Dec
13
Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment
To date my blog topics have been primarily of a critical nature regarding parenting, I would like to deviate from that trend today. I have had the privilege of being involved with a local children’s charity that most often assists terminally ill children. The children are always the center of attention as they should be, but we interact very closely with the parents as well. My previous blogs have focused on the delinquency of parents, fortunately I cannot say the same when it comes to the parents of these pediatric patients. As they first endure the life changing shock of learning that their child has a life threatening illness, they must then move on to navigating all that is involved with this revelation. They must be strong for their child, supportive to his or her siblings, accountable to their employer, and continue to be a dedicated spouse. I have never seen a human being reflect the true definition of what a parent is supposed to be more so as when they are tragically placed in these horrific life alterning circumstances. These parents amaze me day in and day out as they sleep on a window sill for months, shuttle back and forth to work with little or no sleep, hold their child’s head up as they fight the nausea brought on by chemotherapy, and love their child like no one else can. I tip my hat to all parents who so boldly deal with the illness of their child and the demands that fall upon them as a result.
Dec
3
Leading By Example In All Ways
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It seems to be an accepted American practice that if you have gainful employment, provide a home for your family, and love your children then you are an ideal role model for your children. These are certainly adequate life conditions for any child, but in a new era parents must do more. With our eight days a work week mentality I believe the idea that children listen to and emulate us has become an antequated notion amongst American parents. I disagree, if you consistently communicate with your children they will not only believe what you say but do as you do. I believe one of the most important things we can do for our children is lead a healthy lifestyle which includes physical activity, sound nutritional habits, mental relaxation, and spending time with your loved ones. As technology evolves we are so busy we “don’t have time for anything nowadays” we often hear. Our advanced crazed lifestyles have come at a price though, producing a new generation of historically overweight and obese Americans; so it is no surprise that our children are following suit. Parents need to lead healthy lifestyles by eating properly and participating in physical activity whether that be in organized team, individual, or family activity. It is scientifically proven that physically and mentally healthier parents produce healthier and more intelligent children. Instead of stopping at Wendy’s go to the grocery store with your children to pick up a healthy alternative. Shopping for and preparing a meal not only provides valuable time spent with your kids, but also a healthier home cooked meal that you can enjoy together in traditional sit down family fashion. So exercise today and eat properly, you will be surprised to learn that your children will do the same if you show them the way!
Nov
12
Parents Liable for Childs Action
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When should parents be legally liable for the actions of their children?
I ask this question after the article I just read. Unfortunately it was about the shooting at Columbine High. All the warning signs were there and the parents had no idea. According to this article the teenagers displayed there violence in many ways. They made a video for class depicting them roaming the halls and shooting the school’s athletes. One of them turned his suburban home into a bomb factory. They would also write about killing in class papers.
How can a parent be so blind to all this? In my opinion its a parent that is not involved. A negligent parent. You can’t have such obvious signs and ignore them.
It seems that everyday parents are less involved in what goes on in their kids everyday routine. Would something like this happen if a parent was checking or at least looking over, out of curiosity, the child’s work? I would have to say no. I know some cases are more extreme but at least you would have a warning by looking at what they do.
This is why I believe the parent should be legally liable for their child’s action all the time. In some cases a fine is appropriate but in most I think a more harsh punishment is in order. A child is only what the parent makes of them. Maybe if the parents are held accountable they will be more involved and aware of what happens in the everyday routine of their child’s life.
Maybe we will have better parents in this country!
O’Beirne, Kate. “Parents Should Be Held Legally Responsible for Juvenile Crime.” Opposing Viewpoints: Juvenile Crime. Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. CCLA, Palm Beach Comm College. 12 Nov. 2008
Nov
12
Who is running the show?
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I recently witnessed an episode of “bratness” that left me in awe. I was boarding a flight looking forward to a weekend away, a sweet looking family of four sitting behind me with two children in the range of 1-3 years old. As I settled in to my seat it began, an incremental episode of verbal abuse including a belittling of the other for the lack of compliance with her requests: from the three year old! No this was not the parent applying a swift form of parental discipline that is sometimes required with unruly children; this was a three year old dictator like child bossing her mother around like an Army Seargant does a newly arrived recruit. As she barked out her demands there was no repurcussions from her mother nor father, but simply a continual reply of sheepish questions in an effort to satisfy this small child’s every demand. Her parents cowered like a small puppy being reprimanded by his owner, the three year old clearly controlling the conflict. All of us were shocked by this display of role reversals and I posed this question to myself: who is the parent and who is the child here? I found myself reminiscing back to my childhood and cringed at the consequences I would of suffered if I had ever used that tone for even five seconds with my parents. We live in a new world, a new generation of parents and children are coming of age, which poses not an age old question but a new one regarding the epidemic of these brat like children: are the kids worse or are the parents worse? In an age where a big house, three cars, and plasma tv’s seem to be a family’s priority it is my belief that parents need to place a higher priorty on their parenting skills and stronger family values. Stop working so hard in order to provide the “American Dream”, and work harder on creating America’s future by molding discipline polite children.
