“Mom, can I go over to Timmy’s house?” It starts the same way every time. The kids make friends in their new classes and want to have a play date on their turf. I, in all of my parental paranoia, refuse to grant their request to set foot on unfamiliar turf and am met by cries of, “You’re so mean! That’s not fair!” Sometimes, the parents of said friend get involved and insist that their homestead is completely safe. These decrees hold just about as much weight as if it were made by Michael Jackson himself. I am very weary of …read more