It is 10 am and my daughter is being given a Kool-Aid and a packaged Rice Krispie square for a snack from a lovely, well-meaning parent after her ball hockey game.

And I'm, like, really?? 

My friend Heather Greenwood-Davis is passionate about people and how we treat them. Her trip around the world with her kids only made her more sensitive to those who don't have a voice. In the following guest post she asks parents to reconsider the idea of putting athletes and celebrities on pedestals without knowing who they truly are. 

Guest Post: The Problem With A Pedestal

Recently I overheard a conversation about Oscar Pistorius. The athlete nicknamed "The Blade Runner" - in relation to the double leg prosthesis he wore during his quest for Olympic glory on behalf of South Africa - has been charged with premeditated murder in the death of his girlfriend. It’s a grisly tale.

The couple I overheard discussing this was clearly shocked, as I think most people were, to hear the news. But their response, which was also likely common to many, is demonstrative of the problem we have as a continent.

“I can’t believe he could do that!” said one. “He seemed like such a nice guy…”

Shaking his head, the other responded, “He was a role model!”

Actually he wasn’t and isn’t.

Tony Hawk is a skateboarding legend. He can do things while standing on a board that I can't do standing on my feet. He would obviously be the coolest dad in the world. 

But even legends hit speedbumps and Hawk came under fire this week after posting a photo on Instagram. He is seen swinging his shoeless four-year-old daughter while riding his skateboard in his backyard skateboard park. Problem is, neither of them are wearing helmets.

Now that camp is done, I'm already working on the nightmare of scheduling extra-curriculars for the three kids; this is logistically difficult and can get very expensive.

We have barely recovered from paying for summer programs, but I am already pulling out the chequebook and making a list of gear requirements (well, making a list might be overstating things, I should be making a list.) I am thankful that we get off relatively easy because my kids do not play competitive anything. And house league play means house league-level gear. 

Who doesn't feel that tug of emotion when you see an Olympic athlete hugging their mother? You would have to be made of stone to not get a little teary at shots of the parents in the Olympic stands. And the commercials may be even worse.

I'm always interested in the role of the parents of Olympic athletes. Did they push their kids? Or were they taken along for a ride? Did they work hours in the bingo hall to raise money? Did they mortgage their house just for this dream? Did they push their kids, when their kids wanted to give up?

Or were they reluctant participants? 

Yesterday, Scouts Canada referred 65 cases to the police for review at the same time admitting that they may not have been as diligent as they should have been when it came to following up on suspicions of sex abuse. 

The official review decided there was no cover-up, just a series of tiny head turns and feigning ignorance that can lead to disastrous results.

Last week, Jerry Sandusky in Philadelphia was found guilty of abusing 10 boys under his athletic directorship. 

The world may be divided by people who loved camp and people who didn't (this is similar to dividing by those who cook and those who bake but different groups).

I went to sleepover camp for four years. I liked it but it did not change my life. I was happy to be there and happy to be done with it when that time of my life was over.

But my sister and brother-in-law loved camp as did my husband's brother and his wife. (It seems that in our family camp-y people marry each other -- is this common?) Camp was the highlight of their year, and they spent the whole school year waiting for it.

My grade three son only has gym class two days out of eight. I thought that he had Daily Physical Activity every day to make up for the activity deficit, but when I asked him about it he had no idea what I was talking about. It's not that I think standing behind a chair stretching and doing some jumping jacks will increase his physical health, but it sends a message that sitting too long is not good for you.

DPA is supposed to be part of kids' daily activities at school, but it looks like the schools are failing to do it.

Paige Sultzbach won't be playing in her championship baseball game in Phoenix. In fact, her whole team will be sitting this one out.

A Catholic school that was supposed to face the 15-year-old's baseball team forfeited instead of facing a girl on the field.

My friend Beth's kids both swim competitively. They are in the water for at least five hours each week. But that doesn't make them immune from the dangers of the water. It only takes a second for things to change, as Beth learned last week.

Beth's son Dylan is 9. He is a great kid and a good athlete but last week he nearly drowned while everyone watched. His mom sent me this email as a warning.