Oct
26
A controversial Massachussetts law regarding junkfood in schools was debated on CNN today. The law, which goes into effect January 1, 2009, bans junkfood in MA schools; the distinquishing element to this law is that it not only bans schools from serving and selling junkfood but also bans students from bringing junkfood in from home. The primary question was who should be in charge of regulating a student’s nutrition. The pro-law side argued that someone must take the lead in this area in order to compensate for the lack of nutritional guidance, or lack there of, being provided at home. The opposing side argued that it is the responsibility of the parents to regulate this type of nutritional behavior and that there was no place for state implemented draconian type rules related to what children can or cannot eat. Although they differed in their primary argument both sides were in agreement that a lack of activity in children has also contributed to the highest rates of pediatric obesity and diabetes in history; this is our problem.
In the our world where the average American watches over 8 hours of television a day it should be no surprise that we not only have the fattest country in the world, but the fattest kids. A record 82% of all U.S. students do not participate in physical education class, as it is no longer required by schools. Between Xboxes, Playstations, WII’s, and computers our children are now glued to the monitor or television more than ever. Sports and outdoor activities are becoming extinct amongst kids, we even have WII Fit to fill the void in case they really don’t want to do anything outside their activity box. So who is going to take responsibility for the nutritional habits of our children, the schools or the parents? This is clearly the parents responsibility and although schools have the right to regulate what they serve and sell, they have no right to control what goes into a child’s homemade lunch. What is next, are schools going to send hall monitors to your home on Saturday night to ensure there is no pie served after dinner? The solution here is two fold in that our children need more activity and better nutritional values, both of which are the parents responsbility, not schools. It is a parent’s duty to ensure that their children maintain a healthy physical lifestyle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, not just as an after school program.
Sep
27
The “Excuse”
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When did add & adhd become so popular? I would really like to know who grabbed on to that illness and ran with it. I am sure that some kids do have a chemical imbalance but what I have seen has been a bunch of bad kids with parents using that as the excuse for the little brat misbehaving in school or any where else for that matter. And I have to assume they are brats because mom and dad have no time in their busy schedule to actually discipline them.
You are probably wondering why I am so passionate about this, I will give you the reason. I have a friend who swears her child has adhd, autism, and aspergers. WHAT? When she told me that I was floored. This kid is smart how can that be? I realized that maybe this could be in her head. I have taken care of him at times and he has been great. Yeah at times a bit annoying (because I have no kids therefore I have no patience) but overall he was good. When he acts like that with her she usually has 30 things going at once (no time for him) so she gets annoyed with him and says “Have you taken your pill today?” That really makes me sick. A parent would rather DRUG a child than to give them a little more time to discipline or even spend with them. So whenever I see them and I tell her “He’s behaving so well” she comes back with,
”Yeah I gave him his pill today.”
Sorry I really can’t take that Excuse!
Aug
28
My Topic
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I decided to blog about parenting because I am honestly concerned about our future and the future of kids today. How is it that we have so many wonderful tools at our hands and we chose not to utilize them. We could be such a great country but some of us choose not to. I wonder, is it because we don’t have the financial ability? I have to say no. If someone wants something bad enough the money will come. It may not be the easiest task but if you want it, you will get it.
With that in mind it leads me to believe there is just something wrong with our parenting skills. Our priorities are not what they should be or what they were in the past. Could this have something to do with parents not being as involved in kids lives as they used to be? Parents generally have minimal time to spend with their kids and in that time they do not want to reprimand them, no they want to be happy and give them whatever they want no matter what it is. I am sorry to say but I do not believe that is good parenting.
My biggest issue with parenting today is the excuses! What I mean by excuses is that bratty kids are not known as bratty undisciplined kids anymore they now have something…AN EXCUSE! They have ADHD, ADD, etc. I don’t even what to begin talking about that today. Not to take anything away from valid cases but I just don’t like bad parents using that illness as an excuse.
I am deeply saddened by some of the things I read about when it comes to parents and kids today. When will we notice that we obviously are doing something wrong. I look at other countries and they are so disciplined at such an early age and I wonder why do we do this to ourselves. Have we really stopped caring? Or do we just not realize the damage we are doing?