Parents know that when your kids are playing and then things go quiet, it's usually not a good sign. Silence is typically worse than fighting or yelling because it means that they're up to no good (and most likely making a mess). That's why this lack of noise is enough to send chills down any experienced parent's spine. But when one mom went to check on her [little girl](http://thestir.cafemom.com/being_a_mom/176939/13_ surprising_facts_about_girls), what she saw her doing was more upsetting than she was prepared for.
On Saturday morning, Sherry Hollands's 5-year-old girl was playing with her "babies." But instead of making up fantasy lives for her pretend friends, Tellie gathered them up, put them in her mom's bed, and placed them facedown. She then turned off the lights, locked the door, and crouched down with her head covered. "I asked her what she was doing. SHE IS PRACTICING HER DRILLS," Hollands shared on Facebook with a heartbreaking photo of Tellie. "THIS IS NOT WHAT PRETEND FOR A 5 YEAR OLD SHOULD LOOK LIKE!!!"
As the youngest of five kids, Tellie has become somewhat aware of the school safety concerns as her older siblings share their fears. But even though Tellie is just 5 years old, these active shooter drills have also already become ingrained in the child as just a typical day at school. "There was a fire drill at her school the previous Thursday," Hollands tells CafeMom. "Shortly afterwards, two high school kids from a neighboring school jumped the fence into her school's property. Her school was put on a soft lockdown until the police came and apprehended the kids and made sure the property was secure."
Although Hollands hasn't had a direct conversation with her youngest about school shootings and they don't talk about the news with her, it's impossible to completely shield her from what's going on. "She doesn't quite know why they do drills but knows the most important thing is to follow the directions her teacher gives her," she says. "Seeing her face down with her hands on her head literally took my breath."
Hollands wasn't able to attend her local March for Our Lives protests, but seeing her child like this makes her want to do anything she can to help kids feel safe in schools. She hopes that this chilling image will help shed light on why this movement is so important for every student. "Playing with dolls is quite normal and healthy. Seeing this did not feel normal or healthy," she says. "I want people to advocate for common sense gun laws and restrictions. Our children need a safe, healthy environment to learn and become our future leaders."
For this mom, the answer is simple: Guns have no place in schools. "We should not have to be training kids for tactical warfare while they're trying to become those future leaders," she says. "Teachers need to teach. I am not in favor of arming teachers unless we are arming them with the supplies they desperately need to teach."
