Are Our Children Victims of Too Much Good Will?

I am the Mother of a 16 year old Daughter, that alone might not qualify me to tell Counselors, Teachers and well meaning Politicians how to run their job, it does however qualify me to worry about the Students that we are pushing through school.

In today's society, we have become entirely too soft. Well meaning Adults are worried about hurting Students feelings through keeping them back a Year, giving them a bad grade or even correcting a wrong answer. The reasoning they present, is that not all Children have the some background, ability to learn or could potentially get emotionally scared, if we treat them too harshly.

I appreciate that we don't want to scar our children emotionally, believe me that is the furthest from my mind. What those well meaning, well educated People however seem to forget is that they will be more scared by giving them a completely wrong idea of what real life will be like. I have had the great misfortune to have witnessed a Graduate from High School, with a Diploma not being able to fill out a simple Job Application. The Reason? He couldn't read the questions.

When School is over and the then young adults go out into the real world, they will find out that when you don't give your best, don't do as you are told, don't work hard to achieve, then you will be left behind. You will be without a source of income, without a place to live, without even the basics of basics needed to survive.
Do we really have the right, to make things that easy on our Children, that we feed them in the end like sheep to a wolf?

Discipline, or should I say the lack thereof, is another major problem we are facing. My daughter tells me daily about the attitudes, disrespect, harassment and even verbal threats that School Children bring forth against their elders. When a 16 Year old, comes to me and informs me that her teachers can be bribed with gifts and chocolate to give certain Students better grades, I have to question the wisdom of those so called Educators. Our Teachers are no longer Teachers. What happened to those esteemed Educators that with a single glance or a raised eyebrow could install the fear of God into those unruly students? When an A meant something and an F was Failure? I have made it very clear to my Child and to her Teachers, that I will not accept an easy Grade for her. I have high expectations for her education. I have high expectations in her ability to learn. There are subjects that are harder for her then others, but that does not give her the excuse to fail. It means that she has to give a bit more effort in those subjects. I have those high expectations, because I believe in her. I have never doubted her and she in turn has yet to fail me. My door is always open and if she needs help, then that help will be provided for her. That is information, a listener, a hint, but never the work. I am not doing the work for her, but giving her the tougher option is done for her. Likewise, disrespect in my house is not an option. She wants to try to test wills as all Teens must, that is fine. She knows the consequences. I love her dearly and she knows that. She knows it without a doubt, because I will not let her take the easy way out.

I firmly believe that we are doing injustice to our Children, by making it too easy for them. We are leaving them unprepared for the real world and its challenges. We are giving them Ideas of the World revolving around them. Reality is, they will not be able to make it.

It is everyone's own choice how they wish to raise and educate their children. What many of today's Parents have forgotten is, that learning doesn't end at the end of the School Day. Our kids learn from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to sleep. We too are Educators and more so we should be the source they get their non-scholastic Information from.

Did I mention that I have high expectations for my daughter? Here is the fun part, she now holds the same expectations for me. She will not let me take an easy route either. Ever! I am looking forward to seeing her become what she dreams of being. I know she can do it! Can you say that for your Child?