Amanda, sounds like you have taught your children well. Here in our school system if the parents don't take control of their children's education and add more things than they do in school, they get behind and don't have the needed skills to make it in life.
My daughter and her husband both have college educations that they worked and paid for themselves. I was able to help my daughter some, financially, but she did most of it on her own by first managing a fast food restaurant and going parttime and then the last two years she waited tables and went full time. My two and my stepson all went to work when they sixteen years old because they wanted to work and make their own money.
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Hello Everyone
I never really understood why American students and adults were dumbed down and so many people I encountered along the way all knew they were - but that video sure gave me the answers and we have all seen the results.
They leave school barely able to read, do basic math, cannot find their own State on the map, yet if they had any sporting talents at all these are held in the highest esteem by their peers, teachers, parents, coach etc.
There is a lot of pressure placed upon children these days that when you boil it all down are meaningless in the whole spectrum. e.g. To be the first at everything especially in the sports field. But what happens if they are not good enough to get in with the NFL or other Sports Federation.
My two children have had their education widened immensely when they started to travel overseas to work and meet up with many people from different cultures, ethnics and other countries as fellow overseas workers becoming their co-workers. Budgeting their money and saving to keep travelling or they don't go. I think they would only have taken this plunge because I moved away from New Zealand to live which gave them the incentive to come see me and they had to find how they could work before they left NZ and stay those first initial years before they worked further afield than USA.
But I do feel a little worried too, because my son Daryl whom is living and working in England at present will have his visa run out in the next few months and apparently cannot renew it because he did not realise when he took it out, he did not need it at that time to work with the Busabout Company who hired him on their cruise ships to sail on the Continent and Europe 2 years ago. This visa was wasted and now that he needs it and wants to stay longer in Britain he may not be able to so he is looking to travel to Egypt and I do not really know how safe that is for him.
He was in Pakistan/K2, Laos, China & Hong Kong, South America and had a wonderful time and experiences.
He is not ready to go back home to NZ and is getting pressure on him to go back for his father's birthday in June and he was telling me his aunt (my brother's wife) had assumed he would be flying home and told everyone he would be there.
This was one of the reasons I have not been back for a visit to my family, they always wanted to boss me around because I am the youngest (1 sister and 2 brothers) and now they are doing it to my daughter and son. Talk about control freaks!! They do not even contact me. I said to Daryl that I supported his decision 100% as it is his life and no one else's, which made him feel better that I have his back.
Amanda
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Hi Kathleen, Amanda, Luis Miguel & All,
I must say that dumbed down is right and how unfortunate is that?
Satire and sarcasm are some times the best tools to get a point across and you did good Kathleen with your post (even though some might mistake it and not notice the spicy sarcasm).
Luis Miguel, I have to agree with you. When I was raising my 2 daughters I always tried to instill in them that all I want is for them to always do their best. Not do half baked jobs whether it be in the workplace or in school. Happily I must admit that I succeeded with both my girls.
With my eldest it was easier cos she has an IQ that's off the charts and she was capable of studying, listening to music and watching TV all at the same time and then acing the exam. My younger daughter while she has an above average IQ had a more difficult time in school cos she followed her older sister and the expectations from her were great.and Yifat was a hard act to follow. Yet she always tried her best and did well.
This carried on as they grew older and now I find Yifat teaching her kids the same thing which is very satisfying. Her eldest daughter who's in the 2nd grade is a very bright girl and never has to be reminded to do her homework and so far is doing very well.
I'm amazed how strict Yifat can be with her kids and she and her husband teach them that there are boundaries and limits to what is allowed and when they misbehave as kids will do they get it from her and her husband.
Unfortunately I find that many parents are afraid of their kids and won't punish them when they misbehave and the results can be seen and some times they are quite ugly.
Luis Miguel, your last comment is interesting and I can't agree with you more. I even stated as much in my PM to Karen but it apparently didn't take and reading her posts now nothing with her surprises me anymore.
Shalom,
Peter
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Hello Kathleen,
Too funny, you have quite a wit. LOL
As I was reading, I was thinking what I have been learning lately especially Charlotte Iserbyt 'American Deception, dumbing down in schools.
Children, Students, adults are rewarded throughout life with stars, awards, medals, ribbons, cups, Oscars, etc. No one gets corrected anymore.
It was very interesting yet shocking how this was accomplished.
Amanda
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We should all sing on Singsnap and make a record-sales site, and all be compelled to get along, just like on the handmade sales sites where everyone promotes each other's scarves and jewelry made from rags and recycled newspapers, and there's no arguing because everyone's in sell-mode...and we all tell each other..."That looks great!" ;)
That and an exaggerated praise of a wrong spirit of competition, where arriving in second or third place or, for that matter, in the tenth place is no longer valid. "No one will remember you if you are second" seems to have become the life's supreme motto for children and is what parents are supposed to inculcate them - the earliest the better. No wonder so many children commit suicide nowadays.
On the opposite end, no one gets corrected anymore... so you can, among other things, do others what you would not have done unto you. To heck with them if they hurt...
No extremes can be good. To me, everyone has the right to make what makes them happy... as long as they are not hurting other people, and even if they cannot carry a tune.
Hugs,
Miguel