What is wrong with our kids these days ?

[BigTex]

My wife is an 8th grade history teacher in The Woodlands, Texas. It is an area that runs from apartments to million dollar homes. Some of the things that she tells me shocks me !! Children getting in her face, one girl who says she is a vampire , one boy who asked another girl out on in front of her friends...she turned him down and to get back at her he wrote her a note stating he was going to kill her parents and her and drag her body down the street ! Another kid stole another's bicycle. These are all 13 year old kids !

Other children who will refuse to show any respect and will constantly back talk to her and other teachers. I can tell you things about sex that go on there but this bd is read by family members of all ages.

What gives with all of this ?!?!

We make our daughter say yes sir and yes mam. When she is done eating she takes her plate and cup to the sink herself. We are starting early cause we dont want anyone to have to deal with another juvenile deliquent !!

I am totally amazed at the lack of morals and respect that these children are taught .

 

[NYBamaFan]

I think that the appropriate question would be "What is wrong with parents these days?" Sure, the kids should know better by the 8th grade, but we all know that their behavior patterns are established at a much younger age.

I'm sure that part of the problem is the need for both parents to work to pay the bills. Those parents come home exhausted and want to relax instead of parenting their children. But I see that as a cop out. Do we all really "need" to have two incomes to get by at the expense of our children?

I don't know where the answer lies, but the problem is a result of the weakening family structure, IMO...

 

[Bamalaw92]

My wife is an 8th grade history teacher in The Woodlands, Texas. It is an area that runs from apartments to million dollar homes. Some of the things that she tells me shocks me !! Children getting in her face, one girl who says she is a vampire , one boy who asked another girl out on in front of her friends...she turned him down and to get back at her he wrote her a note stating he was going to kill her parents and her and drag her body down the street ! Another kid stole another's bicycle. These are all 13 year old kids !

Other children who will refuse to show any respect and will constantly back talk to her and other teachers. I can tell you things about sex that go on there but this bd is read by family members of all ages.

What gives with all of this ?!?!

We make our daughter say yes sir and yes mam. When she is done eating she takes her plate and cup to the sink herself. We are starting early cause we dont want anyone to have to deal with another juvenile deliquent !!

I am totally amazed at the lack of morals and respect that these children are taught .

Kids who are 16 were around 8 when they heard our president declare that fellatio is not sex. They have seen lawsuits where children successfully sue parents, teachers and others. They see pro athletes jump into stands and fight, not to mention parents fighting at their little league games. They see immoraility and rebellion as admirable from TV. They grew up in a "just do it" generation where no one wants to take responsibility for their own actions. What do we honestly expect them to be like? All we can do is parents is our best to teach right and wrong and hope that it can survive in them and be passed on. I feel the job of "parent" has become much more difficult than in the past.

 

[BigTex]

I think that the appropriate question would be "What is wrong with parents these days?" Sure, the kids should know better by the 8th grade, but we all know that their behavior patterns are established at a much younger age.

I'm sure that part of the problem is the need for both parents to work to pay the bills. Those parents come home exhausted and want to relax instead of parenting their children. But I see that as a cop out. Do we all really "need" to have two incomes to get by at the expense of our children?

I don't know where the answer lies, but the problem is a result of the weakening family structure, IMO...

You know, you are right ! It has to start in the home.

 

[Gman4Bama]

Im right there with ya BigTex. My wife and I have 3 boys 15, 13 and 9 year olds. We have instilled in them proper manners yes ma'am yes sir etc...I am still amazed to hear alot of talk that comes from their mouths. Get this on my oldest sons basketball teams there are kids that wear boxers then shorts just so they can pull their basketball shorts below their butts. And during the game they are more worried if their shorts are down far enough than what is happening in the game. And with girls nowadays there are no limits. We preach and preach to our kids choose your friends and girlfriends wisely.

But your post summed it up correctly when you asked where are the morals?



Gman
Roll Tide

 

[ValuJet]

...

 

[Gman4Bama]

I was watching sienfeld last night. It was the episode that Elaine borrowed her boyfriends car and she was concerned cause his radio was preset on Christian radio stations. I remember George said "I think its good you dont hear people talk about God anymore"


Hmmmmm I wonder if there is a connection with that comment and todays society?

I remember when I was in school there was mischief but not like it is today.....but hey we used to pray in school also go figure.

Roll Tide
Gman

 

[NYBamaFan]

She tells me a 4 year old in another class threatened to "blow up the school. And when I do it, there will be fires and all the teachers will be crying." I dunno...do you give a four year old lithium or some other peace drug?

No, you call the parents and demand an explanation, in writing, for the child's behavior before letting her return to the daycare facility.

Last week, my wife got a call from my son's school. He (Kyle) will be 8 in two months. We were told that he had mooned a few of his classmates in line and one of the girls' parents was very upset, but that my son had denied it when confronted by the principle. What to do?

