T.E.N. Parent Pages, aka-I’m Tired of This Shit

First, look at the video on this link:

http://umbn.net/2008/08/when-parenting-goes-wrong%e2%80%a6-kids-freak-fest/?-kids-freak-fest/

I finally had a chance to go to the page and view the video. Needless to say, I'm mad as hell at what these kids were allowed to do in this video. There is no way on God's Earth that this foolishness should've been videotaped. I could go into what all is askew, but since it's so many things wrong, I'm going to a pick a few to rant about.

*In this case, who did the taping? I know in this digital age, it's likely for a young person to have access to the technology needed to get this on the web. However, I'm led to believe that this was the doing of a grown ass person...a person that thought it was cute for this to happen.

*A valid point brought up in the article accompanying the video, parents aren't doing a great job at being a parent. I am not the most upstanding mom on the Earth, but I will say that I am trying. I will make mistakes, and there are some things with Lex that I have to call my mom, Grandma, and even Ralph's mom about. Hell, I just got her three years ago so I'm not going to always know the best thing to do. The key is to try. The other key is to set an example for your children. Like the author said, the mother that yelled "get your ass in here motherfucker" to a six year old is not setting a good example. However, I'm led to believe that she would tear him a new one if he cursed her out in return.

*I have grown tired of the excuses!!! I am tired of hearing the complaints from these parents who say that their kids have gone to hell in a handbasket because Daddy's not around, we live in the projects, I work two jobs, I don't have any help, etc. Those are EXCUSES! Being a good parent does not cost a lot of money. I'm going to go a step further and say that parenting is FREE.

Yeah, I said it. Parenting is FREE.

It costs money to feed and clothe a child. It also costs money to put a roof over the child's head. However, some of the most well to do kids out here have not been raised. I read about millionaires with out of control kids, and I know many people who've raised their children on their own and didn't even know where the next meal would come from. Being a parent is about values, courtesy, and persistence and many other things that I'm STILL learning. I have been drilling Lex on her whole name, and God knows I've grown weary of the following exchange:

"Lex, what's your name?"

"What's YOUR name?

"No, Lex, what is your whole name?"

"That's not my whole name, mama. I'm two years old."

To make a short story short, I'm still working on this thing. The point is you can't give up, and you have to stay strong. I know that a vast majority of my close friends were raised by ONE parent and came out well.

*Being observant is the key. That girl in the video didn't wake up one day and decide she was going to dance provacatively like that. Her parent(s) have seen that behavior before. Then again, they may not have seen it. Somebody somewhere thought that was cute. Nobody decided to tell that girl's parent(s) that she has been dancing provacatively because it's "cute".

*It still takes a village to raise these kids, but the village has grown accustomed to low quality. The village has started to turn their heads and ignore the foolishness at hand. Even the single mothers who didn't have a solitary relative had a village. Neighbors on the street didn't hesitate to tell that working mother that her child had people in the house. Children would acknowledge their Elders with a "Yes sir, no ma'am", and had the fear of God in them. Behavior like what was caught on this video wasn't allowed because somebody's mother (or grandmother) would break that up. Now, the village puts it on YouTube.

*Respect has gone to hell. That's all I have to say about that one.

*Working parents are not a new phenomenon. I don't disrespect the stay at home parents because that takes a great deal of dedication and patience. However, someone will argue that working parents are not around enough to raise their kids. "Latchkey kids are getting into trouble", "these parents aren't at home to lead their kids", etc.

GARBAGE!!!

Join me in the "Working Parent" roll call! My mom worked 40+ hours a week! Somehow, I managed to make excellent grades. I didn't have a house full of people. I didn't sneak out to go to some boy's house at 14, and I most definitely didn't lie about anything. When my mom got home, that house was the way she left it because I knew I had it coming if I didn't!

There are no more excuses for letting our kids go by the wayside. Granted, there are children who will still choose to stray, and that is not a new thing. However, as a parent, I have a responsibility to at least try. I will make mistakes. Hell, my idea of a nice evening after work was letting Lex watch "Family Guy" as I prepared dinner. (I already know. I just wanted her to watch something to keep her from trying to put stuff in the oven. I have since invested in kid-friendly shows like "Lil Einsteins" and "Sesame Street"). I will make bad judgement calls, but the thing is, I will not quit the job I got on November 12, 2005...

...and that's being a Parent.

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