I'm having a hard time with my teen.. Duh! Anway, I happened to pick up a book called "Do hard things", a book written by 16 year old twins.. The 16 year olds had started a blog protesting against the societal culture encouraging teens to be under achievers, basically by condoning substandard attitude, by expecting less from teens, the society is doing the teens harm. My thoughts exactly.
I really believe the kids in middle school (grades 6-8 here) are capable of a lot more than we give them credit for. I think we need to start treating them as adults in some aspects. They demand more independence, give it to them along with the responsibility!
A background about the authors, Alex and Brett Harris, home schooled kids (Duh!), religious. Apparently their dad gave them a whole stack of books to read for summer and they got inspired. I tried to get my older son to read this one book, which he flatly refused. Of course, if I hadn't asked him to, he would have read it just because it was around. my kids are obviously not home schooled.. However, I've read excerpts to my younger son. yet to finish the book even though it is an easy read, just think it has been written by kids, for kids.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Parents or tyrants?
Just got done with a book titled "A l'heure de la premiere etoile". It is about a character Lucien, and his relationship with his daughter and son. The son leaves home one day without taking leave and the daughter visits once in a while, out of a sense of duty.
Lucien finally figures out that he had done wrong by his children, in trying to make them live like he did.. take up his farm. He never listened to what his children liked or disliked, rather ruled like a tyrant, without having to raise his voice.
Good read in any case.. raised some issues in self! I look around me and feel that kids are rather homogeneous, girls go to dance class, music class, (piano is popular!) boys to karate; every asian kid sorta goes to kumon, some sports in the picture.. tennis maybe.. and of course dinners every weekend either at neighbors or at an indian/italian restaurant.
My older son finally broke down and told me he never really liked piano.. of course he wanted to learn at one point and begged to go since his friends were all learning.. but I am relieved that he realized he never really liked it and was able to tell me so. I think having just finished the above book, I was more receptive to what he had to say and didn't internalize his works as a failure on my part.
My parents never had to face these issues since the only class I was forced to go to was the dreadful typewriting class when I was in college. I still shudder how I never managed to get the forms right. I took up music on and off, ok more off than on (but then I was never driven there and watched over by my parents).
Lucien finally figures out that he had done wrong by his children, in trying to make them live like he did.. take up his farm. He never listened to what his children liked or disliked, rather ruled like a tyrant, without having to raise his voice.
Good read in any case.. raised some issues in self! I look around me and feel that kids are rather homogeneous, girls go to dance class, music class, (piano is popular!) boys to karate; every asian kid sorta goes to kumon, some sports in the picture.. tennis maybe.. and of course dinners every weekend either at neighbors or at an indian/italian restaurant.
My older son finally broke down and told me he never really liked piano.. of course he wanted to learn at one point and begged to go since his friends were all learning.. but I am relieved that he realized he never really liked it and was able to tell me so. I think having just finished the above book, I was more receptive to what he had to say and didn't internalize his works as a failure on my part.
My parents never had to face these issues since the only class I was forced to go to was the dreadful typewriting class when I was in college. I still shudder how I never managed to get the forms right. I took up music on and off, ok more off than on (but then I was never driven there and watched over by my parents).
Monday, January 19, 2009
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