It’s finally all over: Balloon Boy has been found at home in his own attic, where he apparently fled after being shouted at by his father. Aside from the irony of continuing to call him Balloon Boy — he was never in that balloon after all — there’s something here to be said for being patient.
On the one hand, his father was right to be firm regarding keeping little Falcon away from fooling around in the basket of their balloon. Though Richard Heene could never have foreseen what would have resulted from his actions, just imagine the terror the little six year old would have endured for over two hours during that wayward flight. So perhaps his overabundance of cautionary yelling was in some way justified.
Yet, of course, look at what actually occurred. Feeling frightened of his own father, at least during the time immediately after being scolded, Falcon hid away for a long time. Did he wonder why no one came to look for him? Did he remain in hiding after finding out people were looking for him, scared of further retribution? Did his parents know he was up there and do the whole thing as a publicity stunt? (As was suggested by the CNN interview where Falcon said they “did it for the show?” Video below.)
The only time it might be necessary to raise one’s voice to one’s child might be to prevent him from immediate harm, as when he might walk into a busy street, or is about to grasp a hot stove. Children respond to loud voices poorly at the best of times, and more so when they’ve been startled. The best means of prevention is to obviate the whole situation by making it impossible for them to get into accidents in the first place; judicious use of safety devices and a lot of roleplaying dangerous situations can go a long way. But more than that, cultivate patience. Children learn by doing, and you cannot expect them to intuitively know what’s dangerous; it’s likely that you yourself only know by bitter experience. Take the time to show your child what’s safe and what isn’t, and explain why, instead of angrily yelling at them at inopportune moments. Let’s avoid making more Balloon Boys.
