Banned from grad for senior prank

[cassiesmom]

I graduated from parochial high school 24 years ago. (24 years ago June 10th, in fact. ) You could get in serious trouble really fast if you said or did anything disrespectful, not just to the teachers or principal, but to the librarian, office staff, bus drivers, custodians, basically any adult. Sometimes I wonder how I would get through high school if I were a student now. My sister-in-law teaches middle school and from the stories she tells I think things are just a lot different for kids. The Internet, media, the role of families and the function of a family in a child's life, things have just changed a lot. It seems to me that life just moves faster now than it did when I was in high school in the early '80s. I don't know if that is really possible, but it sure seems that way to me.

Edited to ask: Could it be that the expectations placed on kids are just different? Or, were my parents just tougher on discipline than the parents of today? I don't know. I can tell you I was a kid who toed the line and never took a risk. Even now, at 40, I'm risk-averse. Back then I wouldn't have dared to glue the trays together out of fear of the consequences.

[sparks19]

I also think what is considered rude has changed a little bit as well.... I mean of course foul language is ALWAYS rude.... although you do hear it everywhere today even on commercials.

But some people find it just as rude to be called ma'am or sir as it is to be told to pound salt.

[lizbud]

I graduated from parochial high school 24 years ago. (24 years ago June 10th, in fact. ) You could get in serious trouble really fast if you said or did anything disrespectful, not just to the teachers or principal, but to the librarian, office staff, bus drivers, custodians, basically any adult. Sometimes I wonder how I would get through high school if I were a student now. My sister-in-law teaches middle school and from the stories she tells I think things are just a lot different for kids. The Internet, media, the role of families and the function of a family in a child's life, things have just changed a lot. It seems to me that life just moves faster now than it did when I was in high school in the early '80s. I don't know if that is really possible, but it sure seems that way to me.

Edited to ask: Could it be that the expectations placed on kids are just different? Or, were my parents just tougher on discipline than the parents of today? I don't know. I can tell you I was a kid who toed the line and never took a risk. Even now, at 40, I'm risk-averse. Back then I wouldn't have dared to glue the trays together out of fear of the consequences.

You make some excellent points here. I do believe less is expected from
kids today as opposed to say, 25 years ago.

[caseysmom]

I disagree lizbud. My kids homework and schoolwork is leaps and bounds more than I ever had, and we both attended/attend public schools.

My daughter is a freshman taking algebra 2, I never got that far, not even close. Believe me they have to do a lot more in school than I ever did to get by.

[mugsy]

The kid needs to shut up and deal with the consequences. He did wrong, plain and simple. They didn't press charges. He missing walking with his class...he will live.

As far as school work goes...while they are moving faster for sure, but, it's very watered down...the bar is far lower. When I graduated in 1980, I graduated with a 93% average and it was a middle of the road "B+", now it's a solid "A". 75% was the lowest passing grade and for some teachers now, it's 60%...and still almost 1/2 the kids flunk because they are flat out too lazy to do the work...and they will tell you that proudly. I'm just sick to death of the disrespect and the "I am all important" attitudes that prevail in today's schools. Almost to the point of throwing in the towel and telling someone else to deal with them. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do and most of the kids I see everyday, but, the others make me wonder...

[caseysmom]

The work my daughter does doesn't seem watered down to me, in fact it makes me feel plain stupid

[lizbud]

I disagree lizbud. My kids homework and schoolwork is leaps and bounds more than I ever had, and we both attended/attend public schools.

My daughter is a freshman taking algebra 2, I never got that far, not even close. Believe me they have to do a lot more in school than I ever did to get by.

Oh, I wasn't talking educational development, I mean emotional growth.
personal interaction with other people, that sort of thing.

[caseysmom]

Oh, I wasn't talking educational development, I mean emotional growth.
personal interaction with other people, that sort of thing.

I know...don't get me wrong I want to strangle one of mine 90 percent of the time but my other daughter is a complete hard working respectful kid, it just depends and they have the same parent so don't blame it on me

[sparks19]

I know...don't get me wrong I want to strangle one of mine 90 percent of the time but my other daughter is a complete hard working respectful kid, it just depends and they have the same parent so don't blame it on me

it is true.... sometimes parenting just is NOT enough. YOu can drill it into their brains and teach them and teach them but eventually they will develop their own personalities and if what you taught doesn't fit in with that.... they just go their own way. Like in your case..... they have two totally different personalities so they will react to your teachings in a completely different way. and some kids will just rebel no matter what you teach them. Some of them just need the fear of God to straighten them out lol

[buttercup132]

Pembroke_Corgi, I completley agree with what you have said and that's how I feel. It just always comes out wrong when I say it.

I hate when people say "back when I was young..". Were not back when you were young so stop trying to make it that way. Alot of you are also saying how you did stupid things when you were younger so why are you bashing the teenagers of now that do stupid things?

And I really don't think your generations had that much more respect for authorities.I have parents who were in that generation too and people in my family who taught in some of your generations so I've herd my share of stories about how bad some kids were. Obviously some had respect but they do now too.