School. Sad business.
We were watching old family videos the other day. My mother was so beautiful, slim and happy. We were happy kids as well.
My father mentioned how happy my brother was (referring to my older brother). He said “you all had a happy childhood”.
Then referring to my brother [who I will not elaborate, but he has issues and my father is very frustrated with him] my father said, everything was fine till you went to school. My father puts the blame on his first grade teacher, but really it was just the beginning of a very gradual process.
Of course, I totally understand, it’s not only teachers…and at least today teachers are educated differently and if they are good teachers they will know to identify certain issues and bring them up to the attention of the parents or the school system, I’m speaking of learning disabilities of course, these teachers will also know how to speak to the child, as opposed to putting him down.
But, it’s not only teachers, it is the whole surrounding it’s the peer system, the competiveness, need to be just like everyone else, need to win and the need to be able to.
The fact is as soon as you are different your peers will pick on it and make fun of you.
I see the same thing with my son, as bright and intelligent as he is, he isn’t good with sports and it is already tearing him apart, destroying his confidence, brining out a negative attitude.
The other day my son who is currently very much enjoying the summer break activities tried to convince me that since he is so clever, he no longer needs to continue going to school.
At first I told him if he thinks he’s done with school that means he needs to choose between going to the army or going to work. He opted work. Said he would write letters from home.
(I suppose he thinks that is what I do for a living, since whenever I’m on the computer and he wants it, I tell him “I’ll just finish this mail”) so I asked him if he wanted to be a postman, which he didn’t…then it came to me, he loves computers. I explained to him that he needs to persist with school, since if he wants to go to the university and study computers, he will need to be the best student. I told him since so many people want to learn computer science; they only accept those with the highest grades. I told him if he stays in school and does well, he can then go learn computers in university. Amazingly enough he said Okay.