Aiiyyy, Hope there is, Matie!

[matman]

A very encouraging sight saw I the night before last.

In Tacoma, Washington visiting was I
When upon me on the sidewalk came
A youth, it was, a youth of maybe 14
A Utilikilt there was, around his waist was wrapt!

My eyes were joyed, yes joyed were they

For when the young folks pick up a trend
Me thinkst the trend will grow. Very enheartened I am
to see a kid, not a punk, mind you, hanging with his buddies
In a UK!

Cheers to all!

[crfriend]

[...]A youth, it was, a youth of maybe 14
A Utilikilt there was, around his waist was wrapt!

And a grand vision it must've been, 'cause it foretold of things that may yet be!

Perhaps someday, in our elder years, we can reminisce about yearning to be free.

OK, that stank. I'm no poet.

My eyes were joyed, yes joyed were they.

With good reason!

Salutations for the Solstice!

[G.Shaw]

Though boys tend to rebel from their fathers....
Wishfull thinking perhaps.

[Stu]

Though boys tend to rebel from their fathers....

That must explain why my teenage son is revolting!

Stu

[AMM]

That must explain why my teenage son is revolting!

I know (well, hope!) this was meant as a joke, but am I the only one who is bothered by this sort of socially approved prejudice against our children, which you see all over the place?

I have two teenage sons (13 & 16), and I have to say, I don't find them any more annoying or "revolting" than anyone else. (Everyone is "revolting" some of the time.) In fact, most of the teenagers I meet are pretty decent people, more decent, in fact than many of their elders.

If someone were to say these things about, say, immigrants, or women, or retarded people, people would be all over them, but because it's about children -- either our own, or our society's, it's somehow OK.

And a lot of people aren't joking at all: there are a lot of neighborhoods in our area where teenagers are seen as a "problem" to be gotten rid of. (And God forbid you should suggest a youth center -- kids might start "hanging out" there!)

Does anyone think about what message we are sending our children when we say these things?

And if children don't respect their elders, how much of it is because so many elders don't do anything to earn their respect?

-- AMM

[G.Shaw]

I took Stu's statement as a comedic response.
I for one do believe that part of the maturation process young people go through is to sample that which isn't the norm at home or in their lives up to that point. Testing rules is another method young people go through. We as people did this growing up and I believe it to be a healthy part of learning about life. I don't view it as negative unless it is self destructive.

I do agree there are those that have forgotten what it was like to grow up or who are inflexible such that they are intolerant of different behavior. I believe that intolerance to be unacceptable.

The solution to any perceived 'problem' is education of just what the difference sampling is all about.

Greg

[Departed Member]

I do agree there are those that have forgotten what it was like to grow up or who are inflexible such that they are intolerant of different behavior. I believe that intolerance to be unacceptable. Greg

Couldn't disagree more, sorry! Why should a parent tolerate their child/children doing wrong (i.e., something unlawful) on the basis that they're just 'finding out about life'? To the extent that they then in effect rule their parents' life/lives? And what if their parent seeks to 'protect' that child, by turning not just a blind eye, but by refusing to accept help from (the rest of) their family and friends? Ask those who have a member of their family who has "Asperger's Syndrome" what it's like........ :shake:

[Stu]

AMM

I know (well, hope!) this was meant as a joke, but am I the only one who is bothered by this sort of socially approved prejudice against our children, which you see all over the place?

Yes - of course it was a joke. Well, except when he leaves his dirty socks on the kitchen floor, that's pretty revolting. And when he wipes his nose on his sleeve. Oh, yeah, and he has a tendency to belch at the dinner table. And break wind. And he sometimes forgets to take a shower after training at the gym - phew!

Nope. I take back what I said. He is revolting.

But he'll grow out of it. Soon. I hope.

Mind you, when he was 14, he was quite happy to go out in a grey, pleated skirt. Not many boys would have the guts to do that, would they? But he did! He seems to have curtailed his skirt-wearing since he met his girlfriend, though. Shame she can't improve his social graces.

Stu

[raindog]

I sometimes think I was born on another planet. I seem to have passed through life from birth to middle age without any of this teen angst bad behaviour stuff.
When I was a teenager I thought most other teenagers were mental, and that hasn't changed.
In fact a newspaper report months ago stated scientists have found that teenagers are in fact mentally ill due to the raging chemical soup distorting all their thought processes. So maybe we should forgive them a bit.

Jeff.

[Eagle 95]

I sometimes think I was born on another planet. I seem to have passed through life from birth to middle age without any of this teen angst bad behaviour stuff.
When I was a teenager I thought most other teenagers were mental, and that hasn't changed.
In fact a newspaper report months ago stated scientists have found that teenagers are in fact mentally ill due to the raging chemical soup distorting all their thought processes. So maybe we should forgive them a bit.

Jeff.

ah, so that's why I was psycho in high school