What's wrong with our youth? Is it a psychosocial disorder? Is it the parents?

nikki1920 · #1 04-17-2008, 07:56 AM

A lot of parents are trying too hard to be friends with their kids or go out of their way to not have their kids be afraid of them.

WTF is that?

cheerfulgreek · #2 04-17-2008, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikki1920

A lot of parents are trying too hard to be friends with their kids or go out of their way to not have their kids be afraid of them.

WTF is that?

Well, now the cops will come if you hit your kid.

DSTRen13 · #3 04-17-2008, 09:22 AM

Some parents definitely still hit their kids. I don't know how much good it does, though, to threaten your kid with a heavy metal picture frame to the head in the middle of a Target

It seems like around here the parents are in two camps - they are either yelling and hitting their kids like crazy, or they're just letting their kids run wild. There has to be some middle ground there.

cheerfulgreek · #4 04-17-2008, 09:28 AM

I remember parents could slap their kids in public and get away with it. If they tried that now, some moron would report it and the cops would show and try to take the kids from the parent(s).

I think "Time Out" works. It worked for me when I was a kid, and I turned out great.

Educatingblue · #5 04-17-2008, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

I remember parents could slap their kids in public and get away with it. If they tried that now, some moron would report it and the cops would show and try to take the kids from the parent(s).

That's true. I know my mom would shoot me that, "Don't make me give you a spanking when we get home look," and that would normally straighten me out. If all else failed, she would turn into an a** sniper and find some covert way to get in one good lick when we least expected it and no one was looking!

It seems like children are no longer afraid of their parents anymore. My brother and I hated to see our parents upset with us. I guess a lot of it was psychological because we never wanted to feel like we disappointed them.

AOII_LB93 · #6 04-17-2008, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Educatingblue

It seems like children are no longer afraid of their parents anymore. My brother and I hated to see our parents upset with us. I guess a lot of it was psychological because we never wanted to feel like we disappointed them.

I wanted to quote this because it's so true. I see that in the school where I teach...daily. I also see too many parents wanting to be "friends" with their kids...and these are parents of all races, not just whites. Part of me wants to say, "Your kid has enough friends, be a parent!"

I too was more afraid of disappointing my parents than anything else...so when I'm angry with my students, I tell them that I am disappointed. It works better than yelling anyhow.

cheerfulgreek · #7 04-18-2008, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Educatingblue

It seems like children are no longer afraid of their parents anymore. My brother and I hated to see our parents upset with us. I guess a lot of it was psychological because we never wanted to feel like we disappointed them.

Of course they're not afraid. They know the law on child abuse, and they take advantage of it. Kids don't even watch cartoons anymore. Their idea of a Saturday morning is surfing the internet. When I was a kid I looked foward to Saturday mornings and donuts while watching the Smurfs.

Parents now are afraid of disappointing their kids.

33girl · #8 04-19-2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Kids don't even watch cartoons anymore. Their idea of a Saturday morning is surfing the internet. When I was a kid I looked foward to Saturday mornings and donuts while watching the Smurfs.

That's because there are about 80 ookabillion stations that have cartoons on 24/7, who cares about the 4 networks showing whatever? Kids have so much these days and don't realize it. Don't get me started on how food packaging is being changed to appeal to kids (and I don't just mean Frosted Flakes either, I mean main dishes) to the point that you feel dumb if you're a grownup buying it.

There was a poster on here one time saying that our society doesn't do enough to cater to children - I honestly wonder what the hell America she was living in, because my experience is the opposite.

And that's another part of the problem.

33girl · #9 04-17-2008, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSTRen13

It seems like around here the parents are in two camps - they are either yelling and hitting their kids like crazy, or they're just letting their kids run wild. There has to be some middle ground there.

That pretty much sums it up.

One of these days I'm just going to snap and scream even louder than one of these kids who's pitching a fit because he can't have a toy or something, just to see what happens. "I can scream louder and longer than you, and I can probably sing Journey's greatest hits while I'm doing it. So give it up."