Parenting, Shrimp Style

I get it.  Your kid’s a little frightened by the large fuzzy pink shrimp walking by at the mall.  For real, I get it.  If I saw a shrimp that was 10 times bigger than me, I’d definitely be looking for my mom or dad’s legs to hide behind.  But come on, Parents, wouldn’t you wanna try something else before jumping straight to saying “It’s just a guy in a costume.”  Is that supposed to be comforting?  Really?  Killing your kid’s sense of imagination and magic is comforting to you?  All this talk about maintaining kids’ innocence and here you are destroying their ability to believe just so they’ll stop crying.

Why not try to show them how not to be afraid?  They might be scared, but maybe your job in that moment is to demonstrate courage.  Comfort your kid by showing them that unfamiliar does not equal scary.  If fear is the root of hatred, then this might be one of those moments that can shape the rest of their life.

So let your kids dream.  Let them keep that sense of wonder as long as they can.  And while you’re at it, high five the big shrimp.