posted on Oct, 4 2003 @ 07:57 PM
I had a childhood somewhat similar to Gryffen. I was very close to my Dad's parents and spent a great deal of time with them listening to their
stories and thoughts about life. I didn't have a T.V. at all until I was 15 or so. I didn't have a computer in my house until I was a senior in
h.s. and didn't really even go on the internet until the last couple years. My parents enforced a very strong sense of responsiblility and morals.
Respect for one's elders was extremely important, something which is seriously lacking in today's children. My parents set a valuable example for
me to follow, and I obeyed them, in large part, because I didn't want to cause them disappointment.
I think, that parents think, kid's are instinctually designed to care for and raise themselves. They don't realize that a child learns to value
life, education, and FREEDOM from them. If they're not around, or don't demonstrate the importance of these things, than kids will learn it from
somewhere else, i.e., T.V., friends, government schools. This is, incidentally, the goal of the facist movements in the world.
"Every child in America entering school at the age of five is mentally ill because he comes to school with certain allegiances to our Founding
Fathers, toward our elected officials, toward his parents, toward a belief in a supernatural being, and toward the sovereignty of this nation as a
separate entity. It's up to you as teachers to make all these sick children well - by creating the international child of the future. "
� Chester M. Pierce; Professor of Education and Psychiatry; Harvard
Parents have forgotten to be parents. They try so hard to be friends with their kids that when they realize their kids need discipline it's too
late. Kids need to be shown respect but they also need to be aware of their parent's authority. I fought with my parent's as a teenager, but I
have a tremendous amount of respect and appreciation for their efforts now.