Re: [VIC] Fatality at Reservoir

["Daniel Bowen" <dbowen@#DELETE#custard.net.au>]

"Brown Family" <pcc@ocean.com.au> wrote in message
38f1e13b.53410511@news.ocean.com.au">news:38f1e13b.53410511@news.ocean.com.au...
> On Sun, 9 Apr 2000 23:11:52 +1000, "Daniel Bowen"
> <dbowen@#DELETE#custard.net.au> wrote:
> >As the parent of a 2 year old myself, I would actually put the blame on
> >whoever was meant to be supervising the child at the time.
> >
> >Nobody should let a small child unaware of the dangers do something like
> >cross a railway line on their own, no more than you'd send them across a
> >street on their own.
> >
> >According to the Age this was at an authorised crossing: no amount of
> >fencing would have helped. It pisses me off mightily that anyone would
place
> >their children in this kind of danger. Parents should know better.
> >
> Having been the parent of four 2 year olds, what you say, with due
> respect, is crap, sir, since no two year old is the same as the next..

Very true. *These* parents should have had a better idea than anyone else
what their 2 year old might do. Not that they're very predictable sometimes.

> Have you ever heard of the "terrible twos"? No amount of discipline,
> no amount of punishment on the right side of a child brutality
> conviction will ever get it into a two year old's tiny brain, that
> they must do what they are told.They do not understand the meaning of
> shouldn't or let. All it takes is a moment's distraction of the parent

Couldn't agree more. These points are all the more reason that parental
vigilance is needed.

[...]
> Be thankful Daniel, that your cute little two year old, probably a
> girl, listens to everything you say.

A boy. No, he doesn't listen to everything I say. He, at times, ignores
direct requests, safety warnings, and some of every other thing I tell him.
Which is why I either keep him strapped into a stroller, carried in my
hands, or with a firm grip on him anywhere near a road, railway line, or any
similar danger.

He's not so different from any other 2 year old, and I stand by what I said:
for any child so young, close parental supervision is needed in these
situations.

> May your child, God willing, live a long life.

Thanks. I'll be doing everything I can to ensure that :-)


Daniel
--
Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia
dbowen at custard dot net dot au
http://www.custard.net.au/bowen/daniel/