Dear Parents,

[Lethal Interjection]

There is a simple, unpopular, solution - no TV/PC until the child is >7 years of age.

Who will watch my kids then?

[LordRetard]

Travelling through the UK, (especially certain metropolitan centres in Scotland), is like having an eye on the future where kids run rampant with not a soul willing to restrain their basic impulses.

Uf, that's the UK, man. If you come over here to Canadia, especially Toronto... You'll find that you're not supposed to talk about beating your kids, but, more importantly, it's an incredibly safe place to live and we have three universities. And of course it still happens, but some people definitely figured out how to discipline their kids without beating the shit out of them and I think that's admirable. I think the REAL difference here is how much money families have.

Frankly, I firmly believe that many of parents who buy into the "it's bad" reasoning do so because it then absolves them of blame, responsibility and, ultimately, parenting. Not all, but the majority, most certainly.

I think this stems once again from the general problem of "these people shouldn't be parents", not simply that they won't beat their kids. I doubt that they'd be any better parents if the only parenting they did was punishment.

[mountainmage]

There is a simple, unpopular, solution - no TV/PC until the child is >7 years of age. This will ensure time for engagement within the family, and encourage socialisation within peer groups, during the critical development years.

It will also enable a healthy imagination... something which the newest generation appears to be lacking.

I won't deny my imagination is not as strong as it could be (I could argue that with most people, imagination dwindles with age), but I like to think I turned out ok otherwise.

[LordRetard]

I think a lot of people would say that I have an ASSload of imagination, but maybe I'm the exception. I still maintain that anyone from any generation can lack imagination.

[Cirtur]

I sometimes imagine myself a lack of imagination. It's imagical.

[CasualFriday]

I'm going to be a high school teacher, and expect to encounter a lot of kids who either have terrible parents or are just terrible people. Needless to say, I'm already wanting to get tenured so I can just throw kids out of my class.

Also, I think my parents (at least my dad) probably shouldn't have had kids, but my sister and I somehow turned out fine. I think we weren't influenced by our parents so much as everything else.

[ChooChooTrain]

I'm going to be a high school teacher, and expect to encounter a lot of kids who either have terrible parents or are just terrible people. Needless to say, I'm already wanting to get tenured so I can just throw kids out of my class.

Also, I think my parents (at least my dad) probably shouldn't have had kids, but my sister and I somehow turned out fine. I think we weren't influenced by our parents so much as everything else.

Do high school teachers get tenure?

[mountainmage]

In Florida, high school teachers can get certified (with some teaching organization). It's essentially tenure. If you're certified you could get hired at any school, and also you get paid more. Plus, the school can't screw with you.

[astasia]

I'm going to be a high school teacher, and expect to encounter a lot of kids who either have terrible parents or are just terrible people. Needless to say, I'm already wanting to get tenured so I can just throw kids out of my class.

Also, I think my parents (at least my dad) probably shouldn't have had kids, but my sister and I somehow turned out fine. I think we weren't influenced by our parents so much as everything else.

Where are you in terms of your schooling? Have you had any pre-practicum experience?

Honestly, despite this obviously horrible opening post of mine, I think it's not good to go in expecting that. And I like every single one of my kids - no matter how frustrating they can be. I don't believe any of them are lost causes, either, which is why I get so upset and am so passionate about it.

The family is falling apart in today's society and our children's ethics along with it. Parents should be a child's foundation, feeding more than just their stomach, but also their morality, work ethic, and values. Instead, parents are demonstrating laziness, physical and moral, to their kids, and giving their kids excuses for failure. In doing so, they cut their legs out from under them. When they get into the "real world," they'll have no way to stand.

I've been in an abusive relationship. I've been hit (and worse), and I went back to him. Not because I didn't know what it was, but because I thought I loved him.

Is there any possibility this has something to do with your sexual orientation? Perhaps the abusive relationship you had with a man spurred you to seek a safer, more tender companion. Hearing about the abuse you suffered immediately brought me to this theory. I want to know what you think about it. Is it completely absurd?

Please know I don't mean this question as an attack on the idea of orientation being genetic. I don't think you have to reject that idea to consider the possibility of this theory. Perhaps your experience lead you to reject your body's heterosexual tendencies in favor of your homosexual ones.

Cirtur, I love the Perry Bible Fellowship, especially the comic you just referenced.

I'm not offended by the question at all. And, actually, being that I am sexually attracted to both men and women, I do believe that my inclination now toward only having relationships with women is influenced by the fact that I mistrust men. I can have healthy non-abusive relationships with women (like the one I'm currently in), but I have never had a healthy relationship with a man. It really has led me to a stage where I would not truly consider a relationship with a man, just because I would be too scared that I would be hurt, again.

[CasualFriday]

Where are you in terms of your schooling? Have you had any pre-practicum experience?

I'm finishing my AA up at the local community college (I haven't yet graduated from high school). I should have it in December. I'm then going to the University of South Florida to major in history. The only actual experience I have is Direct Field Experience for my Introduction to Education Class. Not much, I know.

[mountainmage]

I never understood why it's called USF if it's in Tampa. That's more like Central Florida.

[CasualFriday]

I never understood why it's called USF if it's in Tampa. That's more like Central Florida.

No one understands it. It should probably be called UWF, but whatever. It's a good school with a really nice campus, and they pretty much wet themselves when I showed them my SAT scores, so I'm bound for Tampa.

[smiley_cow]

I'm going to be a high school teacher, and expect to encounter a lot of kids who either have terrible parents or are just terrible people. Needless to say, I'm already wanting to get tenured so I can just throw kids out of my class.

Cool, I'm going to be a high school teacher too! Well pending and acceptance from the education program I applied to, of which I apparently won't find out about until May. (Yes I thought that was rather late to find out what you were going to be doing next year too). I would like to say I'm most likely going to get in, but I don't want to plan too far ahead less the they suddenly decide they won't be training anymore French teachers or something crazy like that. But yeah, huzzah for another to be High School teacher on this forum.

Hmm, I'm one of many girls, many Canadians, and now apparently I'm not even going to be the only high school teacher. I'm starting to feel redundant. At least I'm still the only cow!

[astasia]

Where are you in terms of your schooling? Have you had any pre-practicum experience?

I'm finishing my AA up at the local community college (I haven't yet graduated from high school). I should have it in December. I'm then going to the University of South Florida to major in history. The only actual experience I have is Direct Field Experience for my Introduction to Education Class. Not much, I know.

I'm graduating in May with a degree in Secondary Social Studies Education.

You're not majoring in history education, though? At least where I'm from, getting a bachelor's degree in a subject that doesn't have an accredited teacher preparation program makes it much harder to get licensed. Just something to think about. Good luck.

[CasualFriday]

You're not majoring in history education, though? At least where I'm from, getting a bachelor's degree in a subject that doesn't have an accredited teacher preparation program makes it much harder to get licensed. Just something to think about. Good luck.

Yeah, I thought about it. I decided that I might not want to teach forever and would like to broaden my choices.