"Tudes"
Today, on my way to teaching drum students, I heard something on the radio that frustrated me. (I've also noticed that this is happening more frequently. Is it age catching up with me?!).
They were discussing this new show called, "BRAT CAMP". Troubled teens are sent there to get their shit in shape, military style. They actually had some teens, who had been through this sort of camp, on the phone. All of them said it worked, and highly recommended that parents with "out of control" teens should look into this. Fine. But then I got to thinking about some of the kids I teach. All of them are in wealthy families. Most live in the Buckhead, Vinings area. A small few of these kids are what I'd call, "OUT OF CONTROL". Some to the point where, sadly, I've chosen to stop teaching them.
What I've observed, is that the parents need to go to this camp!! They are where the problem starts. You would think that people who make an ass load of money, (living in houses that cost well over $3 million, and travel all over the world during the summer months.) must have their shit together and are responsible individuals. Nope. They're the most irresponsible, spoiled 40 & 50 year old kids I've ever seen. They couldn't survive 5 minutes in a jungle. Most of these families have both parents working jobs, and they usually bring their work home as well. I have first hand witnessed parents "ignoring" their kids, and letting them run rabid! Half the stuff I hear and see these kids do, would have gotten me a belt to the butt from my folks. And I have GREAT parents. They would actually spend time with my brother and I.
When you constantly pawn your kids off on somebody else to deal with, just to keep them occupied while you're busy with yourself, you should really stop and ask yourself, "Am I even ready to be a parent?" Of course you should have thought about this BEFORE you had kids!! Don't just buy them something to shut them up when they whine. Teach them "real world values", like how to be respectful to people, and earn your way through life. I think that this is a major contributing factor into why "real world values" are rapidly fading in todays society.
I just got off the phone with Linz, and we were talking about this entry I'm writing. She brought up a very valid point too. We can't just blame the parents either. Our social environment is probably the more guilty party. Commercialism is a serious moral killer. All we talk about, on t.v. and the radio, anymore is sex. Rappers rhyming about all the drugs they do, and "bitches" they bang doesn't help either. I mean hell, "death metal" has a way lesser impact on kids than rap. I don't see kids skinning each other to death in the news. Just today, in fact, I noticed the advertising on some McDonald's bags. A kid playing video games, a girl d.j., (and I had Grimace on mine). The commercials I've seen promote hanging out on an overpass, playing portable video games and stuffing their face with fat. Or sitting on the floor of a furnitureless apartment scarfing Big Macs. I won't mention shows that basically say, "Cheating on your spouse is fun.", but seriously.
I know this probably sounds like I'm looking at this from a conservative old fart view, and trust me I'm not that way, but where do we draw the line? I love violent movies and sex just as much as the next hell-raiser would, and I know that there's an "off" button on the t.v. and radio. There are ways to keep kids away from bad influence, but it wasn't this bad when I was a kid. Today it's gotten to the point where we're a few steps away from having to lock them in a castle tower until they're old enough to understand these things. The parents need to raise the kids. Not strangers. That's really what I'm trying to say. Spend time with them. Don't just send them off to play video games while you watch some stupid ass "reality show". Be a PARENT for God sakes!! They will be running the world soon. If you want to save the world, start by teaching them how not to fuck it up. Maybe then they'll find a way to fix the problems we've caused.
I'm sure I haven't looked at this from all the "right" angles, but from my soap box, this is how I see the world around me.
They were discussing this new show called, "BRAT CAMP". Troubled teens are sent there to get their shit in shape, military style. They actually had some teens, who had been through this sort of camp, on the phone. All of them said it worked, and highly recommended that parents with "out of control" teens should look into this. Fine. But then I got to thinking about some of the kids I teach. All of them are in wealthy families. Most live in the Buckhead, Vinings area. A small few of these kids are what I'd call, "OUT OF CONTROL". Some to the point where, sadly, I've chosen to stop teaching them.
What I've observed, is that the parents need to go to this camp!! They are where the problem starts. You would think that people who make an ass load of money, (living in houses that cost well over $3 million, and travel all over the world during the summer months.) must have their shit together and are responsible individuals. Nope. They're the most irresponsible, spoiled 40 & 50 year old kids I've ever seen. They couldn't survive 5 minutes in a jungle. Most of these families have both parents working jobs, and they usually bring their work home as well. I have first hand witnessed parents "ignoring" their kids, and letting them run rabid! Half the stuff I hear and see these kids do, would have gotten me a belt to the butt from my folks. And I have GREAT parents. They would actually spend time with my brother and I.
When you constantly pawn your kids off on somebody else to deal with, just to keep them occupied while you're busy with yourself, you should really stop and ask yourself, "Am I even ready to be a parent?" Of course you should have thought about this BEFORE you had kids!! Don't just buy them something to shut them up when they whine. Teach them "real world values", like how to be respectful to people, and earn your way through life. I think that this is a major contributing factor into why "real world values" are rapidly fading in todays society.
I just got off the phone with Linz, and we were talking about this entry I'm writing. She brought up a very valid point too. We can't just blame the parents either. Our social environment is probably the more guilty party. Commercialism is a serious moral killer. All we talk about, on t.v. and the radio, anymore is sex. Rappers rhyming about all the drugs they do, and "bitches" they bang doesn't help either. I mean hell, "death metal" has a way lesser impact on kids than rap. I don't see kids skinning each other to death in the news. Just today, in fact, I noticed the advertising on some McDonald's bags. A kid playing video games, a girl d.j., (and I had Grimace on mine). The commercials I've seen promote hanging out on an overpass, playing portable video games and stuffing their face with fat. Or sitting on the floor of a furnitureless apartment scarfing Big Macs. I won't mention shows that basically say, "Cheating on your spouse is fun.", but seriously.
I know this probably sounds like I'm looking at this from a conservative old fart view, and trust me I'm not that way, but where do we draw the line? I love violent movies and sex just as much as the next hell-raiser would, and I know that there's an "off" button on the t.v. and radio. There are ways to keep kids away from bad influence, but it wasn't this bad when I was a kid. Today it's gotten to the point where we're a few steps away from having to lock them in a castle tower until they're old enough to understand these things. The parents need to raise the kids. Not strangers. That's really what I'm trying to say. Spend time with them. Don't just send them off to play video games while you watch some stupid ass "reality show". Be a PARENT for God sakes!! They will be running the world soon. If you want to save the world, start by teaching them how not to fuck it up. Maybe then they'll find a way to fix the problems we've caused.
I'm sure I haven't looked at this from all the "right" angles, but from my soap box, this is how I see the world around me.