Moonfire's Mutterings

[Moonfire]

Oh, hello there! I'm going to be using this space mostly to talk about books, thoughts, feelings and grumblings about my everyday life... So I guess for starters I ought to introduce myself.

My internet alias is Moonfire, or Mooney, though that's kind of obvious at this point... Outside of the magical land of the internets I go by Sam or Sami, short for Samantha. Feel free to call me whatever you like~

I'm 18 as of this post, and currently based outside of Miami, Florida going to college for a degree in Biology while living at home with the parentals. I'm still not exactly sure what I want to be when I grow up. For now I'm also a part-time aftercare counselor at the local elementary school. I mostly watch the kids, help with homework and do activities like arts and crafts and PE with them while they wait for their parents to get off work. My group right now is 2nd graders, they're all evil demon spawn... Sometimes. Who am I kidding, I secretly like them.

That's about all for now, I'll probably be on here tomorrow after work to complain about the way people raise their children these days. (They're so disrespectful!) I'm gonna go crawl back into my little corner of cyberspace now.

[Kella]

Parents these days. x.x It kills me.

So worried about damaging their child's precious, fragile little self esteem... >.>

I was reading 'Frances Goes to Bed' the other night, to my sisters, and the dad actually threatened to spank Frances if she didn't go to bed. Was laek, 'I LOVE THIS BOOK'. Published in 1960. :3 <3

The sad thing is, Kids are raised in this little Utopia where they get whatever they want, whenever they want, and when they actually have to stand on their own in the real world, they're so lost. v.v

//unsolicited comment

[sparrow]

Maybe you just have the wrong parents: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn5jlrxcpkI

[Jazen]

The sad thing is, Kids are raised in this little Utopia where they get whatever they want, whenever they want, and when they actually have to stand on their own in the real world, they're so lost. v.v

True and not true. My parents never really spoiled me and I haven't found any problems standing on my own feet. Save for getting my own place to live but the cost of living around here is insane >_> But yea, lots of kids get spoiled and then go "REAL WORLD, GIVE ME A NEW CAR!!! Real world says NO!!"

[Moonfire]

Haha, wow I'm actually rather surprised at the comments I've received regarding children and how many of them are raised these days. So, I've decided to post again today regarding the things I've observed at work.

As a recap I'm currently working with 2nd graders (for those of you international readers, those are students between 7-8 years old.) and yet it feels like I'm constantly wrestling with 13 and even 14 year olds.

The number one problem I have is attitudes. My parents hail from the Deep South, a land of Yes Sirs and Yes M'ams and infallible respect for any person in authority. I still as an adult find myself treating even my co-workers and the teachers at my job to a flood of "Yes, M'am, right away." and "I'm sorry if they were disrupting you, Sir. It won't happen again." Most of the time no one mentions it, but I have on several occasions been asked not to refer to them as such and find it nearly impossible for me not to. It was how I was raised.

I digress, the children at my work have some of the absolute worst attitudes I have ever seen. Example one. We were at the play ground on Friday as a treat, and some of the students decided that they'd cling to a low hanging frond on one of the palm trees and try to swing on it before it broke off. I yelled over to stop doing that and directed my attention back towards the other children and within moments I turn back to see them still taking turns swinging. Walking over I remind them of what I said and asked if they heard me the first time, giving them the benefit of the doubt. I'm treated to eye rolls and mumbled insults.

As an eight year old such a reaction wouldn't even cross my mind. I wish I could say it stops there. When I tell an overly talkative child to move his seat so he can finish his homework without distraction and he has the audacity to tell me no! I all but physically have to move him myself and threaten to call his parents before (with several more "No! I don't want to!"s in between).

And what frightens and disturbs me even more is just how... grown up they are. Sometimes the girls like to play music and dance in inappropriate ways that even the boys get grossed out! They talk about boyfriends and ex-boyfriends. At 7 I distinctly remember thinking boys had cooties. What happened in the 10 years since I was their age?

Though, reflecting on all of this I don't blame the parents. Many of the parents of these kids are hard working, honest people. Maybe they get it from siblings or other children? Most of them are truly good kids, some better than others. I just wish something I was doing made some kind of difference. I spend a lot of time trying to stress manners and social graces, but I'm just an aftercare counselor. I'm sure everything I say goes in one ear and out the other.

And now I've ranted and raved and its back to the corner of the web to lurk.

[Kella]

Jazen, you're 20-something, which puts you soundly in a different generation. X) B'yeah.

I think the real tragedy is just how much the parents love their kids. They truly do want what's best for them, but they're just trying to survive their kids' childhoods, not parent deliberately. So what you get is a lot of love, but a lack of consequences.

I, for instance, was a really difficult infant/toddler. I was sosososo stubborn. xD But by the time I was four, I'd learned not to talk back, 'cause when I did, there were consequences. I learned not to whine for things, because when I did, there were consequences.

While I don't necessarily agree with that new 'Tiger Moms' book that came out, but I'm so glad to see that the other extreme is becoming socially acceptable again.

The sad thing is when you put a kid in a situation where there are consequences -- because even though you go through a rough patch, they end up so happy! I remember babysitting for a dinner event, and there was this one kid who was just being a troublemaker, and shutting off the lights on everyone, and when I went to tell him to stop, he decided to play chase. But I stopped, and told him I would not chase him, and he looked at me like I had four heads. But, by the end of the night, he was sitting on my lap, and gave me a hug before he left.

And then proceeded to go whine at his mother 'till she gave him what she wanted. *sigh*

I will say that it's hard to be consistent, and to discipline kids. It's called 'tough' love for a reason. >.> But I've helped raise my little brother and sisters, and it's totally worth it in the end.


It seems I'm determined to pester you out of your corner. xD

[Moonfire]

I actually have read the new book by Amy Chua "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" and planned to do a review of it in here tomorrow. Lawls. Oh, Kella you're just making me so very talkative tonight.

[Kella]

O: Shiny. YouknowI'llbearound. :3 I'll let you ahve your peace, now... Unless, that is, we dominate in Lads vs. Ladies. D<