Its back to school time, the time where I get to hear nearly everyone with school aged children say, in front of their children, with pride, on the radio, in public, how happy they are that it is time to institutionalize their children again.
Burns my buns. Why? I mean this is a free country right? If you choose to send your child to school I respect that decision. I truly do. I did the same for my oldest two. But why do you think it is healthy or good parenting or proper behavior, society, to tell the world and your children you can't wait to be rid of them?
Why is that socially acceptable? Why am I a bad parent because I chose to keep my ex-husband in my kids life by agreeing to him having custody, which kept them out of daycare, and gave them a fulltime daytime parent, but you are a good parent who merely seems to endure the 12 weeks off your little ones get?
Did it ever occur to the parents of this world that there is something wrong with a system that sets us up to be happy our kids are being taken away 6 hours a day 9 months a year? That maybe society has taught you to give them your children for less than good reasons?
Or maybe it should be obvious that if those sweet little ones that you so loved before school, can be loved after they go to school too, if only you don't turn every vacation time with them into their holy kingdom. On summer breaks do you still remember to take ample time to do the things you love? Do you teach your children to be independent and respect mommy's personal time? Do you teach them to understand that everyone's needs are to be considered? Or do you just let them run roughshod over you, dictating where you will take them and when, demanding what they want to eat, going to bed when they choose?
And why do you think you let them rule you? I've seen incredibly intelligent and put together adults say things like, "He just won't go to bed" or "All I do is run him from event to event."
What is up with that?
Sorry for the rant, but yesterday while working on the Squngee order I was listening to the radio, something I don't normally do. And the DJ was out at Lake Minnetonka for a back to school parents party and ALL the commentating what about how happy all the parents are that their little nippers will be out of their hair soon. Wha? This is a family friendly radio station, they said so in between comments about getting rid of their kids, and so apparently THIS is what is acceptable in society.
I wonder how the kids feel hearing this?
Hey Minda...Wasn't it kdwb that was out at lake minnetonka..they are not a family friendly radio station HA HA!
yeah..I don't know why people say they are so happy to get rid of their kids...
Posted by: Wendy WVG | August 17, 2007 at 02:48 PM
It's really not the parents' fault. They send "those sweet little ones that you so loved before school" to public school, trusting that this is the proper place to send them. And instead they are morphed into little hellions that they can't wait to get rid of at the end of summer. Think of all the public school kids at the Science Museum, the ones with the manners of farm animals (goats come to mind), the grabbing and pushing. Even Andrew screeches to a halt and stares at the bad behavior with a shocked look on his face! This is what kids are learning at school.
Posted by: Scott | August 18, 2007 at 04:56 AM
Public schools don't exist to teach kids discipline. Kids have to learn this at home. With parents that are involved, public schools are a wonderful experience for our kids. Even if kids are exposed to things we rather wish they weren't, at least an involved parent can talk through these things.
At schools (of all socio-economic classes) where parents just drop off their kids and assume that the institution will take care of them, well...goats. (Sort of like many groups of adult Minnesotans, in my opinion)
Parenting is not for wimps. I'm not sure any of us knew what we were getting into when we started this. But if you started it, you darned well better take it seriously!
Posted by: Nancy | August 18, 2007 at 03:33 PM
Oh by the way, at this past week we were with the woman who wrote this book
http://www.irritablemother.com/irritable_mother_book.htm
She was not the presenter at the conference, but was there as a parent (her husband is a colleague of my husband's). This book looks darned interesting... because I know I can be irritable at times.
Posted by: Nancy | August 18, 2007 at 03:37 PM