Posted on 11/22/2004 10:03:14 AM PST by TexasCowboy
As many of you know, I'm in the process of building a retreat for disadvantaged children at Rock Island, Texas.
Don't let the word, "disadvantaged" throw you.
I'm not one that believes that it takes a "village" to raise a child, but I do know that there a lot of single parents out there with children who don't have the time or the money to provide their children with the pleasures which children used to take for granted.
There are many children's retreats across this country, but there are very few to which any child can go without paying a fee. This eliminates a lot of kids.
My motto will be: "A child's pleasure should have no price tag."
My intent is to build a place where the kids can come on the weekends to play with baby animals, ride a horse, plant a garden, fish in a lake, milk a cow, and, in general, do the things so many of us did as children to which so many children today do not have access.
I'd like for as many children as possible to enjoy God's bounty, and realize that the world is not encompassed by the TV or the computer.
If y'all remember Tom Hank's performance in "Big" (regardless of his political affiliation), you will understand why I'm posting this vanity.
I need help.
I need help from the five to ten year olds in your household.
If they had a day or a weekend in the country, what would they like to do?
I won't bore you with details of future ideas for disabled children, but I do need to plan for the immediate needs.
Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
I need to stress, I'm not asking for donations; I just need ideas.
Thank you so very much, and may God bless our children.
Future home of Fields of Faith:
I love the exchange of ideas!!!! I've been learning so much!
Youth safety ... background checks, 2-deep leadership, etc. Ask your local BSA Council!
Regarding food - when I had groups out, I let them know in advance what I could/would provide to eat and drink and suggested that they bring a bag lunch if they wished. Unfortunately, some children are very allergic to simple things like peanut butter (one of the staples of my son's childhood :)
I had a Scout troop in West Texas, but this is a little different.
They still may have some good ideas, though.
Were we just real dumb? I don't ever remember kids getting sick from eating normal food!
Criminal record checks and reference checks for volunteers. I know it's an imposition and some people might take offense, but in addition to protecting the children, it would also lower your liability insurance rates!
Peanut allergy is rare, but very serious. One of my closest friends has it - she is so sensitive to peanuts that if her husband has a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, and then kisses her when he comes home from work, her face swells up!
The most important thing I think is to keep everything simple. You can not be everything to everybody so don't try. Pick a few activities and start with that. Add more later as you have the staff and funds and room.
Yes, that is a very good idea, especially for the ones I don't know really well.
I don't know how to implement that, but I'll find out.
Is our species falling apart?
I'd never heard of these deadly allergies until a few years ago.
Definitely be advised of allergies in advance........another one of those better safe than sorry issues.
(shaking head) Yes, that will have to be on the form they fill out to come.
There have always been people with deadly allergies. However, in the days before 911, often the person died the first time he ate the food. Since the sensitivity is partially genetic, the number of sufferers tended to be self-limiting. There are probably more allergy sufferers now than there used to be, as a percentage of the population, because they survive to adulthood and have children.
In fact, this is true of any handicap or medical condition ... it seems like there are more people affected than in the past, because in the past they would have been dead!
It's a sorry commentary on our society.
I totally agree with you and will take it even a step further.........the propensity of so many people to keep their kids "sterilized" from birth.
To me it seems that so many more kids today have health problems (asthma, allergies) than when I was growing up. And when you look at their home life - it's totally sterile. Kids don't play in dirt, heck they're not allowed to get dirty, antibacterial soaps and wipes are used everywhere. No wonder the kids get sick - their immune systems are not given a chance to develop.
I would much prefer my daughter playing in the mud puddle in the yard than sitting in front of the TV - so what if I have an extra load of wash to do.
It just seems to me that we were a lot healthier when I was a child, or maybe more resistant would be a better word.
I went to the doctor twice between birth and puberty.
Now kids go on a regular basis for some illness.
We didn't have allergies.
I know that sounds ridiculous in today's world, but we simply didn't have allergies.
We had colds and runny noses, but we didn't get sick with them.
Now, we're only talking one generation.
How did it change so fast?
The problem is going to be compounded in future generations when the mothers can't pass on the natural resistance they didn't get as a child.
The only time I remember missing school for any length of time was when I had chicken pox in 7th grade. And the only thing I was allergic to was fabric softener - made my skin itch.
Other than normal check-ups and vaccinations, my 6 year old has never gone to the doctor. The child seems to have her daddy's amazing immune system.
All the more reason your plan is so great, especially for kids that live in the city and never get a chance to really play outside.
Granted, I grew up in the city, but we were forever being told to go out and play. Even as a teenager spending my summers with my grandparents in Florida I was forever being told to read my book outside instead of in the house.
Kids need to be allowed to be kids - and contrary to some current belief, getting dirty is part of being a kid.
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