Initially I didn’t want to comment on the Letterman-Palin fracas (although I completely agree with this assessment).But the more I thought about a) having a daughter and b) having a daughter that will grow up to be a teenager someday, I did feel David Letterman was out of line.
Funny, but out of line. I’m glad he apologized more than once. I agree with The View ladies when they say don’t mess with my kids.
That said, Sarah Palin inferring – wait, actually explicitly stating that David Letterman was a misogynistic pedophile for making such jokes was just too much for me. That was out of line.
Dave was rude, but he’s not a pervert nor is he a hypocrite.
There are so many things as parents we have to worry about with our children; teen sex, STDs and pregnancy are issues I have years to fester about before it hits home.
We do our best to protect them against abuse of any kind (as long as we’re not the perpetrators, and God help those who are – report it if you know about it).
The current economic woes are not making it any easier for us or our kids. It’s really tough out there and we’re seeing folks in our own neighborhood losing their jobs and their homes.
That’s depressing to witness, but to experience it? How do some react? A recent blog post from one of my favorite blogs Domestic Violence and the Workplace titled New Survey Links The Troubled Economy to High Levels of Teen Dating Violence and Abuse shared some startling stats from a recent Liz Claiborne survey.
For example:
Nearly half of teens (44%) whose families have experienced economic problems in the past year report that they have witnessed their parents abusing each other. Alarmingly, 67% of these same teens experienced some form of violence or abuse in their own relationships and report a 50% higher rate of dating abuse compared to teens who have not witnessed domestic violence between their parents.
And when it comes to educating our own children:
Despite the fact that the majority of parents say they are comfortable talking about these issues, parents are not effective in educating their children about the dangers of dating abuse. 74% of sons and 66% of daughters say they have not had a conversation about dating abuse this past year. Even more troubling, the majority of teens who are in abusive relationships report they have not talked to their parents. Of the fewer than 1/3 who do confide in their parents, 78% of these teens report staying in these abusive relationships despite their parents’ advice.
Troubling indeed. There are some great resources and free eBooks to download on the Love Is Not Abuse site, including A Parent's Guide to Teen Dating Violence: 10 Questions to Start the Conversation.
Letterman apologized. Talk with your kids.
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Letterman might have apologized, but he should never have picked on Palin's child to begin with. Palin herself might be fair game, but not her children. She is a mom, so I know the anger that can boil up and over when someone hurts my child. And Letterman did it on national TV all to get laughs. He was an ass.
ReplyDeleteThat said, Palin should have tempered her comments about Letterman. She knows anything that comes out of her mouth will be picked up and spread verbatium by the press. She, too, was out of line.
I have two girls and am now facing some of those same issues. I have talked to my children. It can be awkward at times, but oh, so necessary. I love my girls and want them to be armed with as much information as they need. It's a tough world out there and no one will care for my girls like her father and I do. (Until they meet their future spouses.)
Now I'm going to go hug my girls. Thanks for the post.
Thank you for your comment (and your hugs for your girls!)!
ReplyDeleteI hear you and agree - both out of line.
National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline
ReplyDeletewww.loveisrespect.org
Confidential online chats or call 1-866-331-9474
1-866-331-8453 TTY