The Plastic World of Children

I hear and see so much of child care and items for children. I can't help but notice that most children live in a plastic world. For the first three years, or more, of their lives everything they touch is plastic: plastic toys, plastic bottles, plastic sippy cups, plastic-covered diapers, plastic gear, plastic car seats, and on and on. These children are sensory deprived; all they ever touch is plastic. So much of baby and toddler care is focused on ease and convenience for parents; it's a wipe-clean world. The wipes themselves come in a plastic bin or bag! How little time is spent touching the flesh of another person compared to time in contact with a plastic surface? How will these children develop differently than previous generations? Do other parents even notice? Do they care? Would they want a plastic world for themselves? What unintended lessons are they learning from all this plastic-touching time?

On Compassion

I've been following another blogger over the last few days. Her 2009 blogs were so spiteful, so harsh that she inspired much wrath in return. Then, I discovered that she has an autistic child. Suddenly, it all made sense. Now, I feel a sense of compassion for her. She lashes out at others who have made different choices than she has. Having a disabled child myself - although a completely different condition - has given me a different perspective than the average person. I'm so happy that God has blessed me and shown me worthy enough in His eyes to be entrusted with the care of a disabled child. She does not share that point of view, much like many parents resentful of their situation. I always knew that I would be a parent of a disabled child, even if I had to adopt one, God willing. She was shocked and disappointed by her "burden," as are others in similar situations. She's resentful that there isn't prenatal testing that would have allowed her to terminate her child before birth. I can't share compassion for that, but I do have compassion for her otherwise.