Kids can put their guards up, too

Most parents know that vigilance is standard operating procedure.

It starts from birth, when we watch babies to make sure they are

healthy. After a year, when they start to walk, we shadow them to

make sure they don’t run or fall into anything that can harm them.

It’s a full-time job, but once in a while, we let our guards down.

There is no other way to explain how, for example, Dr. Andrejs

Krumins of the Harbor Pediatric Medical Group in Newport Beach

recently pulled a small eraser out of a little boy’s ear.

When told of this, Cheryl Norman recounted how one day her little

brother showed up with two black eyes. Seems he had not gotten into a

fight but had shoved a raisin up his nose, which caused the blockage

that affected his eyes.

And Curtis Pickelle told me about the time he and his wife had

left their little son Danny with grandma and grandpa for a few hours.

During that time, Danny managed to swallow a few marbles while no one

was looking. Curtis found them during the next diaper change.

Parental vigilance is a lifetime occupation. Ask any parent and

it’s likely that even though they are all grown up, perhaps even a

parent themselves, their own parents are still giving them advice,

still watching out that they don’t fall down.

Parental vigilance is more than watching out for foreign objects

that mysteriously appear in the nose, ears or mouth when kids are

small. As they get older, the chances of harm increase and vigilance

becomes more important.

A few days ago, I took my son, 10, to the Borders bookstore on

Newport Boulevard. He was itching to use a gift card he’d gotten for

Christmas and wanted, among other things, to buy some packs of

“Yu-Gi-Oh” trading cards that are now the rage for kids who have

outgrown Pokemon cards.

Had it been entirely up to him, the entire $50 may have been spent

on the cards. But we discussed it and agreed that two packs was a

good number.

Surprisingly, he did not spend all the money available to him. In

fact, he spent only about half. One of the items he bought was a CD

soundtrack to the movie, “Eight Crazy Nights,” starring Adam Sandler.

Before I get to the point of this column, permit me a few words

about Adam Sandler. I want to know who thinks this guy is funny and

why. He is not funny and never has been.

Back to our story. In the car, my son unwrapped the CD and stuck

it in the player. The first track was amusing, more to my son than to

me, but it was harmless and that’s what I cared most about.

The next track he played was silly and stupid -- perfect for a

10-year-old boy -- until it got to the “B” word. This word is eight

letters long, starts with “B” and ends with “T.”

My son looked at me immediately to check my reaction. But at the

same time, I was checking his and it was clear to me that hearing

this word on this CD made him uncomfortable.

I let the CD play, figuring the damage had already been done. But

seconds later on the same track, Sandler said the “A” word. This one

is three letters long.

This time, my son did not wait for my reaction. He leaned over and

ejected the CD from the player. Then he said to me, “Can you take me

back to Borders tomorrow to return this?”

I took him back the next day and waited outside with our dog,

Charlie, while he took care of business. Borders was accommodating

and asked why he wanted to return the CD. My son replied, “It has bad

words on it.” To their credit, the Borders salesperson said, “Oh!

Thank you for telling us.”

In hindsight, I should have insisted on listening to the CD before

Roy played it. But the rather innocuous cover moved my guard down. I

was not being vigilant, though I believe that this CD should have had

a warning label on it.

My lesson learned is to check everything first.

The good news is that my son knew it was wrong and did not

hesitate to make it right. My failure to be vigilant allowed him to

pass a major test.

But the really happy ending to this story is that when he returned

the CD, he used the money to buy a book -- for his sister.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer.

Readers may leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at

(949) 642-6086.