Double Whammy Day!

Have to make up for lost time today.
I had a ton of things to say yesterday, but having to work from 5:30 AM to 9 PM with only a single lunch break kinda gets in the way.


Main subject for today: PARENTS.

1) Childhood reading
I hate parents who tell their kids "This book is too grown-up for you."
As if to say "You're incompetent, and only time will make you more competent!"

I work in a library. I love to read.
If my parents hadn't left the doors wide open on my available reading material, I never would have known my ability, nor expanded my vocabulary or reading tastes.

If a kid wants to read a book, LET THEM!
If they don't know all the words, get them in the habit of looking them up!
If they ask questions, BE A PARENT and EXPLAIN IT TO THEM!

This whole idea of "you're not old enough to understand" has always been a load of BS, and it makes the parent look incompetent because they'd rather handwave the subject away than actually devote some time and effort to their children's understanding.

Kids are naturally curious.

It's part of human development, and leads to greater understanding of the world around us.

As many bitter old grownups can attest, once you lose that childhood curiosity, it doesn't come back.
Yet it seems as though so many parents are trying to kill it in its infancy.

They'd rather get the kid hooked into the machine as soon as possible, and let the Internet and television do the parenting.

Which, strangely enough, leads us into....

2) Bullying
"You can't stop bullying. It's human nature. I bet if you were stronger and well, dumber, you'd probably be a bully too."
-Paranorman (paraphrased cuz I'm in a hurry)

Bullying is not new.
Bullying is not some cancerous sign of the degradation of our consumerist society (though there is plenty of that to go around).

Bullying is what hurting children do to make themselves feel like they have control over something, especially when they're made to feel powerless at home due to abuse.

And here's the kicker:
IT'S BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME.

It isn't some "epidemic" which has just recently reared its ugly head.
The only thing which has changed in recent years (see above) is that fewer and fewer parents are taking it upon themselves to PARENT.

It is not the responsibility of PBS, or teachers, or school administrators to give your child a sense of self-worth.

That has to start happening from BIRTH.
And who's around then?
YOU, the PARENTS.

If YOU don't instill self-esteem and a resilience to the opinions of others, and support them when they come under fire, then NO ONE WILL.

That so many of you are expecting parenting to be as easy as plugging the kid into the Internet and saying "Go play!" is more disgusting to me than the inevitable consequence of your children offing themselves due to the contents of an EMAIL.

Get off your iPhones/Pads/whatever, quit trying to party hard while parenting, GROW UP, and start being an adult for your children to rely on!