Fear shouldn't be the new Normal

It has now been just over a week since the Parkland school shooting, where 17 have lost their lives and left parents and families with a void. I want to send my sincerest condolences to the families.

As some of you know I live in Florida and since Parkland was so close to home, it has affected my family as well. This past week, my daughter has been having lockdown drills and had to watch safety videos. Is it good to have drills so the kids know what to do?! Absolutely. But here is my thing. Little ones shouldn't need to have to worry about these kinds of things! School was a safe place for me as a child even though there were no locked gates or doors. School didn't feel like a prison. These drills have an effect on the children! My child has been sleeping horribly since the shooting, her mind keeps wondering what if it happens at her school?! She was awake most of last night as her school had a lockdown and evacuation drill yesterday. Yes, we can talk to our children and explain to them that this is just for safety and it is a just in case thing, nothing is actually happening at the school. But that doesn't stop their little brains from thinking. Something needs to happen, that's a fact! I don't have a solution, I wish I had.

There are however a few things that I have come to hear over the past week that I don't believe people should start. I have seen a video where a man tells children to report suspicious activity, weird children etc. Reporting suspicious activity, yes absolutely. Reporting weird activity, such as weird children? That goes too far and here is my reasoning as to why. Children don't know what WEIRD is. If another student dresses differently or acts differently due to a medical condition, other children consider them weird. Don't have children put even more labels on other children. My best friends son has autism, is really skinny and naturally, all his clothes are rather baggy on him, and these kids have said things about him and his looks that aren't funny in the least bit. They have also called him weird. This is why this labeling sh*t won't work.

Second point, mental health! If mental health would be taken more seriously and not hidden away in a closet or in the dark, more help could be offered. People with mental illnesses are still looked down upon even though, it is way more common than one may think., in 5 students ( ages 13-18) has a mental illness. I am leaving THIS website here so you can look at the numbers yourself. STOP making fun of people with mental illness. Also health care place another role here as well, so many people do not have access to see a psychiatrist! It's a real issue.

I watched the video our school district has created to show the children. One of their main things was if you see something say something. WELL, now for teachers, principles, and district people to take this more seriously. Especially their No Bullying policy. So, often kids are being bullied and nothing is getting done, it's swept under the rug or the victim can change class or schools. Why punish the victims? Before someone says I have no experience with this, I do, because my daughter was bullied where one of the students tried to trip her down a flight of stairs on a daily basis, I stepped in when the school didn't and they got to see Mama Bear come out. Their no bullying policy is a joke because even when kids say something it's not being taken seriously. This is a problem.

I am purposely not going into the topic of gun control because, in all honesty, I can understand both sides here.

All I know is that there needs to be a change made and not keep pushing the blame on video games or whatnot. There are so many students that are speaking out and wanting adults and lawmakers to wake up, why is it that 16-year-olds seem to have more of a brain than adults. People in high positions just want to keep pushing the blame and things that make no sense.

People please open your eyes and don't just blindly follow people. Use your own brain and your own opinions even if that means that you won't see eye to eye with your neighbor or friend.

Schools are meant to be a safe place for students not a place of fear. Fear of shootings or other things shouldn't be in the back of our kids' minds. Our kids are supposed to sleep well and be children and not lay awake at night in fear that they could be next. Keep our kids say otherwise there will be no future generations.

This is meant as food for thought, just look deep within yourself and think about this situation we are in now.

xoxo, Nicole