Keeping kids safe is tough job

By Eileen from Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Keeping children safe anywhere these days has to be a tough job for parents. Keeping drugs, guns, knives, and other lethal items out of the schools I believe is the number one priority. It doesn't seem to matter whether the school is in a large city or a small town. Those items seem to be surfacing.

I know when my children were growing up these problems were just starting and when we talked about them I heard things like "well, you can't take away our rights". My Children's rights were limited until they reached legal age. I always told them that as long as they lived in our house and we were paying the bills they lived according to our rules.

Oh yes, we got the talk on living in a democratic country and all that but our house was not a democracy as far as they were concerned - they had too much to learn before they could dictate the rules.

Now they are adults and they understand why we did what we did. When they talk to us or visit us they still abide by the rules of the house. This also helps them respect other people and enables them to act accordingly when they are with others.

Putting (effective) discipline back in the schools would result in better safety for the children. The teachers have their hands tied behind their backs and this is not good for the children.

(Eileen is the mom of three grown children and the grandmom of seven children. She has been a full time wife and mother all her married life.)

Safe Schools Note: A proposal at the federal level is in process that exempts IEP (Individual Education Plan) students from disciplinary action for bringing knives to school with a blade length of less than 2 1/2 inches. More on this later.

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