Reflection #3

It was discussed in discussion whether or not kids should be taught certain "adult" themes via Children's literature such as "Smoky Night" a story about the Los Angeles riots. While books like these may not seem appropriate for kids that aren't directly experiencing things like this, I think it might be beneficial for the child to broaden his knowledge a little bit in terms of knowing more about the world around him and learning to embrace it. None of my family had the luxury of being shielded from violence and danger when they were growing up. So it's very lucky for me to have grown up in a safe atmosphere and have my child do the same, however I don't think its smart to isolate and avoid teaching about the bad things in life just so my child rests easy. Im not saying I want to drop him off in a bad neighborhood and see if he survives for a learning experience, I'm just saying I don't think I'm protecting my child by not letting him read a childrens book about Rioting, rather the opposite.