Quote from kuggur slingdog on Feb 21^st, 2012, 1:25pm:

 
Yeah, granted I'm 15 and I know very little about fathering (though unfotunately more than a lot of dads), but for once, Kuggurs reasoning seems sound.  
 
I consider myself to be one of the least odd ones, but it's pretty hard to tell with the rest of you over the computer.
 
Now maybe if this was like a home-making/cooking or some kind of mom/babysitting forum (not sure if such a thing exist   ) There would probably be more able people.  
 
You guys are more of the kind of guys I'd go on a primitive camping/hunting trip with than the type to watch my kids. Though there is always that thouhg in the back of my head that if you started "starving" you wouldn't mind eating me.  

“The error of youth is to believe that intelligence is a substitute for experience, while the error of age is to believe experience is a substitute for intelligence”
 
 
I don't know people on this forum well enough yet, but Rat man would be one of my top choices. Someone who gets along with, and takes care of, animals (especially dogs) as well he does will probably do well with children.

   Thanks, prepetualstudent.  I am very good with children.  I'm a world class story teller and will always keep them coming back for more.  I'm a little old school because I was raised that way, but I'm not above lot of goofy fun.  
    Let's not forget the scenario here.  The question isn't "Would you allow someone from slinging.org to watch your kids?"  It's been established that there's some emergency and you HAVE to leave your kids or kid with someone from slinging.org.  There is no other choice in this case.  
   As far as us being weirdos who are into ancient weapons, everyone is into something.  An interest in ancient weapons seems a lot less harmful to developing  children than drugs, gambling, women of the night, drinking,  etc., etc..  For this scenario slinging.org seems a good a place as any to look for an emergency sitter.

Whether or not your sitter did any religious teaching is something you'd have to work out with him/her beforehand.  Hopefully he/she would respect your wishes.

Holy Cow.  I never thought I'd say this but I'm down with Kuggar.  Most of us are a bunch of way old or way young detached from reality types.  A large percentage of us dress up as pretend knights.  And there's that one crazy dude with all the knives.  Remember: "We are the people our parents warned us about".  Lets just try to get the kids though school and college without too much emotional trauma.  Although, this spawns another great idea.  Lets all post pics of ourselves and then decide who looks the most normal.  Mine appears below..........................

Quote from timann on Feb 21^st, 2012, 2:02pm:

 
cheers, I'll take that as a compliment  
 
I have done babysitting in my past for next door's kids. One is now in her 2nd or 3rd year at university  
 
At the end of the day it's down to trust. I'm the most trustworthy person I know - but you only have my word on that

You said it Timann. Honestly what could be cooler than if I got back from my emergency and saw my little girl sitting around a campfire telling me about her first time using a bow? Very cool if you ask me. So long as it was done responsibly I'm all for it.  
 
I agree with Snowcelt about the religious stuff for the most part.  A man or woman should have the final word in how their child is raised.  
 
After Aussie I would probably choose RM just because he reminds me of the cool grandfather that every kid on the block wished they had lol. But there are a lot of people here that I would love my kids to spend time with. We have good people here.

That is actually a good point, althouhg most of society would peg us as oddballs for spending time in the woods making bows, slinging, and various other activites; it is those activities that can reallly shape a childs attitude. So it's kinda a good thing.
 
Just guessing, 20 years from now if you talked to my kid about religion against Christianity he would probably debate you, and win.  
 
And very importantly a sitter is no substitue for a parent. So I figure this is more of a temporary thing like for a day as opposed to a "when I die..."
 
If I had too, I'd probably go with Rat Man, 1. you are pretty much the only slinging.org member I know well within a couple hundred miles. 2 I could see you being the cool crazy uncle type and you wouldn't mind being stern with dicipline. 3 Pretty sure you live near the pine barrens (so as long as I actually met you in person and didn't just "ship" my kid over there) kids can pretty much be entertained for days in the woods.