Effective Parenting Through Visual Aids

We all want our kids to be safe. We try to keep them from juggling knives, poking pit bulls in the eyes, playing with matches (got that Alan?), and running while holding a pair of scissors. Being kids though, they generally look for the loophole and while they may temporarily stop doing something, like running with scissors, they will usually slightly modify their hobby by holding something else, like a hand grenade or gas-powered hedge trimmer.

Fortunately, these days there is e-mail and every once in a while you get something that makes your job as a parent a little bit easier. I have probably told my kids a million times not only not to run with scissors in their hands, but not with any sharp objects in their grasp be it knives, forks, pencils, syringes or meat thermometers. Each time I do, they roll their eyes and give me the disinterested, "Yes father, o wise bald one". Obviously, they don't believe me anymore than I believed my parents so I had to show them proof, whipping out a picture I recently received in my inbox to drive home the point on why it is not a good idea to goof around in the kitchen while holding a fork:

The effect the picture had was predictable. They gave the child his due sympathy by saying "Awwww, the little boy has a boo-boo on his nose! That's so sad!" and then went on continuing with their potentially lethal behavior. This forced me to up the ante and kick up the shock factor a bit by showing them the full efect of what really happened:

It was much more effective, but now they regard their silverware as if we slathered it in Mad Cow Disease before putting it on their place setting, preferring to eat with their fingers. With a little luck, I'm hoping that it will also counteract any body piercing fetishes they may develop as teenagers as well.