a poll for parents, because I'm curious

[heresluck]

If you left your kids (age range 6-12) in my back yard for half an hour while I was out working in my (pesticide- and herbicide-free) vegetable garden, with no promise of adult supervision beyond "They'll probably still be alive when you get back," and returned to find me showing them how to pick perfectly ripe sunwarmed strawberries and brush off

Comments

[tavella]

I'm assuming it is 4, and if so, how rude of them!

[heresluck]

Actually, over the last two weeks I have gotten all four responses, which is why I was curious to poll a non-local sample of parents. My house is en route to the coffeehouse whence many of my colleagues escape to check their email in peace and quiet. Heh.

[flaming_muse]

I would be concerned about herbicides, pesticides, whether you had a dog who ran loose in that area, and the source of your water, but if I knew you to be a sensible sort, which I assume I would if I left my child with you, it would actually be my son who would interrogate you about why you weren't rinsing the fruit first. He's particular. :)

FWIW, the thing that pings me the most about the situation is that strawberries are a common and serious allergen but not the kind that most parents seem to disclose (unlike an allergy to nuts). Since kids aren't necessarily good guardians of their own health, I'd be concerned as a parent about you feeding strawberries to kids you weren't absolutely sure weren't allergic. But I still wouldn't yank my son away and stomp out!

[fialka]

Clearly I am bad parental material because my reaction is 'did you save some for me?'

OTOH, I *do* pick wild strawberries out of our front garden and eat them all the time. I also eat them in the forest, along with nuts, black/blue/rasp/berries, wild garlic, mushrooms and anything else edible I may find. We may be weird, but when the zombie apocalypse comes and we run away from 'civilized' places, at least I know my kids won't starve :)

[heresluck]

That sounds rather lovely. I live on the prairie, which means we are short on forest -- but on the other hand I have a sunny yard with terrific soil, so there are compensations. :)

[heresluck]

I take your point about the dog -- though if there were a dog running loose on this side of town, everyone in my neighborhood would know about it, which might be why it hasn't come up.

I note with amusement that if your son is particular, he probably would not want to hang out in my backyard, which is decidedly rough around the edges. Jabbing trowels in the dirt is the only entertainment provided. Well, that and talking to the cats who are supervising from their respective windows.

I didn't know that strawberries are a common allergen; interesting! Though I admit to being a bit startled by the idea that a kid who's 6 or older wouldn't know and be able to report their own allergies. But perhaps I'm biased by my own childhood experience and by the various kids around here who rattle off their allergies to tomatoes, soy, gluten, etc.

[shewhomust]

'Thank you very much for letting me leave the kids here, I hope they haven't stopped you doing what you were doing'? And keep to myself any thoughts about, maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

But I'm not a parent, so what do I know?

[heresluck]

Oh my gosh, if they were to realize that leaving their kids with me was not a good idea, I would be SO HAPPY.