Taken Kids and

Today's Kids
 

It's much different today then when I was growing up. Better yet, it was really different when my parents were growing up. They had a lot more respect not only for their parents, but for other adults as well. I was the type of child that if my mom looked at me with that look when I got in trouble, I would start to cry. Not that I ever got spanked, but having my mom be upset or disappointed in me was unbearable. She could put me in my room, but nothing was worse then her being disappointed in that and me was the punishment I could not handle. Growing up with a disability was not easy, other children would tease and be cruel, but it never entered my mind to hurt someone, let alone come to class with a loaded gun and use it on those who teased me. Today, I watch the news and it seem like almost everyday I hear that another shooting is taking place. Boys and girls, thirteen, fourteen years old telling other children that they are going to pull out a gun and shoot them because they did not like how they were treated. No one seems to take some of the heat; they seem to glance over the issues that must be addressed. In my opinion, it all starts at home, and why isn’t parents have more control or know more of what goes on with their children’s lives. Guns are not to be blamed; it’s how the parents teach responsibility towards those guns. I do know that all children are different and can not be treated the same, but if they just had a little more attention to feel their needs, maybe the children would talk out their frustrations. I realize that most parents work. Most of the time it’s because they both feel they need to give their children what they didn’t have when they were growing up. What children need most I feel is love and attention from their parents, not just things that they bring home from a toy store. Another thing is that I feel that there is too much information being exposed, it’s all over the TV, Internet and radio. Take for instances, the Internet, you can find almost anything on the Internet. If children want to find out how to make bombs or get a hold of a gun, all they need to do is turn on the computer, type in key words and some clicks from a mouse and bingo, they have all the information they need on a screen. Hey, I will be the first one to say how wonderful the Internet is and how it has open doors for me and other people. The same goes for children, but sometimes it can be too much of a good thing. Like anything else, children need structure in their lives. Get back to the family values, take time to sit down and talk to your children. Do not leave it up to teachers, or worse, other kids. Do not misunderstand, I think teachers do a wonderful job, but who should know your children better, the teacher or you? I watch some of the cartoons that my niece watches and I’m so amazed what they show now. It’s as though death is nothing because the character comes back to life in seconds. Adults need to realize that children need to be children, not have to worry about issues that should not be in children’s minds. All they should be concerned about is getting a great education and having fun!

October 13, 2001
It’s so much different today then when I was growing up. Better yet, it was really different when my parents were growing up. They had a lot more respect not only for their parents, but for other adults as well. I was the type of child that if my mom looked at me with that look when I got in trouble, I would start to cry. Not that I ever got spanked, but having my mom be upset or disappointed in me was unbearable. She could put me in my room, but nothing was worse then her being disappointed in that and me was the punishment I could not handle. Growing up with a disability was not easy, other children would tease and be cruel, but it never entered my mind to hurt someone, let alone come to class with a loaded gun and use it on those who teased me. Today, I watch the news and it seem like almost everyday I hear that another shooting is taking place. Boys and girls, thirteen, fourteen years old telling other children that they are going to pull out a gun and shoot them because they did not like how they were treated. No one seems to take some of the heat; they seem to glance over the issues that must be addressed. In my opinion, it all starts at home, and why isn’t parents have more control or know more of what goes on with their children’s lives. Guns are not to be blamed; it’s how the parents teach responsibility towards those guns. I do know that all children are different and can not be treated the same, but if they just had a little more attention to feel their needs, maybe the children would talk out their frustrations. I realize that most parents work. Most of the time it’s because they both feel they need to give their children what they didn’t have when they were growing up. What children need most I feel is love and attention from their parents, not just things that they bring home from a toy store. Another thing is that I feel that there is too much information being exposed, it’s all over the TV, Internet and radio. Take for instances, the Internet, you can find almost anything on the Internet. If children want to find out how to make bombs or get a hold of a gun, all they need to do is turn on the computer, type in key words and some clicks from a mouse and bingo, they have all the information they need on a screen. Hey, I will be the first one to say how wonderful the Internet is and how it has open doors for me and other people. The same goes for children, but sometimes it can be too much of a good thing. Like anything else, children need structure in their lives. Get back to the family values, take time to sit down and talk to your children. Do not leave it up to teachers, or worse, other kids. Do not misunderstand, I think teachers do a wonderful job, but who should know your children better, the teacher or you? I watch some of the cartoons that my niece watches and I’m so amazed what they show now. It’s as though death is nothing because the character comes back to life in seconds. Adults need to realize that children need to be children, not have to worry about issues that should not be in children’s minds. All they should be concerned about is getting a great education and having fun!