Protecting

[pippin_999 <foxmoth@qnet.com>]

Catlady asked:
>>should (some class of people) be protected from the 
knowledge that there are real horrors in the world?<<

At least for children, it's not just a question of "should."
Children, like housecats, have more ability than one might think 
to regulate their guardians' behavior. 

Believe me, it didn't take more than one episode of nightmares 
and bedwetting to make me realize that "children need to feel 
safe in their beds" is not a metaphor. Never mind "scarred for 
life", I just don't want to be up at 2:00 AM to change the sheets.
<g>

It's bad enough you have to go through this sort of thing on 
account of, say, a parent's business trip. Think about having to 
do it because of a movie or a story that somebody else decided 
to share with your child and you'll understand why some parents 
get tetchy about it.

Every child is different. My child at age 8 or so enjoyed watching 
the Top Gun video and would FF past the love scenes with 
aplomb, but ET freaked him out. He would *not* watch it. Go 
figure.

Pippin