When Did We Start Coddling Failures and Stop Celebrating Success?

reply to post by TXRabbit

I played soccer as a child. Each year we had an annual banquet to celebrate the division winners as well as give out INDIVIDUAL awards/trophies - generally 1 for most goals and 1 for MVP. Some kids knew they would get neither and were fine with that. Nowadays they all get a gleaming trophy, a hug and free ice cream - all for showing up.

Sorry I call shenanigans on that, even among the little kids at school I have not seen the losers get a trophy. They might get a hug or free ice cream, but not trophies. And they would know that they lost, because it would be pretty self evident.

And what is wrong with a hug and free ice-cream, if they gave out more free ice-cream I probably would be doing sports in school. # I would be there just for the free ice-cream since playing soccer would probably bore me.

But for some free ice cream oh I would kick the # out of that ball into all kinds of nets, or whatever your supposed to kick it.

reply to post by mnmcandiez

Everyone will say their time was better because of this or that. Every generation loves to go on about how their generation is better, different, or was superior.

Aint that the truth, every generation says the same thing. "oh you kids back in my day we had to go to school barefooted up the hill both ways"

And all kinds of other silly stuff, and when you ask them more detailed questions such as the question of. "How do you go up a hill both ways to get to school on top of said hill?" I mean technically your implying the school is on the hill so coming out you would be going down hill. Then all of a suden they get moody and tell you not to ask questions.

So ya every generation thinks they had it worser then the next generation, when really there problems tribulations were just different problems and tribulations then the past generations had. Some old people think that problems only existed in there generation and in there lifetimes.

They must be going senile if they think that.

Problems and tribulations are part of life and will always be around, though not always in the same form.

It's the schools.

Jimmy Carter sold out to the NEA in exchange for their backing in his reelection bid. This is when the federal government got into the education business. So, 1979-1980.

Now we have new "new math", social engineering, disregard for parental rights, kids that cannot spell, group grades, special interests, lack of the individual and a growing lack of privacy.

What we don't have is kids who strive for success.
We're in trouble and the public school system is to blame.

reply to post by getreadyalready


We are a lost generation. We know we have no future. What do you want us to pretend that everything is great?

Yeah, I'm going to college but I have no clue if I'll ever use that degree or if it will be worth anything. What do you want from us? We can barely find jobs at McDonalds.......


And the whole generational pride thing doesn't start taking place until you gain age if that is what you are referring to. Who are the current youth going to look down upon, the kindergartens?

reply to post by mnmcandiez


LOL, no please don't pick on the Kindergartners.

I think perhaps my tone is coming across wrong. I think your generation is at a unique crossroads. We haven't done you any favors by coddling and sheltering you and leaving you unprepared, while at the same time, we have destroyed the economy and the environment, and all of our foreign relations.

Your generation is the least prepared in American History, and you will likely face monumental tests of your fortitude, creativity, and resourcefulness to try and dig us out of this mess.

To make it even more unique, your generation is self-aware. You realize that things are as bad as they seem, and you realize that you are lacking a certain amount of survival skill from generations past. Gardening, and baking things from scratch, and cleaning your own chickens, and soaking your own beans, has all been replaced by fastfood and frozen dinners. A college degree is just a line on an application these days, it isn't an honor like it was in generations past. So, your generations are left with this big eye-opening realization, but there are people like you that are going to attack the problems head-on. Even without the blind pride and vigor that some generations were raised with, your generation seems to be trudging along like it is some kind of duty to just persevere, and maybe it is. You are approaching life in a different way, but it is likely to be just as successful, and maybe even more successful than generations past.

I read a story a couple of years ago about a 3 or 4 year old in Jacksonville that lived for 2 weeks locked alone in a house. She survived by eating ketchup and mustard and mayonaisse from the refrigerator. Even at her age, and her lack of raising, she still knew how to survive. While I am hyper-critical of the decline in education and child-rearing, I am still hopeful and curious at how human nature will cause your generation to adapt and persevere. It ain't over yet, it is just getting started.

Its seems to me that the political correctness surrounding how we raise children has gone slightly overboard, there is however nothing wrong with some amount of PC but there has to be a limit. Naivety is a consequence of that PC madness, but there has come some good from PC such as anti racism and access for the disabled etc. Success would be better celebrated by the possitive benefit it has on societies across the globe, local heroes deserve a share of celebration too, but being kind can be cruel if it's done simply for the sake of inclusion, which is a consequence of the belief in equality.

reply to post by getreadyalready


My generation in general is really stupid though. I wouldn't even call them ignorant, I really question their cognitive ability. Most people my age don't even know basic history, science, current events, I mean really NOTHING about the world.

Were young people always so apathetic of knowledge? I have nothing to base it off of.

Giving out medals for just showing up, usually happens for one of two reasons.

a] It's done to cause society to become more infantile, so that people can be more easily controlled. This is the negative reason.

b] It's done because certain individuals recognise that at times, having absolutely everything based on the competitive principle can be a bad thing; which is also true.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by babybunnies

 

When I was a kid,

[/quote

Y'all sound like

"WHEN I WAS A KID MY DAD USED TO MAKE ME WALK 24 MILES TO USE THE TOILET, IN THE
DEAD OF WINTER, DURING A BLIZZARD, BLINDFOLDED"

reply to post by beezzer


When did getting good grades and a job become "demonized"? Can you provide any evidence of that statement? What?

CJ

reply to post by DontTreadOnMe


The only thing is, "we" MAY have that in some schools, but not the one my kids are in - it is a public school - there is NOTHING like what the posters have been saying here...if your kid is not doing well, you are called in to discuss. There are aides for math, reading, writing and science. NO one is given something that they didn't deserve. As a matter of fact, it is the opposite of what so many are saying...it is COMPETITIVE from Kindergarten. So much so that my boy in third grade has an hour of homework every night - if it is not completed he will FAIL.

Perhaps Colorado is unique?

I attended the neighborhood public schools through HS; in college I discovered very quickly my Privately educated friends from LA and the East Coast had no advantages in smarts over me. None.

Also, there are no "fund drives" at the school my children are in. They ask for a "gift" of $120 per family (no, you don't have to give) and they try to raise $45,000.00 yearly for more teachers aides, activities, etc. I am happy to put in some money (almost nothing for two kids for the year) to keep the school what it is.

It is interesting that people come from as far as Castle Rock (about a 25 minute drive each way) to go to this school - people see it works, are willing to pay a little to help and NO ONE expects, desires, or wants their child to be treated as "one of the group" - They all want their kids to be given no quarter, no freebies, etc.

I as a parent sure as heck demand that my son is given no preference and that he only be given a fair chance. Failure is just as much (or even more so) important to learning how to conduct one's self in the future. I am still confused by anyone who wants little joey or bobby to know we are ALL exactly the same -we aren't and those who see this as a good thing for future generations need to wise up - Competition makes the world go around...

CJ

Originally posted by mnmcandiez
But no one complains over Bugs Bunny being very violent in nature. It's a joke.

Really? The Bugs Bunny cartoons I saw as a kid aren't the same as the ones on TV now. The violence was removed to "protect the kiddies".

Don't get me started on old school Johnny Quest, either.

reply to post by jerico65


Really? Tom and Jerry was on the tube just yesterday. The little mouse was dressed like "mammy" and there was no shortage of offensive racist jokes...

CJ

"If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
if you can think - and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with triumph and disaster,
and treat both imposters just the same:
if you can bare to hear the truth you've spoken,
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn out tools."