I do not understand. All this recent news about parents in the news is just absolutely absurd. I do not understand. Parenting is something that has gone on for centuries; more of a fact, people have been doing it for centuries so while I understand it may be difficult at times, if people have been WILLINGLY doing it for centuries, how awful could parenting really be? Parenting takes selflessness acts along with a good head full of some common sense. It's understood that accidents happen, hence the reason we refer to them as accidents, but how far can you push the whole "accident" idea. Sure it was an accident, maybe it certainly was not intentional, but it was very preventable as well. Can we still call that an "accident"?

I am mostly referring to the late Lane Graves whose body was taken underwater by a massive alligator and unfortunately drowned at a resort in DisneyWorld in Florida. Let me just stop there. Florida is a KNOWN alligator territory. Florida is a state in which if you see a body of water, you just assume an alligator is living in it. Maybe there's even two. The point is, you never go near a body of water in Florida. There was even a sign that said "No Swimming". I understand the child was not swimming in the lake, he was just "wading", but honestly what is the difference? Where is the common sense? If you should;t swim in it due to alligators, why would you even go near it? Let alone allow your TWO YEAR OLD CHILD who still depends on you to teach him right or wrong go into the water. It is called common sense and apparently it is uncommon among parents.

Recently in the local Philadelphia news, a mother is being charged with third-degree murder. Her two year old daughter was left in the upstairs of their Philadelphia home when she shot herself in the eye. The little girl did not survive. I agree with this ruling. I agree that someone should have to pay for this little girls death. Where does it seem logical to leave a gun in the open in a house with a child? It is a psychological fact that children go through stages in which they just want to touch EVERYTHING. Kids want to feel everything and play with everything and put everything in their mouths. How hard is it to keep your kids away from guns? I am not a parent, but I can only imagine it's not that difficult. This mother is currently being charged with covering up a crime and endangering a child. As well she should be.

My Uncle told a story of how he goes to his favorite bakery in Wildwood every weekend around 6 AM, apparently they have apple fritters that are to die for. My uncle was first one morning and was patiently waiting on a bench for the doors to open when a grandfather and his grandson walked up to the door. This seems like a perfect teaching moment for the grandfather towards the child; he should have looked at his grandson and said "oh look, this man was sitting on the bench, we aren't first today we are second." At which point my uncle, being the kind guy he is, would have said "go ahead" allowing the little boy to go first. Unfortunately, that is not what happened. The grandfather looked right at his grandson, then my uncle, then his grandson and said "look kid, we're first in line!" How unfortunate that that day that little boy had to find out what a rude old man his grandfather is.

The world is built on selfism. All these new generation parents do not seem to realize that parenting takes common sense and being selfless. I was always taught that being a good parent meant seeing six people sitting at a table with only five pieces of pie and then claiming that one never really cared for pie. Being a parent is all about teaching your child the proper way to live, how to be polite, and what is wrong versus what is right. Children are not an investment. Children are not trophies. Children are people you need to teach, children are people you need mentor so eventually they can make wrong versus right decisions on their own. And if you can't do that, then you should not be a parent.