My reaction to a blog post gone viral.

As many of you are most likely aware there is a blog post that has gone viral.  This is from a mother of two young children and it is entitled "Why my kids are not the center of my world." 

Here is a link if you have not read it: http://www.viralnova.com/this-young-mother-is-sick-of-how-kids-are-being-raised-heres-her-controversial-blog-post/

I am sure that people who read my reaction will say, "What does he know?  He doesn't have kids."  You are correct.  I do not.  However, I have been teaching for 6 years and have been working with children my whole life. 

So here ya go:

In this post, she states that "there was a time – not too long ago – when bullying was defined as slamming someone up against a locker and stealing their lunch money. There was a time when kids got called names and got picked on, and they brushed it off and worked through it."

The idea of bullying did use to be a lot more black and white.  If you didn't have some sort of physical damage, then you weren't bullied.  However, that thought process is wrong.  I can't believe that it has taken us until now to begin to correctly define "bullying".  "Picking on somebody" and "calling somebody names" has always been and is still bullying.  That was, easily, the most asinine paragraph in the post.  You may say that I'm a bleeding-heart liberal or trying to sissify our children (the latter which is the most annoying phrase in the world).  I don't care.  With social media the way it is, we need to crack down on this.  I am thrilled with the way we in, 2013, are FINALLY cracking down on bullying. 


She also states that "modern parenting is creating a generation that’s not going to be able to function in society. Your child, who you cater to every need, who you shelter from all things “evil.” How will this child react when he or she grows into adulthood? “Debbie” graduates from high school and goes to college. She writes her first paper and meets with her professor about that paper and the professor tells her that it’s junk and it will get a failing grade. How will Debbie cope with that if she’s always been made to feel that no one should ever make her feel sad, or criticize anything she does?"

I fully disagree with this assertion about "modern parenting".  "Modern parenting" is not catering to every need.  I think it makes no sense for her to paint "modern parenting" with such a broad brush.  To me, "modern parenting" is walking a fine line between "catering to children's every need" and letting them figure things out for themselves.  My question is this: why is she wanting her children to be in the "real world" so soon.  Let them be children.  Her part about Debbie is insane, as well.  First of all, I've never heard of a professor referring to a paper as "junk".  Second of all, if Debbie wrote a bad paper in college, I'm sure that she had written some bad papers in high school and it got "criticized".  As an elementary school teacher, you don't get a child's best by calling his/her work junk.  You don't get a child's best effort by demeaning his/her work.  You get his/her best effort by mentioning what you like about the paper and then telling the child where he/she could improve it, what changes they need to make.  If you disagree with this sentiment then "Congratulations", you know nothing about children.  (Did you see how I just used a generalization just like she did throughout her whole post?  See, anybody can do it  :-)).

She also mentions about her boy wanting to bring something to show-and-tell.  His action figure has a "drill" with it.  He decides not to bring it because he doesn't want to get in trouble for bringing a "gun" to school. 

I completely understand his thought process.  Schools don't want children bringing anything resembling a gun to school.  However, I can easily tell that his mom watches too much TV or reads stories on the internet a little too often.  People act like that craziness that they see in the news is the staple in all schools.  They act like every school suspends a kid for a pop tart that was eaten to look like a gun.  I'm sorry.  But for every one of those stories, there are hundreds of stories of children bringing a toy gun  or something of that nature to school and it being collected by the teacher and/or principal.  Then it is returned to the parent.  However, you know what?  THOSE STORIES AREN'T IN THE NEWS!!!  For some reason, they don't report those.  Elementary-aged kids are not gonna get suspended for acting like they have guns at recess.  They might be asked to stop but that's it.  As a parent, she can let them do whatever she wants at home.  At least, she realizes that.

She also mentioned her boys having manners, speaking to people when spoken to, etc.  "Modern parents" also do that.  That is not just old-fashioned parenting.

I know that a lot of people liked her post.  I know that not everybody is going to agree with me.  By the amount of people that re-posted that blog, I can tell that a lot of people will disagree with me.  However, from the moment I read it, I knew I had to respond to it.

Thanks for taking time to read!!


Philip

Independence Day ramblings

I will say that I understand Independence Day.  I understand it's significance.  I believe it is a wonderful holiday where we get to celebrate our country and the freedom that we have.  It is also a time where we get to thank the military for all they do for us.

However, it has also become a time to show off about how patriotic you may be.  All day long, people are posting pictures up on facebook just so people know they are more patriotic than anybody else.  You won't see this much one-upmanship until Christmas time when people will post non-stop about their love for Jesus.  I am always picturing people getting in a room and yelling, "I LOVE JESUS MORE",   "NO, I LOVE HIM MORE".  "WELL, I POSTED THAT MANIPULATIVE STATUS ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE JESUS.  YOU KNOW, THE ONE THAT SAYS IF I DON'T RE-POST IT, THEN THAT SHOWS THAT I DON'T LOVE HIM."  "We're done 'cause you're just a moron".  (The argument has to end sometime) 
After all, most people are competitive by nature.  You have to be better than other people somehow, don't you?  Oh, you don't?  Dang, now I know!!

Every year, I hope that we are a little more free than the year before.  More free?  How can people be "more free"?  Lucky for me, I'm as free as I can be.  I can't be any more free.  You want to know why?  That is because I'm a white, straight, Christian, male.  We can basically do whatever we want, as long as it's legal. 

However, all people who aren't white?  They're still discriminated against.  Believe it or not, the KKK is still around.  Racism isn't has prevalent as it used to be.  However, it still exists.

My gay brothers and sisters?  People still use the Bible to justify their hatred.  When somebody uses the Bible to spew their diatribe, that just proves to me that he/she has never read the Bible.  I believe that someday, all of my gay friends will be able to marry the person that they love.  Isn't that what we all want?  The "gay agenda" is the same as the "straight agenda": to marry whomever we love.  The world is getting more accepting.  I feel that each year, they will be more and more free.

My non-Christian friends?  The "religious right" constantly preaches against any other religion.  If you don't believe as they do, then you are going to Hell.  They want you to know that.  You want to know something?  They are full of crap.  As my second paragraph stated, that is their way of being a better person than you.  Luckily, they do NOT speak for all Christians.

Women?  People are trying to make it to where the gov't has control over a woman's body.  I'm sorry.  You don't get a choice.  We will make it for you.  Oh my friends, that's not all.  We are also going to shut down women's clinics all over the world.  Ummm...what?  Maybe someday, women won't be treated as the weaker sex.  Hmmm...just maybe.

Yes, I look forward to a day when we, ALL AMERICANS, are more free.


-Philip