Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Editorial

We’re not here to give parental advice. Only one of us on the editorial staff has a child, and they’re less than a year into it, so we wouldn’t be the best crew to divulge how to parent in this crazy world.

But we all have life experience, and at least some common sense—something that seems to wane more and more every day around the world.

In recent weeks, two events in particular stick out as mind blowing as something parents are having to deal with—the threat of a school shooting and watching a TV show.

Starting with the threat of a school shooting that occurred during the week of Oct. 25.

A very disturbing message was circulating around social media platforms from an anonymous person threatening to shoot up a school. The school’s name was blacked out aside from one letter, while it was a threat made toward a high school.

Because the school name was omitted, it led to caution from many school districts around the country, including the Shelby County School system.

It, of course, caused concern among parents, students and teachers, while the school system, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Calera Police Department all started an investigation into the matter—specifically toward schools that started with a “C” since that was the only visible letter.

That meant the rumors were running ramped around Calera and Chelsea. Parents were already talking about pulling their kids out of school and not sending them the next day—for when the threat was actually made.

It turned out to be a threat made toward a school in Georgia, but it still brought to the forefront the question of “Why in the heck is this something we have to deal with?”

What are we doing wrong in this world to where we have students or even adults threatening to shoot up schools… or even worse, actually doing it?

Are we doing a poor job raising kids, handling mental health awareness, limiting bullying, teaching right from wrong?

For the love of all that is good, nobody should walk into school fearful or losing their life. Ever.

And that leads into the next mind-blowing question that arose during the same week, going viral locally and nationally.

Should my kid be allowed to watch “Squid Game?”

Seriously, that’s not a joke. That was a question asked all around the world and locally.

There are many adults who can’t even make it through the violence or scheme of that show.

In a world where parents are worried about sending their kids to school because of a shooting threat, why in the world would you then even consider letting them watch a show that revolves around killing as a way to win a game and money to better your life.

It’s a new world we are living in, with challenges many of us didn’t face when we were growing up that we are now having to come face-to-face with to find solutions on the fly.

There is a fine line between sheltering children too much and not caring at all what they learn. But finding that line is key now more than ever with everything available at our fingertips.