It is no accident that Bart Simpson is forever 10 years old. Ten year old boys believe that they are the rulers of their world. Ask any parent of a 10 year old. But there are times when we, as parents, must assert our right to protect and help them. Often it is about stopping them from doing something dangerous or stupid. Sometimes it is just reminding them to wear a hat or coat because of the weather. “But dad, the guys with laugh at me!” And it is our job to tell them that their friends will also be wearing coats or will soon be cold and wish that they were, too..
Peer pressure can be a real problem for a 10 year old.
The State of Ohio does not mandate bicycle helmets. According to the Bressman Law website, “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes, “Bicycle helmets are 85- to 88 percent effective in mitigating head and brain injuries, making the use of helmets the single most effective way to reduce head injuries and fatalities resulting from bicycle crashes.” Bicycle helmets save lives. President Obama wore a helmet when he rode his bike. Sean Hannity had a total melt down on his March 5, 2014 radio show. He was embarrassed. There was Putin, bare-chested!, swimming the butterfly stroke in cold water and our president was wearing a helmet. Oh the shame…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has specific recommendations for the wearing of masks in public:
CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel Coronavirus across the United States. We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with Coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms. In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
The site even has instructions to show you how to make your own mask. When you hear about someone who won’t wear a mask, especially someone in a leadership position, you know that you are dealing with just another 10 year old worried about what his friends will say.
DAVE
Picture – It’s A Cover Up! – David L Cunix