Balloon Boy Lesson Learned

It is true that I have been trying to shelter some facts of life from our children.  Oldest is slowly getting sprinkles of sex education, and he's pretty much figured out the getting presents and believing in Santa Claus goes hand in hand.  I recall telling him that anyone who didn't believe in Santa might as well not put out a sock, so that ended any threat of him spilling bad news to his little brother.

But Balloon Boy's family planning and carrying out a conspiracy... now that was Reality TV minus the producer. It was also a great lesson for Oldest Son.

The news started trickling in on Sunday, the one day we needed to do a bit of driving.  By the hour, the radio news regarding the parents of the Balloon Boy hoax changed.  First, it was announced that "the police suspected the whole thing was a hoax."  Then the announcer said that it was discovered that the couple had, "wanted to highlight themselves in hopes of landing on a reality television show."  Finally, two hours later, the newscaster said that the police were going to press charges, and the one charge, contributing to the delinquincy of a minor, was a felony which could result in a minimum of two years in jail.

"What's that?" asked Oldest, who was riding shotgun for the day.

"What?"

"De....whatever it is to a minor?"

"Oh, delinquincy of a minor?" I sighed and thought about it.  "That's where someone makes a child break a law.  Like if I were to send you out every day to sell drugs, that would be me contributing to the delinquincy of a minor."

He got very quiet, something that is unusual for him.  But I knew how he felt.  There are just some things that go opposite of the way the world is supposed to turn.  Children are never supposed to die before their parents, the sea always rushes to the shore, husbands are never to kill their wives, and vice versa, and parents are supposed to be the moral base for their children.

He then inquired about why social services were taking a close look at the family.  "What's that all about?" he asked.

I explained that if the authorities felt that these parents were a threat to the safety or well-being of their children, then these children could be taken out of the home and sent to live somewhere else.  "And," I added, "if the parents have to go to jail, then the kids have to live somewhere else."

There are times that he might wish that he had other parents.  And there are times when he might think it would be best to run away.  But overall he really doesn't want to go anywhere, nor would he like to be taken away from us.

As a newly minted teen, his world is quickly expanding.  This Balloon Boy incident gave him a more to think about.  For example, he wonders how parents who are supposed to cherish their children and keep them safe, would do such a crazy thing.  He wonders why anyone would care one iota about going on a reality television show.  And he is checking up on this case whenever he gets a chance to see if justice will prevail. 

The only thing I have yet to teach him is that the parents are not to be judged by media coverage alone. It is a lesson for tomorrow morning.  It is probably the most important lesson I can give him. Then after that I need to just back off and let him continue to learn from life as his innocence slowly drops off of him, one drip at a time.