Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Practice Like You Play
My sister had a post on her blog on the subject of children's education these days, and I was amazed at how many responses she got. I started to comment, but when I started typing, my fingers went crazy...too crazy for a response. So I transported her subject to my blog and to this post. I look forward to your further insight.
I'm not that old, I know. I just turned 25. I've often wondered exactly what marks the end of one generation and the start of another. I still don't know, but I do know that I am at the end of my generation. And might I add, on the better side of the gap. Several weeks ago, I was discussing this with a friend. We were talking about the differences between our generation and the next. She and I both work in the Navy. You would not believe the attitudes we encounter from young sailors - both enlisted and officer. They don't work, yet they expect to get paid. They sleep all day, fall behind in their studies, and then get angry when they are called out for being behind in their studies.
Last night I went to dinner with my roommate and a friend of ours. We went to a Japanese steak house/hibache place. At our table was a woman with her three children, aged 12, 4, and 6 months. They were the most well behaved children I had seen in a long time. They didn't run around like most little brats; and when they did act up, all it took was one snap of the fingers from their mother and they were sitting back down, no arguments. What amazes me more than this sight, though, is that this sight amazes me at all. How is it that we live in an age where children can call child protective services at the drob of a hat...literally?! If I acted up as a kid, I got my butt spanked. I'm not psychotic. I don't need therapy. I'm perfectly happy, and when I'm not, I don't blame my parents. There are real children in the world with real problems. Children who do have horrible parents. Children who do have horrible experiences. Children who have to live with those horrible experiences for the rest of their lives. Now every pansy-ass brat abuses the services that those truly troubled children really need.
Kids and parents, both - grow the f%*# up and deal with life. Keep score. Give grades. Show discipline. You practice like you play. If you let kids skate through life for fear of inflicting some kind of weird psychological damage, then those kids won't know how to deal with life on their own. Practice like you play. Teenage years are practice for your twenties, which is practice for your thirties, etc. Do you want to be living with your parents, earning an allowance, when you're 40? Think about it!
I'm not that old, I know. I just turned 25. I've often wondered exactly what marks the end of one generation and the start of another. I still don't know, but I do know that I am at the end of my generation. And might I add, on the better side of the gap. Several weeks ago, I was discussing this with a friend. We were talking about the differences between our generation and the next. She and I both work in the Navy. You would not believe the attitudes we encounter from young sailors - both enlisted and officer. They don't work, yet they expect to get paid. They sleep all day, fall behind in their studies, and then get angry when they are called out for being behind in their studies.
Last night I went to dinner with my roommate and a friend of ours. We went to a Japanese steak house/hibache place. At our table was a woman with her three children, aged 12, 4, and 6 months. They were the most well behaved children I had seen in a long time. They didn't run around like most little brats; and when they did act up, all it took was one snap of the fingers from their mother and they were sitting back down, no arguments. What amazes me more than this sight, though, is that this sight amazes me at all. How is it that we live in an age where children can call child protective services at the drob of a hat...literally?! If I acted up as a kid, I got my butt spanked. I'm not psychotic. I don't need therapy. I'm perfectly happy, and when I'm not, I don't blame my parents. There are real children in the world with real problems. Children who do have horrible parents. Children who do have horrible experiences. Children who have to live with those horrible experiences for the rest of their lives. Now every pansy-ass brat abuses the services that those truly troubled children really need.
Kids and parents, both - grow the f%*# up and deal with life. Keep score. Give grades. Show discipline. You practice like you play. If you let kids skate through life for fear of inflicting some kind of weird psychological damage, then those kids won't know how to deal with life on their own. Practice like you play. Teenage years are practice for your twenties, which is practice for your thirties, etc. Do you want to be living with your parents, earning an allowance, when you're 40? Think about it!
Comments:
<< Home
I came so close to writing about this on my own blog. In fact, at some point, I still might. Its scary that its refreshing to see a polite child, a rarity even. A four year old that says thank you, who'd have thunk it. I again agree- I got spanked when I was kid. I even (gasp) got spanked with a belt and a wooden spoon. And as far as I can tell, I turned out fine.
Scary thing, I work with people who still live with their parents! Because it's NY, and it's expensive, and mom and dad have room for them, and they don't want to live by themselves, etc., etc., etc. But, none of those reasons negates the fact that THEY STILL LIVE AT HOME! Not the point of the blog, I know, but a disturbing fact nonetheless.
Kids today eh? Where did we go wrong? I'll tell ya. It happened in the 80's when the term "politically correct" started coming into our world. Don't use bad words, it will make your child feel bad. Don't raise your voice or hand...it will make your child feel bad. Feeling bad is one thing that noone should ever have to feel...right? Wrong! They ( society) started telling us that we should reason with our children when they do wrong..don't smack them with the wooden spoon/ belt/ whatever my mom could find within hands reach.....talk to them..reason with them...let them see the evil of their ways and then give them a time out. WRONG! A parent does not have to beat their child for discipline, they should do the following.
1. Make their children aware of what is wrong and right.
2. Punish when wrong is done.
3. Make them face the consquences of their actions on their own; whether they be good or bad...this will teach them that they must be responsible for what havoc they reek upon society.
oh my...I think my fingers started to get a little crazy..may have to take this to my blog. Thank you though...society needs to read stuff like this.
Post a Comment
1. Make their children aware of what is wrong and right.
2. Punish when wrong is done.
3. Make them face the consquences of their actions on their own; whether they be good or bad...this will teach them that they must be responsible for what havoc they reek upon society.
oh my...I think my fingers started to get a little crazy..may have to take this to my blog. Thank you though...society needs to read stuff like this.
<< Home
