Question for Mommabear and other Floridians...

22 years ago

This question is early but I wanted to get it answered before the membership/fees kick in. We are already starting to think about our vacation to Florida (West Palm Beach)coming up in June (we haven't been for 2 years) and I have a question for you: After the high number of shark attacks last summer, are you "locals" still letting your kids play in the water? I normally am not paranoid at all but all the news from last summer has really got me thinking about it. My DH and I scuba dive and that doesn't worry me a bit, but I am wondering if we should restrict our kids (9 and 6) to the beach and confine their swimming to the pool? They loved to play in the water and are already talking about riding the waves on their knee board and snorkeling. I haven't said anything to them yet--don't want to scare them. How do you natives handle the issue.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

Mommabear
22 years ago
There haven't been more shark attacks than usual. There has just been more media coverage of the shark attacks than usual. I will try to see if I can find an article, but I recall the local paper having an article last summer about this but I am not sure if I can find it online.

My kids love the beach. We do not go to the beach in the winter (to crowded, to cold, etc.) but I am sure that we will go to the beach at least once during our spring break in April. My oldest son is a little apprehensive because he reads the newspapers. My middle doesn't read that well yet (he's 5) and my baby is still a toddler so he can't really form his own opinion.

I will see if I can find something for you.

Mommabear
gingersnap
22 years ago
We have not changed our habits over the reports. Last summer we snorkeled in the Bahamas with the Disney cruise. My youngest was 8 and I just stayed shoulder to shoulder with him. Also, Disney watches the water the entire time you're out there. I would be a little aprehensive if one of them was bleeding for any reason (they are boys after all). I have instructed them not to panic if they see a shark etc. You certainly don't want to be in the water near anyone fishing which I believe is what happened when the boy was attacked last year. Remove all jewelry, they can be attracted to shiny things thinking they are little fish. I would let them in the water though, just be aware...and have fun!
Related Discussions
Question for Floridians
Q
Comments (6)
Hi Melva, I have been told repeatedly (and I believe it) that Damasks must have a cold dormant period in order to survive, let alone bloom. Tallahassee might have enough hours of chill to do it, but I seriously doubt it. It's zone 9, I think, and people in zone 8-7 have reported difficulty with Damasks. The Damasks are really lovely, but I don't even try them down here - it never even freezes where I live. happy gardening, Avalon
...See More
To the Floridians......
Q
Comments (12)
Hi At present they are "evacuating" the Keys due to Ivan.Since they average around 5 feet above sea level and there is only one highway connecting them to the mainland. With 12 foot storm surge expected not to mention the winds you can see the problem .As you would expect the highways become a parking lot and there is no vacant rooms within 800 miles Another problem is gas there are thousands of stations that either have none or can't pump due to no power.Average waiting time is over 3 hours at the FEMA stations. Food is another problem along the entire route. Those that are open are sold out. If Ivan makes a slight turn to the right they could be driving in to the storm. Sort of the "rock and a hard place" scenario lol. "Evacuation" is a myth .How can you move 14 million people in 3 days ?? looks like Ivan is going to give us a break even though it will hit the pan handle. At least there evacuation to the north is possible unless there are too many leaving the Tampa Bay area. Can't imagine what will happen if it devastates another large metro area. As to Cuba it looks like the large metro areas will be spared the major force but most of the west is uninhabitable due to Charley. Evacuation toward Havana is probably out of the question. I suspect the death toll will be very high there. Castro said "We are well prepared"lol We'll see. On a cheery note the "season" is half over and the mid Atlantic has dropped 2 degrees. Already a 2 percent decline in probability lol. Gary
...See More
question about grandparents names
Q
Comments (18)
My mother recently remarried. She started dating him after I had grown up and moved away. My husband and I are expecting our first child, within weeks actually, and I have had some disagreement with my mother over what our child will call her new husband, Reed. He is technically my step-father, but I am over 25, and my father is still alive. Without going into detail, no one in my mother's family agrees with her choice (due to how he treats her), but Reed is her husband, and wants to have a "grandparent-type" relationship with our child. Because our yet unborn child already has two "Grampas", and I don't have a close relationship with Reed (nor do I want to), my mother has decided that my husband's and my request that he be called "Reed", just as he is to us, no longer stands. It will hurt him, and it is also disrespectful, she says. I don't want him to have an intimate, loving title like "grandpa", if his relationship with our child is going to be as superficial as it is with us. I've read over a few comments on this page, and others that have said that children respond to genuine affection, and if so, it will not matter whether or not the first name is used. We are not telling the child not to love Reed (the step-grandfather) or treat him with the same respect as the other grandfathers. He is as welcomed as everyone else in the family, but there is a distinction between him and the biological grandfathers. I figure that by the time our baby can address Reed with a title, he/she will have chosen a name based on the affection and genuineness of the relationship between Reed and himself/herself. So, any ideas? Am I wrong in wanting our request to stand as it is for now, with the babe calling him "Reed"? Pressured in Canada
...See More
Questions Stay-at-home-moms (SAHMS) (Long)
Q
Comments (10)
What happened if you didn't have other kids around in your area? I only had my little brother. I never attended preschool. Mom would run to the store for things maybe once a week but basically our interactions were only with each other. Did it ruin me? No! I went on and got good grades in school and graduated in the top 10% of my class in high school. Didn't go onto college though because I took a year off to help out my Mom who just divorced and DS came along months later. MY brother had a hard time with reading and a few times and was really bad with school in his middle school years. He just didn't want to do the work. He started high school and got staright A's the whole time, even in Calculus and Psychics! He's now attending school for computer prgramming and other computer related things and on the Dean's list. Most of my family and kids I went to school with did not go to preschool at all. My son is also 2 1/2 and as long as he seems happy and he's learning and growing, I don't worry about him. I work with him by talking to him and telling and explaining things. He's picking up on a lot and even seems to learn things just by catching us doing it once. He understands more than most people think he does. I know of parents who sit home all day with their kids but don't talk to them or anything. They do one thing and keep the kid in their room or something and those kids would certainly benefit from preschool because the parents don't take the time to do anything with them. (SIL is one of these parents and now has a kid in Kindergarten that loves to learn and is bright but they don't work with him. He just sits in front of Cartoon Network at home or a video game. Now he has to attend Kindergarten all day to catch up with the others to even move on. It's all been because they didn't see the need to teach him colors, numbers or shapes and other skills). It's your decsion really but don't think that kids won't be any good later on without preschool. I sometimes think preschool is overrated because not all of them are good programs. ~Leslie~
...See More
whazzup
22 years ago
Mommabear is absolutely right. Statistically, this past summer was no worse than any other. The media just didn't have anything else to talk about. After the WTC attack, the shark stories disappeared from the news. I go to New Smyrna, Cocoa and Daytona Beach with no problems at all.
discotrish
22 years ago
Keep in mind that most shark attacks occur at dawn and dusk which is their feeding time. That Jessie kid got attacked at dusk. I'd avoid those times.

Trish
sadiesmom
Original Author
22 years ago
OK--thanks. I feel better now. I thought I remembered the media talking about the *record #* of shark attacks but there seems to be a consensus that it was mostly media hype. So, I will encourage my kid's excitement and not worry...Thanks again
Sadiesmom

Question for Mommabear and other Floridians...

Comments (5)

Mommabear

gingersnap

Related Discussions

whazzup

discotrish

sadiesmom
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Question for Mommabear and other Floridians...

Comments (5)

Mommabear

gingersnap

Related Discussions

whazzup

discotrish

sadiesmomOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

sadiesmom
Original Author