Danger Zone

Dear Wynne,
My 14-year old son wants to play high school football next year. He's got some older friends who play for our local team, but I'm afraid he'll get hurt. One of his friends came home from practice with a broken ankle one day. This boy's mom is going to let her son play again next year. That's ridiculous. I've heard stories of kids dying and getting reconstructive knee surgery all through the news. And my son still wants to play. How do I get him to not want to play?

Worrying Mother
De Soto, TX

Dear Mom,
Yeah, I'll just call you 'Mom'. First of all. Nagging him will only make him want to play more. Duh! Also, what's wrong with you? You're like the person who reads the warning label on a bottle of Tylenol and says, "Oh no, I'm going to get all these side effects taking these." Seriously, those stories are few and far between. If you look at the number of high schools have a football team in America and the number of teenage boys playing football, you will discover that the likelihood that your son ends up with a broken shoulder or something is a lot lower than you are worrying about. If it's your boy's dream to play, let him play. What if your mom said, "I don't want you to be a mom. I think it's the worst decision for you ever. Babies cry, poop, and worry you like crazy. It's not something you should do"? Would you still have done it? More moms out there need to answer that question more often.

Wynne