Grandpa Richards Kids

I was at my grand daughter’s home yesterday and had fun taking photos of her and 2 other children playing on a water slide. It got me thinking about how much more the children are outside during the summer, and how safety issues change focus.

With the water slide, the danger is obvious - make sure there are no objects sticking out of the ground in the area where the slide is put. Also, there should always be an adult within sight, as young children could drown even in the very shallow water found on one of these slides.

ALWAYS remember: Read the rest…

Some sobbering news that makes the pain even worse for families who lost children in the recent earthquake …

• the one child rule that affects Chinese families (although I have heard that couples who lost an only child will be allowed to conceive again if they so desire)
• reports that shoddy workmanship led to many building collapses, and claims that much of the poor construction was aided by corrupt inspectors

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
10 year old boy

No person really decides before they grow up who they’re going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with.
10 year old girl

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
10 year old girl

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
8 year old boy

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MUM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don’t want any more kids.
8 year old girl

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
8 year old girl

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
10 year old boy

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I’d run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
9 year old boy

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they’re rich.
7 year old girl

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn’t want to mess with that.
7 year old boy

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It’s the right thing to do.
8 year old boy

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
9 year old girl

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN’T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn’t there?
8 year old boy

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.
10 year old boy

Experts are now targeting the safety record of an old standby - bunk beds.

While Grandpa Richard is always concerned about safety issues, he also believes that you can only go so far. We cannot keep our children in a cocoon until they are 25 (older for some, especially boys!!!)

I see no problem with bunk beds, as long as you take care of some obvious safety concerns.

• do not let a young child use the top bunk, as many of the reported injuries involved the ladder, and young children have problems with using a ladder, especially in the middle of the night if they have to go to the washroom, etc
• there should be guard rails on all 4 sides
• the mattress should fit snuggly against all four sides
• rail gaps should be less than 9 centimetres to avoid getting heads trapped
• even for older children, a night light may be necessary so they navigate the ladder properly at night