I've been going through this thread and reading constantly, but I haven't had the chance to add my two cents yet, so I will do just that now.
First of all, Bckrazy, while I do NOT think your parents are right to ground you over this, I feel YOU are incredibly wrong to say your parents suck, and to call them 'tards', etc.I'm still a teenager too. I have, at many times, gotten frustrated with some things my parents did/said. We all do. That does NOT give any child the right to call their parents bad names. Its wrong and disrespectful. Parents don't devote their lives to raising their children from birth to get this in return. If you don't like their 'way', have a talk with them...even a heated talk, but its never right to call your parents names. Just my honest opinion.
Regarding grounding for grades, I personally have NEVER been grounded in my entire life, and I cannot for once seem to understand what purpose it serves. Back in the days when I was in elementry school, one of my best friends was a girl who lived next door to me. We were both around 7 years old at the time. Anyway, we used to play outside together, every single day....ride our bikes, rollerblade, bounce around on our pogo sticks....just have fun together. I remember calling her one day asking her to come play outside with me...and she told me she couldn't because she was grounded. The funny thing was grounding became an everyday thing for her. She was was grounded several times a week.....sometimes for the whole week. I don't have a clue as to what purpose it served. It never helped her grades, never helped her discipline, and ended up making her despise her parents. I do not understand or approve of this method. Grounding is something that my parents have never done to us. When we had bad grades (which was very rare for me but it still happened a couple of times), they would sit down with us and talk to us about their concerns. My dad would spend HOURS helping me with math, every single day. Math was hard for me when I first started school. I didn't quite understand it. Now, its my strongest subject, and I have come to love and enjoy it. Math is fun for me, and I know its because of the time my dad devoted in helping me with it...in making it fun...in encouraging me. My mom did the same to help me in science and other subjects. They never once criticized me for making a mistake. They lovingly helped me correct those mistakes, helped me understand what I was doing wrong....and it worked. I've been a straight A student most of my life, and I KNOW its because of my parents, because if they left it to me, I would've neglected my studies and gotten C's. I didn't like to pay attention. I hated school. I wanted my work over with. If I didn't have that pressure from my parents, I wouldn't have done well. The thing about my parents though, is that they helped me by sitting down and explaining what I was doing wrong...how it would affect my life if I didn't do a better job, etc. They did express disappointment, but not once have they taken any privilege away. I think that's the right way to do it. Grounding is not the answer, in my opinion. It doesn't serve any purpose.
Now about A's and B's and C's.......I think its BEST to do what you can to get the best grades possible. Your GPA in high school counts towards the University you get into. Kids that just 'pass' but have a low GPA will have a harder time getting into the school they want to get into.
I personally believe its very important to continue your education after high school, though at the same time, I do not believe its a guarantee for ANYTHING. Its not. It opens doors for you in life, but the fact is, having a degree is not a guarantee you'll succeed financially in life, nor is not having a degree a guarantee you'll be a failure. Bill Gates is a prime example. The richest man in the world....and does he have a degree? Nope. A good friend of my father is another example. He has a P.h.d. (not a little 4 year degree.....a PHD) from Stanford University. It can't get better than that. Guess what. He's been jobless for 4 years now. The economy went down, he lost his job, and he has yet to get one, with his wonderful Standford University P.h.d. Proof that no matter what degree you possess, its not a guarantee you'll always be employed and doing well.
That being said, I feel its best to be prepared for the worst situations in life. I think men who do not work to get a degree are REALLY doing themselves a disfavor in life. The reason I say that is because men HAVE TO BE financially responsible for themselves, wives, children, etc. no matter what. Whether they are married, unmarried, whatever....they still have that financial burden on their shoulders. For women, that is not ALWAYS the case. I feel it depends on a woman's situation, because women do not always carry that financial responsibility. Many women do, but not all. Women in the workplace ARE very important, and there should be women working out there. We need women doctors, teachers, etc. I feel its very important for women to get a good education, and they SHOULD get one, but what I'm saying is...a woman may not NEED a degree in life as much as a man would. When a women gets married, the man is still traditionally 'seen' as the provider of the family. He will have to earn. The woman can earn, and sometimes must earn, but she doesn't always have to. She might have children to raise and care for. She has a house to handle...We all know how GREAT men are at doing that. LOL! Even if you have men help you, they end up ruining things more, so the woman has to do it all over again in the end (he he he). Women have a lot of things to do at home...which is why a degree is not ALWAYS neccessary for them. My mom has a higher degree than my dad. Has she used it? Only until my brother was born. She's been a stay-at-home mom ever since, by her own choice. My dad has always supported all of us. My mom took care of us...raised us... She worked HARD towards her Masters, for years...but the fact is, she could've had the same life without it. She didn't want to work once she had kids, as she didn't need to. My dad on the other hand couldn't quit working. As a man, he HAD to work to support his family, and he needed that degree no matter what. My mom had a choice in this. She could've worked if she wanted to. She didn't have to if she chose not to. That really, is my point. I feel women should have a degree because you never know what will happen in life. What if she never gets married? What if she gets divorced? What if her husband dies? Of course its not good to think negatively, but its best to be prepared for the worst situations. I personally do not WANT to go to University. I don't like it. I'm only doing it 'just in case'....Just in case I ever need it. If I ever have to support myself, I should have the capability to do so. I don't like going to school, and I *might* get my degree online instead (still thinking about it), but I will get an education for sure. Yes I know studying online won't be the same, but at least it is something that will open some doors for me. I don't PLAN on working to make a living my entire life. I would not marry someone without a degree though. I plan on getting married and having my husband do most of the earning, while I will devote my life to caring for my household, raising my children, enjoying life with the rest of my free time, etc. I feel it would be unfair to me to have kids to care for, a household to handle, and to work at the same time. If I have kids, I want to raise them well, and unless I had family nearby, I feel that would be very difficult to accomplish if I were working outside the home too. I feel children NEED their mother, and I wouldn't want to deprive them from that, unless I had no other choice. For that reason, a degree is not my top priority in life. Its a priority, but not the number One thing in my life. I'm doing it just to secure myself...basically. In case I ever need a degree, I want to have it in my hands. I do not PLAN on working for the rest of my life. I only want an education and some experience that would help me, in case I ever need it. Hopefully I won't need it, but you never know.
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