The WM Parenting Connection

by Kat Foust: Single Parenting Contributor

My son and I don't watch regular television. We only use Netflix. So, I have to do research about the BP oil spill rather than watching it on television. What I've seen so far had me wondering what I'm supposed to tell my child, who has states that "God doesn't have to end the world. Apparently we are going to do it ourselves". He's 9.

Of course, the BP oil spill isn't the only concern right now, but the impact that it is going to have on the world is certainly alarming. With technology providing more insight into the inner workings of our government now than even ever before, we have more confirmation that our government is not to be trusted.

Our very own Coast Guard is operating under orders from BP? Funny, I thought they were under government authority. Ok then, aside from that, I learn that FEMA and local authorities in Mississippi actually held citizens at gunpoint and ordered them to hand over food that the citizens had paid themselves to have shipped in during the Katrina disaster. The citizens responded with a resounding no, using their own firearms to protect themselves.

I find myself in a frightening position as a parent. As a single parent, it's even more difficult as I try to assess exactly what to tell my son and what authority he should respond to. Thankfully, his father and I are usually on the same page when it comes to dealing with authority, but there are still times when I wish someone was here to help guide me as I teach my son about real life.

So what about the BP oil spill and our children? What do we tell them? How do we protect them from a corporate giant who refused to spend $500,000 out of their millions of dollars of profits to put in place an acoustic switch that could have prevented this issue?

My son already knows that in our own small town the police are not to be trusted. Now he has to learn at 9 that the very same level of distrust can extend to anyone with power or authority, even if it is indirect?

Here's what I tell my son. I tell him to trust his own judgement. Don't follow the crowd. LEAD the crowd. Back their level of trust not with dollars or favors, but with sincerity and character. I try to teach him that not by using those words, but by leading by example.

Being a single parent is far from the easiest job I've ever had in my life. It's scary at times. The best I can do is to teach my child right from wrong and to help him to develop a character that is strong enough to stand up for the right things. Everything else is just details.

BP Oil Spill and Our Children