I'm just sayin'...

hey shewolf, I hear they're hiring at Randall's.

I think what you're mostly objecting to is that kids are ill behaved nowadays.
It's not that they're so "special", they're simply not taught how to behave properly in public and sometimes I wonder if their parents even know.

Yesterday, of all days, people with small children were flocking to shopping
centers. The kids ran around, throwing things on the floor while their parents were preoccupied with sales and after they stood in line for good 30 minutes to pay for their bargains, the kids started acting out. They were tired and standing in line was boring, so the kids started screaming and misbehaving, all the while being ignored by the parents. It's perfectly all right to take a child shopping, but please, one hour is tops with small children.

It's really not the kids, it's the parents who are at fault.

I agree with you.
I think we are in the midst of a change in child rearing techniques. Society has changed it's view of beating our children with a stick.
Many parents are struggling with methods of controlling thier childrens' behavior. Children live in the moment to a high degree.

The middle ground is difficult for many parents to find.
Which is most offensive, the K-mart mother screaming at her children with threats of violence, or the preoccupied mother whose children are behaving as children will?

I think you put your finger right on the problem, wayne. Neither extreme is acceptable. Parents have a difficult job and need to find workable solutions.

Yes, the problem, imo, is that society is in such a hurry parents don't take the time to talk to their children. It's easier to ignore them and just get the shopping done. Or smack em a good one and drag em behind.
We've got to find a way to slow down a little.

What do u suggest that we DO
to accomplish that, Wayne ?





David

That's a good question sir.
One thing that may be important is the role of the grandfolks. Age is the best slower-downer I know of
Maybe we should offer some help to those mothers in the check out line.
Maybe it will work itself out in the end.
Lots of questions

Thank u.



Yes; I have slown down.

at first I thawt you were gonna go sloan down, dave.

but that sounds like an english sheep farm.

That reminds me of the time, on a grade school field trip to the state house.
We were passing through the tunnel to the state office building, I was horsing around , got out of the rank and file and into oncoming foot traffic. This tall scary looking guy( looked like Alf Landon) yelled "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING" , man that was loud in that tunnel.
I still get out of line from time to time though.

I have slown, but I don 't need a loan.





David

No, it's exactly what GC was saying.

GC was exaggerating for comic effect. You seem to be taking him too seriously. He was going for laughs.

I think Carlin might have answered his own question about the wane of "specialness" elsewhere...

I agree boomer, unfortunately we will never see those types of bumper stickers.

Slight diversion here....I personally think it's pretty sad that people feel the need to validate themselves by announcing on a piece of sticky paper slapped to their bumper how they define their lives.

Mr/Ms Stranger in the vehicle in front of me, I don't care what your political leanings are. I don't care that you are the proud parent of (fill in the blank). And BTW, even though I am not shocked and appalled, as some people in their cars need to point out to me, it does not mean I haven't been paying attention.

It's no longer enough for many people to simple be proud of their gene pool. They want you to know it, so you know they are hot ****, that they are proud.

Yeah, you're proud. So?

Oh sure, one might say "It's just a bumper sticker". OHHHHH! Sorry, I didn't know this was just a bumper sticker. So, in that case, you just like to mindlessly put **** on your car, that no one else cares about.
Do you need to put that "I'm proud" statement on there to remind yourself? If so, that's a pretty shaky pride.

Come on folks, those "I'm a proud parent of" stickers are just free advertising for the school. That said, they should be paying you for driving around doing their marketing.

hahahah!!!
now THERE is a bumper sticker.

My child sells drugs to your honor student.

and

my idea, written in small terms is that the problem with our kids, our schools and our societies rules right now is that , as GC said.. we are supposedly " all special"

There for everyone must be included in a common pace for ALL to participate.

This slows EVERYONE down, because the only way to make everything equal for everyone else is to cater to the slowest common denominator.

Has anyone looked at the context of school tests lately?
Has anyone paid a lot of attention to the new 'learning curves'?
Has anyone talked to the teachers lately about how they are now expected to get everyone on ONE level in each grade?

When i was in school, each class had 3 parts.
Faster learners, slower learners and those in between. We all had our groups for every subject. I was in the faster group for reading, and the middle group for mathematics. I always got what was taught to me. It was given at MY speed. Now? classes are not allowed to have that division for fear of dividing kids in their classes.

I think that is rather idiotic.. ..lets sugar coat your self esteem but not address your academics.

but

eh.
Thats just me.

I often expressed my dismay at the competitive nature of parenting but I was really talking about where Carlin says....

"...indoctrination centers where their child has been sent to be stripped of his individuality and turned into an obedient soul dead member of the American consumer culture..."

...as being his answer to when people lose their "specialness".

I do think all kids are special until we beat it out of them.

I think the problem is that schools don't think anyone is special and that their objective is to make sure we're all the same.



Yes
Yes
Yes

This is one of the George Carlin "bits" that I have nodded in agreement with most often.

He makes people laugh - they don't always realize that he's pointed out their own idiocies - "it's about >>>them". No. It's about you and the stupid things you think and do.

Sure,we're all special in our own immediate, tiny settings in that we're all different. We are, however, not all magnificent and marvellous on a global scale.

I think parents don't do their children (or anyone else) any favours by forgetting that. Doesn't mean they need to be unkind or cruel - but being realistic and honest is an important component of parenting.