September 02, 2009
I have seen just a little bit online about this from a couple of bloggers. Venomous Kate knows her boy well and is not worried at all. Gregor wrote a most excellent letter to his local school district. While I applaud Gregor's attempt, I'm pretty sure there is no way to keep schools from hopping merrily on this bandwagon and wasting a bunch of time. Okay so be it.
However, there are many people up in arms and threatening to keep their kids home that day. I think it would be a huge mistake. Here's why.
Since this will be a bit long, the rest goes below the fold. Click if you are interested, pass on by if you are not.
Well, here we are. Trying to decide what's best for "the chirren". Gotta love it.
Let's take a couple steps back and look at this objectively. I know it's hard, but objectivity is a good thing in this case.
Number one (or numero uno if you attend most public schools today). Most kids, no matter their age, will be like Kate's boy. Completely and totally bored to tears. It's far more likely they will get into trouble just because they find the subject matter to be one they have zero interest in, thus they'll be looking for something else to do instead of listening. I can see the poking and fidgeting commence with the start of the speech.
Yes this disinterest even applies to teens. Girls will be passing notes or texting on their cells. Boys will be texting or jostling each other because they can't sit still.
All of them will be in heaven because... guess what! They aren't sitting through class!!! What a break!!! They get time off from real learning for this. (much like my kids telling me they really liked DARE because even though it was stupid, it meant they didn't have to do school work - somehow I don't think that's what the DARE people had in mind when they so earnestly made their case to the kids)
But let us continue on to the second point to consider. Should a parent who loathes the President send their child to school that day? I say yes. Absolutely.
Of course my kids are grown so I can hear those opposed saying... but you don't have a kid in school so how can you say that! I have several reasons.
It never ever pays to try and keep public things like this from kids. If you keep the kid home on Tuesday, they'll get references to the speech for the rest of the year from the teacher. Depending on the teacher, there could be incredible embellishment of particular points made or even items the teacher makes up in her/his head to enforce a particular point of view.*** How is a kid supposed to learn critical thinking? If you don't know what the speech was about, you can't very well hear the teacher and think "but he didn't say that!" Instead of protecting them, you end up with one huge FAIL in regard to kids learning think.
Let's cut to the chase. It is impossible for parents to protect little Johnny or Janey from all the bad things in the world. In the grand scheme of bad things this barely rates more than a raised eyebrow and a sigh. Why not turn it to your advantage. Listen to the speech yourself (I know - cringe inducing but a parent must do these things!). Then ask your kid what they thought about it. Ask what they heard. Don't tell them! Let them tell you. (I bet you'll be surprised)
Then, if they took an interest, discuss. Put it through the wringer. Look at various points and see if they have merit. If they don't, explain why you think they don't. If your kid wants to argue a point with you - great! Let him/her come up with arguments to support their position. If you hear poor reasoning - that's the time to tell them why it's poor and why things don't work that way in real life! For that matter while listening to the speech, I'm guessing any halfway intelligent parent can come up with incidents from the child's own life to use as perfect examples to illustrate points they want to make.
The Prez speaking may be new, but the teachers spouting their agenda is not new. Not at all. Back when my son was in HS, the district was trying to raise our taxes yet again because "if you don't the chirren will suffer" the teachers actually brought this up in class!!! They told the kids to go home and tell their parents that if they don't vote for the increase in taxes, there won't be enough teachers to teach the following year and it will be DIRE! DIRE indeed!!!!
I about blew a gasket - probably lectured way too much because it annoyed me greatly. The district was spending huge amounts of money, our tax bills were enormous (far higher than here in so called "Taxachusetts") and the district had no accountability. All this money went in, but it was never enough - they were always just about to go into financial failure (according to the school powers that be). I was "stratosphericly high blood pressure" angry and it only made me wish I could vote "NO" more than once. I have no idea if I got through to my son about the enormous crock of crap they were pushing, but I think he'd understand now.
Remember, at some point in time your kids will go out into the world without you to protect them. Start preparing them to think critically at a young age. Instead of protecting them from every ill wind (aka silly speech), help them learn how to listen and how to think! It will be the greatest gift you can give them and will help them become better adults and make better life choices.
Isn't that what we all want for our kids?
***please remember that Obama supporters are particularly noted for listening to his speeches and then extrapolating from there with no real basis in fact. It's called magical thinking and seems to be a symptom of Obama-mania.
Posted by: Teresa in
Politics
at
08:37 PM
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Posted by: Rev. Paul at September 02, 2009 11:49 PM (DyTD7)
Posted by: Sam at September 03, 2009 08:03 AM (9t5cW)
Sam - I don't think so either (I may even read the transcript to see how many times the President says "I" and "me" instead of "us" or "we"). But since it seems to be a done deal, we're stuck with it. In that case one must deal with things the best they can.
Posted by: Teresa at September 03, 2009 08:24 AM (epSz+)
I agree Teresa. My boy is home schooled but I am considering letting him listen to the speech (with me) anyway. I understand it will stream live from the White House website. And then doing just as you suggest, let him give me his impressions, then discuss with him.
Seriously I have no problem with a motivational, school is important speech from the president, even this bozo- my only concern was the list of supportive activities the White House was suggesting to go along with the speech. But I understand those have been withdrawn or re written. And that PSA - we've seen that thing on TV several times already, most of the kids out there likely have too.
Our approach has always been to have our kids give us their impressions of political issues. It has also always been my approach to make them support their positions, part of their home schooling. Even if I agree with their thoughts, I want them to be able to argue their positions with anyone.
As for the argument that the O is trying to indoctrinate our kids, Of course he is, and the schools have by and large been doing this for decades (though thank God there are a handful of wonderful teachers who do not engage in this activity). The US public school system is already dedicated to brain washing our kids to the "progressive" view of life. It is our job, as parents to do as much as we can in the home to counter the brain washing.
Posted by: patti at September 03, 2009 02:57 PM (IR4lY)
Also, I bow to you, I could never have home schooled my kids. It would never have worked at all. I'm always in awe of people who can do this!
(for that matter I stay well away from teaching anything directly - I am not and never have been a teacher... it's best to know one's limitations - LOL)Posted by: Teresa at September 03, 2009 03:03 PM (epSz+)
Posted by: JihadGene at September 04, 2009 12:54 PM (lcgZv)
Posted by: Cappy at September 07, 2009 04:02 AM (rR88I)
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