swimmers in commercials

Originally posted by Michael Heather Much as we would all like to think that the drug commercials are directed at the children imperiled by the easy acquisition of controlled substances, they are not. They are a stark and graphic reminder of what we, as parents, will witness if we abrogate our duties to our children and society in raising those children. Public school systems have become a joke, acting little more than a child care system, rewarding children for feeling good about themselves, rather than actually learning something that will matter for the rest of their lives. And this has come to pass because we, the parents, have not lived up to our jobs to provide the atmosphere at home that rewards thinking and creation with challenges and hard won praise. Maybe we are too busy tracking practice times or rushing off to the next meet. I know this is kind of a downer, and I have traveled off topic, but how critical is it to stay focused on this one? Hi Mike, I like your post! Sort of the Legacy of the "ME" generation, isn't it? No, we can't have it all, there are choices to be made. But seriously, how can you expect parents who have trouble understanding that healthy self esteem comes from doing a good job, making sacrifices and right choices, rather than from 'having it all' or a quick gratification... How can you expect they will teach that to their children. Kind of sad. heh, you got me started on a pet peeve topic now! And no, I don't think it's the responsibility of the schools or the government to take over parental responsibilities. I did like it where I was raised, where there was still a lot more stigma in society about certain things, then it is here in the US, or at least in So. Cal. No, I don't have the solution for this, althought it does seem like for a job well done, you need a healthy set of parents, and the help of the 'village'. Without the parents, there is only so much the 'village' can do, and without the 'village' there is only so much parents can do. Okay, I'm off the soapbox for now

Originally posted by Michael Heather Much as we would all like to think that the drug commercials are directed at the children imperiled by the easy acquisition of controlled substances, they are not. They are a stark and graphic reminder of what we, as parents, will witness if we abrogate our duties to our children and society in raising those children. Public school systems have become a joke, acting little more than a child care system, rewarding children for feeling good about themselves, rather than actually learning something that will matter for the rest of their lives. And this has come to pass because we, the parents, have not lived up to our jobs to provide the atmosphere at home that rewards thinking and creation with challenges and hard won praise. Maybe we are too busy tracking practice times or rushing off to the next meet. I know this is kind of a downer, and I have traveled off topic, but how critical is it to stay focused on this one? Hi Mike, I like your post! Sort of the Legacy of the "ME" generation, isn't it? No, we can't have it all, there are choices to be made. But seriously, how can you expect parents who have trouble understanding that healthy self esteem comes from doing a good job, making sacrifices and right choices, rather than from 'having it all' or a quick gratification... How can you expect they will teach that to their children. Kind of sad. heh, you got me started on a pet peeve topic now! And no, I don't think it's the responsibility of the schools or the government to take over parental responsibilities. I did like it where I was raised, where there was still a lot more stigma in society about certain things, then it is here in the US, or at least in So. Cal. No, I don't have the solution for this, althought it does seem like for a job well done, you need a healthy set of parents, and the help of the 'village'. Without the parents, there is only so much the 'village' can do, and without the 'village' there is only so much parents can do. Okay, I'm off the soapbox for now