I was going to become a teacher when I moved back to Tennessee, but I decided against it. Part of the reason was because I really REALLY didn't want to go back to school, but it was mostly because kids today...well, you know. I hear horror stories from family and friends that are teachers and I realized you have to be a super special person to become one. I'm just not cut out for it. I'm too old school, I guess.
I read this article today about how we should stop holding ourselves to such high standards in trying to make our kids’ childhoods magical by doing Pinterest projects with them every day and spending hundreds of dollars on birthday parties instead of allowing them to create their own magic with their own imaginations. I completely agree with that, and it brought something else to mind that I believe goes hand in hand with this same topic.
Kids today are being taught to be pansies. I'm sorry, but that was the first word that came to mind. At home, they are coddled and told they can do nothing wrong. Their parents hide the outside world from them so they think that everything in life is all unicorns and rainbows. Then when they go to school or some other social interaction that causes them to be outside their homes, they get disappointed. They realize they are not going to be head cheerleader, the quarterback of the football team, or get straight As...outrageous! Then guess who they call...mommy and daddy. They can fix this! Let me illustrate my point. Once while I was teaching in Mexico, I had to tell a kid to go to the office because his parents hadn't paid for his class. He proceeded to get on the bus and tell his mom I sent him home. She came to the office ranting and raving about how in the world could a teacher send a 12-year-old home on the bus alone (I'm talking Mexican public transportation here, not the big cheese)? I basically had to tell her that her kid was lying (not in so many words) and she freaked out. My child would never lie (no, because 12-year-old boys would never do that)! Thankfully, my boss stuck up for me and asked to have a conference with all of us. The kid confessed to having lied and the mom apologized. Wouldn't have happened in the first place if mom had paid on time...but anyway. Still wondering why I don't teach?
So, please do society a favor and teach your kids the truth, not what they want to hear. Teach them the word, “no.” Help them realize that they won’t always get their way, make the team, or be the best. Although they might be YOUR prince or princess, they most likely won’t be one in the eyes of our world. Preparing them for heartbreak and failure is preparing them for life, and some of the best lessons in life are learned when we lose, suck it up, and move on.
So, please do society a favor and teach your kids the truth, not what they want to hear. Teach them the word, “no.” Help them realize that they won’t always get their way, make the team, or be the best. Although they might be YOUR prince or princess, they most likely won’t be one in the eyes of our world. Preparing them for heartbreak and failure is preparing them for life, and some of the best lessons in life are learned when we lose, suck it up, and move on.
