I was reading the news today – a terribly left leaning magazine called “The Week” – when I read that there is a push to criminalize Baby Walkers in these United States. Baby Walkers? Why would they make Baby Walkers illegal? If you don’t know what I’m talking about you’ve never been a parent. Here’s a Baby Walker.

My wife and I raised three children, and all three were at one time in baby walkers. So I was curious what caused baby walkers to be so dangerous. As I read the article I found out … it is parents that will not be parents.

The article stated that 90% of baby walker accidents occurred because the child fell down the stairs. HELLLLLOOOO! What parent is putting the child in a baby walker then leaving the stairway unblocked? Have you no common sense? The article stated that the other 10% of injuries occurred because the baby walker gave the child access to a hot appliance. Again, HELLLOOOO! It is not the walker that did this, but the parent. Good baby walkers are designed to where they will not tip over, but they are not designed to be idiot proof.

Parents, you must be P-A-R-E-N-T-S. This means removing all hazards from the path of the child. A $10 adjustable gate will block stairs, and you should have this item in place whether you own a baby walker or not. A child can crawl to and fall down the stairs – use your common sense. There should be no hot appliances near the baby, neither floor heaters nor stoves. Good parents know this. Even without a baby walker the child can crawl to something hot, sharp, or dangerous.

It is the duty of a parent to love, protect, and discipline their child.  If you have a child, you have a gift from God. The Bible says:

Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

The government is not supposed to be the nanny for your child – you are!

The church is not to be the nanny for your child –
you are!

I know that years ago the liberal mantra was “It takes a village to raise a child”. No, it doesn’t. It takes a PARENT to raise a child. It takes love, vigilance, and yes, common sense to raise a child. I have been shopping and seen poor parents watch their child tear apart DVD cases while they watched. When I addressed the situation the parent grabbed the child and huffed off in anger. Listen darling, what you allow that child to do NOW is what he will do LATER. Be a parent. I have witnessed parents allowing their children to disrupt church meetings rather than gently correct the child. Again when I addressed the situation the parent huffed off in anger. If you love your child, teach your child.

Last year my son and daughter-in-law brought our grandchildren to visit us a week, and during that week attended church with us. My grandsons came into church, sat next to me, and were polite and attentive throughout the 1 hour service. Afterwards members in the congregation raved that a 5 year old and a 3 year old could sit and politely listen and contribute just as the adults did. I had several members ask me how it was possible. I told them all same thing …
…. it’s called PARENTING.

God help us as a nation if more of you with children don’t learn how to parent. The prisons are full now. Let’s raise productive and polite citizens!