The Mystery of Kids

Suspension is the worst possible form of punishment you can give a kid in school.  Think about it; the kids who are behaving in such a way to require that strict of punishment to be enforced on them, are probably the same kids who do not want to be there in the first place.  Suspension is giving that kid exactly what he wanted—no more school.  Would you give a misbehaving dog a cookie?  Would you give the thief money as punishment?  Aren't the kids who are severely misbehaving the ones who need school the most? 

Kids will do dumb stuff, wrong stuff, and evil stuff.  I am not denying that, but we've reached a point where we as Americans don’t correct this behavior properly.  How will they know what they are doing is wrong, if they are never given negative feedback?  If they are receiving a reward for their deplorable behavior, won’t they be more likely to do that same thing again?  Won’t they have incentive? 

We have all heard stories of kids faking being sick to skip school, or playing hooky.  But we've failed to realize that misbehaving is also a way to “get out of” school.  People do not like to believe that kids are smarter than we give them credit.  They are mini, functioning adults.  If we are considering teenagers, they have enough life experience to understand and fulfill most adult responsibilities.  Both physically and sometimes mentally, they are adults.  Why then is it so hard to believe that they are smart enough to “outsmart” our little system?

Now, I have already shown that they have incentive, and ability, but what about conviction?  Many kids in these times when you ask them why they work hard at school, obey the rules, and do their homework, will say “Because of my parents”.  Not all, but many will.  Likewise, many kids who are getting suspended, and detention and acting up in class, will say “Because of my parents”.   I wonder why are the majority of these kids not saying, “Because I care about my future?”  Why, for many of them, do they believe that their parents are the reason they are either failing, or excelling?  Have they never learned that how hard they work will determine what opportunities will come their way?  If so, why have they never learned?  People like to point the finger, but in the end it comes down to three things:
      

1. Instead of teaching their children responsibility they send their kids to be educated elsewhere (a perfectly logical and acceptable solution).

    2. The people running the places where these kids are being taught (i.e. public schools, private schools, tutors…) are not teaching them responsibility either.  Claiming that this is the job of parents.

   3.  The children once allowed to not take responsibility for their actions, will never want to. 

The combination of these three things gives you the kids of today.



--Ludzz