Daniel the Elk V,
Innocence is very important in children, it is basically the belief that they are safe and secure and things are somehow controllable. If you take away this belief in children, they are unable to properly develop and grow. They need a foundation of security to be able to become independent, to be able to experiment and go on adventures. If they feel unsafe, if they feel that there is no security, they stop developing and retreat into their own mind, into made-up places where they feel safe, or (in extreme cases) they create other personalities that shield them from abuse or horror.
It is important to allow children to bask in safety and security and the illusion of indestructibility as long as possible to build a healthy self-esteem, good self-confidence and self-assuredness, so that when — little-by-little — the reality of the world takes away that cocoon of safety and security, they are then ready, because they had time in their youth to grow in strength and knowledge and power to be able to function well in a tough and unforgiving world.
If parents — or others who come in contact with the child — remove that shield, that protective fence too early, the child doesn't have a safe place to learn and develop the skills necessary to function. Exposing children to inappropriate material, like very frightening images from: television, movies, magazines, whatever, before they are able to comprehend and cope with such stuff, they are then removing that security, that fence, and they thereby weaken the child, possibly even damage their emotional health.
Just because you were exposed to such inappropriate material at such a young age does NOT mean that another child will have the same — supposedly nonchalant — reaction. Children respond quite differently from one another, just like many adults respond differently to alcohol and drugs. Some adults can drink alcohol with no problems, while others respond negatively and form addictions that can ruin their lives.
Children will learn SOON ENOUGH the harsh realities of this world, we do not need to expose them to those realities before they are capable of handling such experiences. Our goal should be to provide the most safe, secure, fun, exciting and enriching environment as we can, for them to feel free to explore, question, take chances, be real, gain confidence and security, to become strong and sure and ready to enjoy life, come what may.
Even in adults, we train, we strength, THEN we test and toughen. We train football players, we train boxers, help them become strong and confident, AND THEN we test and toughen them up, but NOT before. We train children, strengthen them, then THE WORLD toughens them, life forges them in the fire of life, we need not expose them to that before they are ready and able.
Anyone can provide an unhealthy, inappropriate environment for a child, but it takes a dedicated, loving and caring parent/guardian to provide a safe, secure place for a child to grow into a healthy adult. It requires sacrifice and discipline and dedication to what is right for the CHILD, not what the adult WANTS or what is EASY. Exposing children to frightening images leads to fear and a feeling of insecurity, and that is cruel, stupid and damaging. Just like we take great care to provide a physically safe environment for a baby, we must also provide an emotionally and psychologically safe environment for children. We do NOT need to teach them about ADULT fear and terror, we simply need to provide a fun, safe place for them to become strong, and teach them how to be confident and assured... THEN they will be ready for fear and terror, and NOT until.
"He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge."
Proverbs 14:26
"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus
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