Save Your Kid From These 4 Curses On "Friday the 13th!"
Up front: I do not suffer from Friggatriskaidekaphobia Friggatriskaidekaphobia – Fear of Friday the 13th. *It’s a real word that also strikes fear into anyone currently registered for a Spelling Bee. I was born on October 13th, and have celebrated many Friday the 13th birthdays over the years. For me - like Taylor Swift - 13 is the coolest number! *And while I’m comparing myself to Taylor Swift.. …I’ve also been made aware that we were both enamored with Britney Spears when we were growing up (reasons may differ). I don’t want to let my personal captivation with this day over-shadow the majority, though… Friday the 13th is founded upon a tragic and malevolent past – many historians accredit its superstitious genesis to 1307 A.D. when, on (my birthday) Friday the 13th of October, French King Philip IV orchestrated the arrest and slaughter of the Knights Templar and their Grand Master, Jaques de Molai. Since then, Friday the 13th has been known as a day of heightened superstition and bad luck! Many will choose to elude evil by simply staying in their homes all day! But we’re parents!! We don’t have the luxury of staying at home on a Friday – the kids are impatient, or in-school, or in need of something. So, in my newish role of “Dad”… I’ve identified the Superstitions that kids are most likely to encounter…and how we (Dads) can help our children safely avoid the curses that come along with each legend. Read about the peril, and then click "The Solution" buttons to halt the potential curse!
SAVE Your Kid From These FOUR CURSES ON “Friday the 13th” THE SUPERSTITIONS You Can Help Your KIDS AvoID
1 - Spilling the salt! Origins: This superstition originated in a time when salt was a valued commodity…it was expensive to have on your table and it was an integral part of certain medicines. Spilling the salt was considered a fatal mistake…the only way to ward off the terrible, gruesome, repercussions of committing this heinous act…was to throw a pinch of the spilled salt over your shoulder (Damn! I wish I knew how to type super super-melodramatically, cuz this is the dumbest superstition! Basically, all you have to do is clean up a little bit and throw it somewhere that’s not in your way anymore…??) Curse: Bad luck (likely short-term, but literally no one ever didn’t throw some salt over their shoulder to avoid the curse, its so simple) Why Dads should be worried: Kids are so freakin clumsy! They don’t pay attention, and they get less and less coordinated as they get more and more tired…so spilling the salt seems like a very realistic possibility!
Just in case your kid is so tired that they can’t even be convinced to throw a pinch of salt over their shoulder, Do NOT eat out with the kids on Friday the 13th! This Friday the 13th, your job as Dad: keep shakers in the cupboard and order in. Food delivery is more than just pizza these days. Click "The Solution" button above to try the new "Eat24" app from Yelp! that will help you find restaurants that deliver in your area!
Just in Case: if someone, somehow manages to spill the salt...make sure you get some distance over-the-shoulder with THIS no-spill slingshot on Amazon
2 – Walking Under Ladders or Black Cat Crossing Path! Origins: The ladder superstition dates to Medieval Times, and a ladder’s resemblance to gallows! Black cats were formerly thought to be a witch’s “familiar” (spirit animal) Curse: Bad luck…and LOTS of it! Why Dads should be worried: Kids may want to follow your directions when out and about, but then they notice a SpongeBob inflatable or ice cream truck, and zoom…off they go on their new game plan. Over the river, through the woods, under the ladder, down the cat path…
The easiest way to avoid the curse of these superstitions: keep tabs on where the kiddo is walking! Personally, I’d go lowkey and get a backpack with a harness - its practical to have a backpack, but also easy to hide the harness on days that aren’t Friday the 13th. Like me, you may lean toward the inconspicuous designs, but when it comes to the kid walking in crowds (which is probably why you have a harness most of the time) add a cuteness factor that will be sure to get the kiddo noticed, and therefore not runover. Click "The Solution" button to check out the Skip Hop Zoo OWL backpack harness
3 – Breaking a Mirror! Origins: In Ancient Greece, a person’s reflection represented their soul…in those times, the reflection was most likely in water (prior to the invention of glass mirrors), and any disruption of the image was seen as a disruption of the soul! It predicted imminent danger! Curse: 7 years bad luck! *Ancient Romans believed that a person’s body experiences a physical regeneration every 7 years, which is how long it would take to be free of a bad-luck curse Why Dads should be worried: No kid uses mirrors these days, but even my 2-year-old has figured out how to take a selfie on the iPad! Selfies are the modern version of a reflection, and I’d keep that iPad ULTRA safe on Friday the 13th! Also, keep it safe any other day you don’t feel like forking over $700 to replace something.
Click "The Solution" button to get the case that we have used since Radley was a toddler - and I soon saw it on Sprout – plus, it doubles as a kickstand! Backup option: Go FULL lifeproof with this solution:
4 – A Portrait or Photo Falling Off The Wall! Origins: No specific origin for this superstition popped out to me…it seems that it was a superstition built on one experience in 18th century that became legend as more and more similar stories were told! Curse: Whoever was in the picture or portrait that fell, is about to die! Why Dads should be worried: With a two-year-old in our home, there is no longer a height limitation to our danger zones…toys, balls, balloons.. all those things can be thrown or batted into anything at any height in our house! This puts anything hanging on the wall into precarious territory – pictures and portraits included!
Lower your chances of being the face on the frame at the moment it comes into peril, by ordering this digital photo frame, and putting it on slideshow shuffle mode! I also recommend keeping the included-remote control within arms reach; that way, you have the option of hitting the “NEXT” arrow if you notice a whiffle-ball bat headed in the frame’s direction Backup option: You could make sure the photo’s SECURELY in place with a clever mounting option like this:
