Is this year moving quickly for you guys, too?
I feel like whinging a little bit (if I may use a little Carmel-speak). You know I don't blog unless I'm mopey, contemplative, or cranky...
I was at the Great Establishment of Christian Chicken the other day (if you have to ask, you don't need to know!), enjoying a lunch to myself. A cute little girl and her mom sat nearby (because I was pretty close to the play area) and I overheard her mom telling her they were going to switch out her kids meal toy for an ice cream. Amid the standard toddler line of questioning, she satisfied her little curiosity by confirming the situation by saying, "I don't like this, Mommy?" to which her mom replied, "No. You don't like that."
I realize that, for the sake of the situation, a Q and A session like that is probably warranted, yet working with the population I do (teens), something seemed to irk me about it. Isn't it funny how some parents say they want their kids to be their own person but yet don't realize that they're probably the biggest role model in their lives? This is scary stuff from where I'm sitting. Eegads... I'm not going to be able to get my point across anytime soon, but let me give an example. Little Joe has gotten a bad grade in Science class. He's not done any of the work, whines to the teacher, and badmouths whomever tries to guide him. He slacks and slacks and has his iPod at the ready, yet never has his books. Whose fault is this? You'd think you'd know the answer but I'm sure you can see what's coming. It's anyone's EXCEPT Little Joe's! What is wrong with this world when parents are storming the doors of our SENIOR (11th and 12th grades) high schools demanding their child pass and wondering why the teacher hasn't done anything to remedy this?! There's no accountability except on the teacher and the school. Why are our schools expected to raise our kids? That's pretty scary stuff, as it is...but that's another blog... These same little darlings are going to get out in the world and either be rudely awakened or perpetuate this crazy cycle of entitlement and indifference.
Argh. If we want our kids to be individuals and stand on their own two feet, we've got to give them a firm foundation to build from. No iPods or cell phones required. (What happens when you unplug a teen from his/her iPod? Has anyone tried this?? Do they self-destruct?)
Until next time...