Well, my wife and I talked about it. We decided to hear my son's side of the story and take it from there. When asked, my son told us he was scratching an itchy bum and his pants accidentally slipped down. We knew better, but played along. We had him write a note of apology to each of the students that witnessed the exposure. After he had written the notes, I told him that I would take them to the students and ask them what happened and gave him one last chance to correct any "errors" in his version of the events.

At this point, he realized that we were serious. We were actually going to ask the kids what he did. He immediately came clean and after many tears we got to the truth. He had been mooned by a 13 year old friend of the family the weekend before and thought it was funny, so he decided to try it himself for laughs in school. He knew that it was wrong, but did it anyway.

His punishment? He had to write the new notes to each student, apologizing for his behavior. He then had to write a note of apology to the principle for lying to her. He then spent the entire weekend writing over and over what he did, why it was wrong, and promising never to do something like it again. Finally, we went with him when he delivered the notes and made sure that he sat with the teacher and principle to own up to his bad behavior.

My wife's sister wondered why we went to all that trouble. He didn't mean anything bad, after all. He was only trying to be funny, right?

The problem, in our opinions, was the inherent lack of respect in the act and the lies to cover up what he knew to be improper behavior. I doubt that he will try something like this again for a while. He is a very good boy, but even good children need to be guided by a strong hand…

 

[BigTex]

No, you call the parents and demand an explanation, in writing, for the child's behavior before letting her return to the daycare facility.

Last week, my wife got a call from my son's school. He (Kyle) will be 8 in two months. We were told that he had mooned a few of his classmates in line and one of the girls' parents was very upset, but that my son had denied it when confronted by the principle. What to do?

Well, my wife and I talked about it. We decided to hear my son's side of the story and take it from there. When asked, my son told us he was scratching an itchy bum and his pants accidentally slipped down. We knew better, but played along. We had him write a note of apology to each of the students that witnessed the exposure. After he had written the notes, I told him that I would take them to the students and ask them what happened and gave him one last chance to correct any "errors" in his version of the events.

At this point, he realized that we were serious. We were actually going to ask the kids what he did. He immediately came clean and after many tears we got to the truth. He had been mooned by a 13 year old friend of the family the weekend before and thought it was funny, so he decided to try it himself for laughs in school. He knew that it was wrong, but did it anyway.

His punishment? He had to write the new notes to each student, apologizing for his behavior. He then had to write a note of apology to the principle for lying to her. He then spent the entire weekend writing over and over what he did, why it was wrong, and promising never to something like it again. Finally, we went with him when he delivered the notes and made sure that he sat with the teacher and principle to own up to his bad behavior.

My wife's sister wondered why we went to all that trouble. He didn't mean anything bad, after all. He was only trying to be funny, right?

The problem, in our opinions, was the inherent lack of respect in the act and the lies to cover up what he knew to be improper behavior. I doubt that he will try something like this again for a while. He is a very good boy, but even good children need to be guided by a strong hand…

You have my respect ! You and your wife handled that very well .

 

[It's On A Slab]

Just think, VJ, you moved up in the world in the 9th grade.

Not to fret. I remember the 8th grade - those are the Beavis and Butthead years. In my 8th grade class, there were two particular unsavory characters given to petty thievery and random thuggery. We had a History and Social Studies teacher who'd just returned from Vietnam, and these guys made his life miserable. They should have been expelled.

One of the guys is a fireman today (I think) and the other'n disappeared into a life of hard drugs and may have assumed room temperature by now.

My 18 year old is a teacher's assistant at my 4 year old's daycare. She tells me a 4 year old in another class threatened to "blow up the school. And when I do it, there will be fires and all the teachers will be crying." I dunno...do you give a four year old lithium or some other peace drug?

The Jenkins-Penn mob.

RH, screaming down the sidewalk: "I'll kill ya!"...whilst sporting a black-and-blue face from the previous weekend's rumble.

DG, playing "How-Can-I-O.D.?" in gym class.

Ah, those were the days.

 

[Bamaro]

Parents are too busy doing less important things than raising their kids properly. Somebody has to pay for the new SUV, digital TV, plasma screen, high speed internet, cell phones etc.

 

[ValuJet]

...

 

[bamabake]

Kids who are 16 were around 8 when they heard our president declare that fellatio is not sex. They have seen lawsuits where children successfully sue parents, teachers and others. They see pro athletes jump into stands and fight, not to mention parents fighting at their little league games. They see immoraility and rebellion as admirable from TV. They grew up in a "just do it" generation where no one wants to take responsibility for their own actions. What do we honestly expect them to be like? All we can do is parents is our best to teach right and wrong and hope that it can survive in them and be passed on. I feel the job of "parent" has become much more difficult than in the past.

This is accurate. I will add that this is the type of results you get when we let our society redifine the moral standards out there. I get scoffed at often but I am here to tell you that if we continue to allow these stadards to be either eroded or redefined the order will turn to chaos. Related to another thread here, if our kids are taught by a school or an ignorant parent that all people are just smarter apes, well how the heck to we expect them to act?
This is all sown from the seeds we have allowed to be planted. Just look at some of the pap that some here believe. It is no wonder kids are avcting like they do. When people said what BL said about Clinton when it was happening, they were laughed at and told a persons personal life and public life were different. Well look at the results. Scoff away. IT is so.

