What is a force field you might ask? Well, we have decided that irrational fears our children have sometimes need an irrational solution when nothing else seems to work.
In my post about our soccer season I told you about the kid on Colin's soccer team who told him vampires were real. Irrational fears did not start there with Colin. About vampires, yes, but other fears have popped up over the last couple of years. Robbers, bad men, etc.
No amount of rationalizing has worked. It will make him fell better for a time but he takes that reasoning and he will dwell on it for a couple of days...pick it apart...and then decide he needs more. Something else to convince him.
We have a force field. It was purchased at Wal-mart for about $1,000. It turns on by a light switch in the living room. It is basically an electronic force that creates a dome of protection around our home. Irrational and ridiculous to you and me maybe, but comforting to our kids.
It has taken some convincing a few times. Colin's job each night is to turn on the force field. He is very diligent about this job. Several times he and Grace have wanted to go out and throw rocks at it to "test it out" but so far there have been reasons we weren't able to. "Oh, look it's bedtime" or "It's too dark."
Whitney and the kids have gone out to hit golf balls in the yard several times. When a golf ball will undoubtedly hit a tree in the near woods Whitney's response to the kids is always "Wow! Did you hear that golf ball bounce off the force field?"
You may or may not agree with our approach but hey...it works. They are comforted and we all get a goon night's sleep. Well, most of us do! ;o)
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