[ipnon]

“Think of the children” is a persistent nemesis of modern civil liberties precisely because people buy it so often! One of the easiest emotional arguments to make is “your children are in danger” because parents have extremely low risk tolerance for the safety of their children.

[lazide]

Also parents of young children are typically overwhelmed and freaked out, and easy to manipulate.

[tesch1]

Don't the parents have a legitimate interest here though? Just being tired does not make them irrational or credulous as seems to be implied here.

[lazide]

I take it you’ve never had a sick 18 month old before?

Or three under 5?

There is a legitimate interest, but subtlety and critical thinking are some of the first things to go out the window.

Personally, it completely redefined my concept of ‘exhausted’, though the military veteran family of mine seemed to consider it a not entirely uncommon level of suffering. They were all enlisted though.