 

[NYBamaFan]

bamabake and BL92 both make solid points, but what to do?

Complaining won't help, and we are not going back to "the good old days" anytime soon. So, again, what to do? I'm not sure, other than trying to make your little piece of the world immune to these problems by immunizing your children and, where possible, other children that you come into contact with.

I try not to criticize other parents, but some clearly don't care. How can we help their kids? Volunteer with youth organizations, help out your local boy/girl scout troops, etc. Only by giving of ourselves (not our money) can we make a difference in this fight.

BTW, it is these very same things that we all rale against, that are destroying our families, that other cultures fear...

 

[It's On A Slab]

I don't think kids are that much different than they were

bamabake and BL92 both make solid points, but what to do?

Complaining won't help, and we are not going back to "the good old days" anytime soon. So, again, what to do? I'm not sure, other than trying to make your little piece of the world immune to these problems by immunizing your children and, where possible, other children that you come into contact with.

I try not to criticize other parents, but some clearly don't care. How can we help their kids? Volunteer with youth organizations, help out your local boy/girl scout troops, etc. Only by giving of ourselves (not our money) can we make a difference in this fight.

BTW, it is these very same things that we all rale against, that are destroying our families, that other cultures fear...

when I was that age.

We had our share of juvenile delinquents, and I'll admit to some of my share of vandalism, disrespect and mayhem.

My parent's generation used to worry about what had become of the young generation. My older brothers were of the Woodstock generation.

I guess we've all become the old farts that our parents were. I have every faith that this crop of malcontents will either grow up or they'll end up in jail. The same way my generation did, and the one before.

 

[bamabake]

when I was that age.

We had our share of juvenile delinquents, and I'll admit to some of my share of vandalism, disrespect and mayhem.

My parent's generation used to worry about what had become of the young generation. My older brothers were of the Woodstock generation.

I guess we've all become the old farts that our parents were. I have every faith that this crop of malcontents will either grow up or they'll end up in jail. The same way my generation did, and the one before.

I understand your point. That will always be so. However what I observe is far different. Here is what I mean. While there may be just a percentage of kids that have no "moral compass" or giving oral sex yadda yadda, the difference is that our national culture is ahead of the decline on these issues not behind them. Inthe 60s most americans sere sickened by the actions of a few. The media made them larger than they really were, there was the war et al. Just turn on the news, abortion on demand being positioned as a right, go to cable, ***** eye for the straight guy, MTV, it is garbage. Garbage in garbage out. As for what to do. IMO (and it aint worth much). Tell kids the truth. THE TRUTH. Tell others around when it comes up the truth, like on this forum. When there is discussions about the moral issues of the day, stand firm and explain the truth. Dont be intimidated. Secularist look down on people that dont tow the pop culture line. They camplain of political labels while labeling others as old fashioned at best, mentally ill at worst. Let me tell you, they are a vocal minority. That said the chosices out there are many. Nothing will ever replace love, discipline, and the truth. We have to walk the walk we talk. This is crucial. As many of you well know.


cheers

 

[Gman4Bama]

High Five BB

 

[JF3]

Bamabake,

I agree. Let me also add that today's parents are not enforcing discipline, morality, or character. Instead, they agree with their children's foolishness.

Back when I was growing up, my parents had zero tolerance for foolishness. I tried to get over on them, but they would let me know immediately that they were not crazy and if I wanted to live long, I'd better get myself together.

Parents today are no more mature than their kids; some of them, (not all) need a good butt whipping just like their kids do. They are a poor excuse for parents and they need to grow up and stop trying to be their children's friend and start being their parents.

I have no tolerance for sorry parents, but some are really afraid of the children, because they have been so slack as parents for so long. I could go on and on, but I will stop here. Ya'll get my drift by now...

You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free....
Jesus Christ

 

[NYBamaFan]

they need to grow up and stop trying to be their children's friend and start being their parents.

I couldn't tell you the number of my friends that I would include in this group...

 

[BigTex]

Bamabake,

I agree. Let me also add that today's parents are not enforcing discipline, morality, or character. Instead, they agree with their children's foolishness.

Back when I was growing up, my parents had zero tolerance for foolishness. I tried to get over on them, but they would let me know immediately that they were not crazy and if I wanted to live long, I'd better get myself together.

Parents today are no more mature than their kids; some of them, (not all) need a good butt whipping just like their kids do. They are a poor excuse for parents and they need to grow up and stop trying to be their children's friend and start being their parents.

I have no tolerance for sorry parents, but some are really afraid of the children, because they have been so slack as parents for so long. I could go on and on, but I will stop here. Ya'll get my drift by now...

You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free....
Jesus Christ

True words ! We are not friends to our kids. We are parents, roll models. We set the standard that they will hopefully follow. The parents of the little monsters that my wife has to deal with should have their arse's whipped alongside their kids everytime they get out of line.