read this post and noticed you did give the age of the child. Sorry, I didn't pick up on that before.  My short term memory is not all that great. 

Seeing that the child was only 5 and this person didn't know the child or the child's parents....I feel it was out of line.  Even if this person's intentions were good and meant well, a child of 5 might very well have thought the play dough thing a  possible choice. You can't put an  adult head on a young child.  I totally get your reaction.

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I cannot imagine a scenario where any adult would have good intentions, or meant well, when saying that to a child. None

[RollTide2008]

Most children understand what they should and should not put in their mouths before they go to kindergarten.

[lovescats]

since this happened in school how do you know the person didn't know the child  the person knew the child had white play dough