Playground-fun!

I am at the Golden Gate Park playground and I can't help overhearing this mother talking to her 3 year old daughter, because her voice is loud, stern, not meant to - or used to - be ignored. The mother is on a picnic blanket feeding the 18 or so month old baby while the girl is playing by the flowers no more than 6 feet away.

- Come back here now! I said 'come back'! Don't walk away from mommy. Do you want someone to come and take you away from mummy?
- No, the little girl answers. I don't want anyone to take me away from mommy.
- Well, come back and sit on the blanket until I've fed your brother then.

The girl does as she's told - she's a very good girl - and when they're done, the all get up. Even though the little baby can toddle by himself, the mother puts him in the stroller to walk the 5 yards to the slide.

- Stay with me all the way, she says to the girl. Don't walk away from me. Now we're going to the slide. No - I said: the slide. Hold the stroller! I want you to hold the stroller all the way to the slide. Don't walk away!

I get antsy just listening to it.
As parents, we want out children to have an understanding of the world we live in. We are worried, nervous, sometimes even over-the-top neurotic, and that's fine. Our children are our everything and we want to protect them. We want to teach them how to be savvy. But exactly what is it that we are teaching them? "Do you want someone to come and take you away from mommy?" Is that a five star lesson in how to feel safe and protected?