My son and his knife

re: My son and his knife

Acai Berry Edge — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 07:30:27 GMT

Wow, I'm very impressed with the job you set out to accomplish. Safety with people, objects and the entire world is a strong lesson to learn for any child. Great work. :]

re: My son and his knife

Kathi — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:25:47 GMT

When our son was in Cub Scouts he learned how safely to use pocketknives, as well as saws and axes. It seems to give the boys a sense of being 'grown-up' enough to use these tools, as well as a place to use them (camping, etc). I highly recommend scouting as a way to help raise strong and independent men. He earned his Eagle rank and is now serving in the Navy.

re: My son and his knife

Jenni — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:47:35 GMT

As the mom of a 6-year-old boy, I frequently hear my son say he would physically harm a burglar, etc., if given the chance. I then have to come up with a way to teach him that though he THINKS he would be able to choke (or worse) the "bad gay or gal," he likely would need to find an alternative course of action. I've been working to get a local child safety specialist a gig at my son's school, and I've even offered to pay half of her speaking fee, so strongly do I believe in her messages for kids. It never occurred to me to give my son a pocket knife, nor to teach him how to use one in the event that he needed to for self-defense. We talk a great deal about dangerous situations and recognizing your gut feeling of trouble. But then during his kindergarten year, an older boy on the school bus convinced him to do something he shouldn't have by promising a gift the next day. It taught me that older kids will also victimize younger children, it's not just adults.

re: My son and his knife

Clare — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:15:25 GMT

Although I agree with fighting back against attackers and think pocketknives are great for kids I was always taught the greatest reason for not having a weapon is that statistically you are more likely to be hurt by your own weapon. If the attacker is stronger anyway and likely t disarm the child why give them another way to harm them.

re: My son and his knife

Liz — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:15:54 GMT

I have an 8 year old boy and what we have tried to impress on him most is that an adult would be bigger and stronger. That said, we have also impressed on him that the hardest kick he can muster up in the nads (for a male attacker) followed by running like hell screaming "fire fire" presents the best probability of escape. The kick would hopefully have would be attacker down long enough for him to get away to safety. And "fire" because people respond more to cries of "fire" than cries of "help".

re: My son and his knife

Carol — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:53:15 GMT

I agree that boys and girls should be allowed to carry a pocketknife. I carry one everywhere I go (except the airport). They are so very useful. The problem is not the pocketknife, its the kids whose parents have not taught them respect and responsibility toward living beings and personal space.

re: My son and his knife

Debra — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:29:42 GMT

I hope E doesn't have a false sense of security regarding this pocket knife. It would take to long to get out the knife and to pull a blade out, and, as stated above, he would be easily disarmed. And that's not even factoring in panic and disbelief. The human body is an excellent weapon. If a few defense techniques were practiced regularly, his response time would be faster and more effective. Plus, using one's voice. Pocket knives are really only handy for minor minor chores. Remember, weapons (including pepper spray) can be used against the victim, too.

re: My son and his knife

Miriam — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:01:21 GMT

Yeah, my 17 year old daughter has a pocket knife that she uses around the barn. As soon as she's out of high school she will be gifted a pepper spray to put on her keychain.I would have her carry it already except the school policy (which I agree with totally). I do think the school got a little over-zealous with E.'s response.

re: My son and his knife

kgranju — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:30:12 GMT

I totally love my children's school. I think they reacted in the way they thought made sense. I just happen to know that E wasn't being aggressive. He was just telling it as he saw it.

And I agree 100% that an adult could easily disarm a child. In no way am I suggesting that parents or kids should see a pocketknife as rocksolid defense against a criminal attacking a child. All I was saying was that IF a child had a knife and IF he had the opportunity to injure an attacker with that knife, well, hell yes he should do it.

Katie

re: My son and his knife

diera — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:05:53 GMT

I don't have any ethical problem with this, but I wouldn't want it to be my child's first response to "how would you handle a dangerous situation" for purely tactical reasons. A kid in a fight with an adult who is larger and stronger is already fighting a losing battle, armed or not. I would personally place emphasis on escape as the top priority. If the adult is reaching to grab you, RUN, and scream at the top of your lungs (apparently "Fire!" is more likely to get help than "Help!"). If the child is wasting time trying to dig a knife out of a pocket because he/she is under the impression that with a knife he/she is the equal of an adult, I'd say the knife is a dangerous distraction.

However, I totally agree that if the adult has already got you, sure, use your fists, heels, knife, whatever you've got.

re: My son and his knife

Heather — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:32:13 GMT

Maybe the school's response was an unfortunate result of Columbine etc. and if so, what a perverse result-- making kids actually less safe

re: My son and his knife

Jane — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:29:29 GMT

Leave it to the school system. (and I'm a teacher!)

We're going to tell you that strangers are dangerous but then penalize you if you say what you are going to do protect yourself from them.

What are you supposed to do? Ask nicely for a child abductor to leave you alone?

That being said, I agree with Melissa about guarding against

overconfidence. It would not take much for a grown man to disarm a child.

Did the school actually think that he had the knife on him at school?

re: My son and his knife

EG — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:58:33 GMT

Hubby and his brother each got a pocketknife for their 10th birthdays. Hubby lost his a few years ago - his pants were too lose and it slipped out. I gave his parents the honor of replacing it.

But it's been part of his habit to carry it pretty much everywhere since he turned 10. I see no issue with it.

re: My son and his knife

Melissa — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:33:07 GMT

I think it's great to teach them about stranger danger and to empower them. I was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, so I'm all for teaching kids to be aware and alert to danger. But they should still be very careful and not overconfident, as a grown person could easily disarm a child of his knife.

re: My son and his knife

Laura — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:18:48 GMT

How silly it is to conflate aggression towards an attacker with unhealthy and unprovoked aggression! Our boys will carry pocketknives, too. Thanks for this post.