Family

[so lucky]

Self centered people never take others into consideration.

That's pretty much the definition of self-centered.

 

[catjac1975]

I have a lot of guilt over my nephews childhood. My brother and his mother separated when he was a little over a year. My brother never paid a dime in support, his ex never went after him for it. My family had no contact with him for about 17 years, was the familys dirty little secret my brother being dead beat dad. His mother had a drug and alcohol problem and hook up with crackhead. At 15 he was always fighting with mothers boyfriend, boyfriend gave choice kid went or he was leaving mom picked boyfriend. At 15 my nephew was living on street, doing things no teenager should have to do to survive. At 18 he was in major trouble with law looking at long prison term. With no one to turn to looked me up and called me for help. Both of my sisters have well ajusted kids who grew up around loving family. I can not help but wonder if my nephew was giving the same how he would have turned out.

Unfortunately he will unlikely learn from his Dad's mistakes. One reason being-no role model or life skills. You do have an opportunity to be a Grandpa of sorts. Being a Grandmother is life's greatest gift to me. And I do not mean providing money-just your time and love. It is a lot to ask however, given the situation. This has been a rampant problem in our society for so long. Schools are full of kids who do not know their Dad. So many of my students were being raised by Grandmothers, who did not do a very good job with their own children. Addiction is the root cause in mush of it. Every week right now, one of my former students is dieing of an overdose. Many of them, my sweet little girls, who are now twenty somethings. Not ones I would have expected to go that road.Not city kids. Small town cape cod beach community.

 

[Nyboy]

Heroin is rampart in NY High schools right now.

 

[digitS']

...
We don't value caregiving enough, and ... We don't need all the workers... We have to do better ...

Maybe, I should have said that we don't need all the "people."

Do you suppose those girls feel that @catjac1975 ? That they aren't needed or appreciated except for their bodies, perhaps?

Where did this crappy idea of treating people as nothing much more than objects come from? When can we get past it? If we got into this mess as an entire community, what does it take for us to realize that we have to get out of it, together?

Steve

 

[Smart Red]

In my personal experience, when young people get mixed up with drugs, their emotional development is stunted. They may 'grow up' mentally and physically, but emotionally they are stuck at a younger age. They may do well in further education. Succeed at their job. But the adult emotions are slow (if ever) to develop.

Those who experiment with drugs in college fare better because their emotional development is more advanced, however they still have problems. Look at Congress. Most of them are of the age drug use in young people started. Self-centered and emotionally lax in most cases.

Personal experience as an observer not a participant.

 

[aftermidnight]

I've never understood people who mess around (experiment) with drugs, it's like playing with a loaded gun you never know when it might go off. Young people seem to think they're invincible and bad stuff will never happen to them. Drugs were just coming onto the scene when I was in my teens, thankfully I had enough sense at least in that department to stay clear of them.
I think one of the problems with the youth today is they were never taught how to deal with failure, we've all failed at something sometime in our lives, you deal with it and move forward. I've had to pick myself up, dust off the grief and moved forward more times then I care to remember. Life throws us unexpected curves at times, we just have to work through them and yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it might look dim at first but it is there.
Annette

 

[Smart Red]

I think one of the problems with the youth today is they were never taught how to deal with failure, we've all failed at something sometime in our lives, you deal with it and move forward.
Annette

You hit the nail squarely, aftermidnight. Schools have long moved to Participation awards rather than winners in first, second,third, etc. There are schools who travel from place to place with inter-school sports that fail to keep score or announce a winning team. The Wisconsin High School Athletic Association has passed new rules that figuratively gag students watching the game. No cheering for your team's points. No comments when the other team is scoring or attempting to score. That might "hurt the feelings' of the opposing team.

In the silence of the bleachers fewer and fewer students attend for fear of blurting out something that will get them in trouble with the school. Indeed, one athlete was suspended for suggesting her option for (on FaceBook) where the WAA could put their new rules.

 

[Smart Red]

Spelling contests and math meets are being deleted because the losing students feel bad. There is no room in today's schools for students to stand out above the norm. Rather everyone is a winner and in places teachers are 'forced' to praise each student at least five times each day -- often for nothing praise worthy at all -- and keep records of their praise.

Then there are the parents whose children "would never do that" and accuse the teachers of making up things to pick on their babies. Parents who write excuses for work not being done and parents who run to the school boards to complain teachers are expecting too much of their child and treating them unfairly.

These practices do not contribute to the development of well-rounded, capable future adults or teach them to learn from their mistakes and move on.

 

[aftermidnight]

.... and when they get out in the real world, it's no wonder they fall apart, so sad.

 

[catjac1975]

Spelling contests and math meets are being deleted because the losing students feel bad. There is no room in today's schools for students to stand out above the norm. Rather everyone is a winner and in places teachers are 'forced' to praise each student at least five times each day -- often for nothing praise worthy at all -- and keep records of their praise.

Then there are the parents whose children "would never do that" and accuse the teachers of making up things to pick on their babies. Parents who write excuses for work not being done and parents who run to the school boards to complain teachers are expecting too much of their child and treating them unfairly.

These practices do not contribute to the development of well-rounded, capable future adults or teach them to learn from their mistakes and move on.

It all started with taking competition out of gym class. For some kids it was the only place to be picked first and excel. Feeling good about your self does not make you succeed. Overcoming the teacher who told you you would never succeed was what gave many of us successful strength. "I'll show Them!"