I was born in the Philippines where kids are taught to respect elders and authority. So at school, as you've mentioned, everyone is addressed as Mr. , Mrs....    When I was 15, I came to live here in the U.S.  My first days in high-school here was quite a shocker. The disrespect of students towards their teachers, etc. I was flabbergasted. It took me a good while to adjust.

But now that I've been here for more than half my life, I've pretty much completely assimilated the culture.  I see the good and the bad of the culture I grew up in, as well as the American culture. The American culture is not all bad, there's definitely a lot of good...but it would be nice to take it down a notch toward being respectful to others though.

I think that you will find the parents of the youth you worry about are very much like their offspring... The home is the first and foremost example of how to behave, school is a close second.  We must demand better of our own children, their educators and their peers.  I find most of the toddlers, kids and teenagers I know are pretty bright, caring, and respectful toward their elders and each other - then again, so are their parents, and their grandparents etc.

Perhaps it is time that society made parents more responsible for the actions of their teenagers, it might be the jolt they need to step up to the plate and pull their heads out of their butts.

Certainly stirred things up a bit - I love a bit of stir - I just need to get a hold of little miss piggy I think - what a neat little device

thanks for all the comments and the conversations

Hi,

This is a GREAT blog and it raises some terrific issues. Sadly the teens in today's society have learnt to take thing for granted and to some extent that is a fault to the parent BUT also our government. Not only do our teens take things for granted BUT they are also selfish and most refuse to take any responsibility for themselves and their bad decisions, instead blaming their parents or someone else.  This is a situation which needs to be dealt with before these kids begin to have more kids of their own . .

As for hearing the teachers swearing at the kids I hope that you spoke to the Headmaster(principal) at this school in relation to what you have heard. I know of my child were attending a school where staff swore at her then I would be furious. Teachers are trusted by many parents and the idea that they are swearing is appalling! ! ! This teaches those children that swearing is acceptable, which it is not!!

A few years back I was walking past a local school and saw a mob of students openly picking on another child, there was a teacher on duty in the vicinity but this teach did nothing and continued to chat with another teacher. This poor child was shoved and pushed around for about 10 mins when the teacher finally moved to end it but the teacher had also finally finished her chatting . . .

I turned myself around and spoke to the principal of the school as I personally was disgusted. The principal was quite shocked and suggested that I had seen wrong. I pointed out that I had seen perfectly and had heard perfectly well as the whole scene was only around 15 metres away . . . Needles to say my children have never attended this school.

Cheers Kellz

Don't worry, it only gives a slight "zap" to (as the website says) keep creepy businessmen away.

 I do agree. Previous generations were not bombarded each and every day with the hype and bull of the media. Their excuse is to inform but that would be about 10 per cent. The rest is garbage dressed as celebrity. Music videos show near naked women. Magazines promote self as the only thing to worry about. In fact, most messages that the youth of today hear are the ones saying look after number one, nothing else matters. Ideals and ethics go by the wayside. Instead, the young now only care about looking good, not being good. How much you have, my 15 minutes of fame, fashion as essential, celebrities as heroes. The list goes on, these are the new values. These are how the youth of today  think. The problem has been getting worse, without an answer in sight. But how do we turn back time? A new shift in cultural  principles is needed. Back to the future.

Sorry I have to chuckle, but society to me is as society alway's has been. The Majority show respect the Minority carry on being self centred and ignorrant.  People teach respect and obligations to children and some dont, terrorism, bullying and dictatorship are still going on after centuaries. Media and statistics have brought things out into the open, but it has alway's gone on. Show me when the age of enlightenment was and I will show why it is a myth. Drugs, well lets see, drugs are sold to children in school. are mass marketed, and set up as a business. The Opium Den was not as literary myth would have it, run by Chinamen and frequented by middleclass losers, who wanted it an escape, the reality was more horrific and the real loosers were the children who lived and worked in them, and were abused mentaly ,physically and sexually, in return they got drugs to help them cope with the horror of their lives. The difference was that the children involved were poverty stricken,abandoned or homeless and the media was not interested. The Governments did not need the masses to vote them in and the people who ran them lived wealthy and drug free lives, but had no compunction in killing the client or the child if it suited them. The age of enlightenment  if there is one, is now, when we can see the reality as it alway's has been, because we have access to that inmformation, we can choose to believe the hype that things are worse or we can research the reality as it was and still is. The dynamics alter, in our own lives as we grow older and have different experiences but the reality is still the same. Granny exagerated her good life because life was harsh and the she wished to protect us from it. Grandpa, went to war and it had to be made into an adventure of daring do, if he was to retain any form of sanity. Terrorism is hyped to excess today, but for some the reality is different. London is safer than it has been in decades, the threat from terrorism and fear has decreased not from authority vigilence on Islamic sects, but because the IRA, have shut up shop at the moment. We see what we want to and make it fit with our experience.Children have alway's been cheeky little blighters, who will test the issues to the max if we let them. Adults have alway's been self centred on their own goals, that is the reality. Humans just live in the me,me,me. Nothing has really changed, the perspective has though and hopefully for the good, maybe we can all do something togeather to change the future so that the past stops repeating itself. Just some thoughts.

Luv.Winnie.xxxx

It is all very sad. Where did all the respect go? All the well-mannered people? It's not just children. It seems to have been robbed from all ages! Where has it all gone wrong? It's a shame that there isn't a simple answer to it all!

This problem with our world is exactly why I am trying (not sucessfully) to write a book.  It is going to be about my ideal world and how this world destroys technology so we are forced to live simply and will  make us appreciate the basics our world has to offer.

lol a junior tazzer! thats funny

sadly me thinks we have gone past the point of no return, what the alternatives are?....have no idea at this time.

although a junior tazzer, would love to see a pic of that!....................

rue

I don't know about you but I think that drug use has to have something to do with it. It is way too complex to say that it is only discipline that has changed. Some kids have way too much and some have nothing and we are putting them together in a huge school where they get together, form allies and enemies. It has to come full circle as history repeats. There has to be another war or recession probably. I feel bleak about the future and don't like to think about it as in olden days they could see it improving but for our children we can only see them having wars, environmental problems and because of all the waste there can only be shortages of resourses soon and rubbish disposal issues, even water issues. If we can't see what is good about the future I don't know what they can see. Everyone is just chasing the mighty dollar.

I have had discussions with a friend who believes the cane needs to be brought back. OK some children do not have enough discipline and can cry assault if they are disciplined but some of these children playing up are being abused. Maybe it is just that there are more people in the world. I don't think the problem is as easy as inventing the junior tazzer but that did give me a laugh. Sorry I am all doom and gloom but I just think way too much but I am all with you on trying to seek solutions. They need to be made accountable but sometimes they can't even be caught as there is no evidence. When they are able to get away with so much they keep doing it. They no longer know the person at the local store, it is a big supermarket so it is OK to them to steal from them etc. Anyway must go before I keep thinking!

that is so true...
i only left high school 3 years ago and even then, people's respect had gone out the window...

you know, honestly, when i look back, i'm GLAD that my parents were tough on me...
i'm glad that they pushed me to do my TEE and get into university...
i'm glad that my older brother looked out for me and made sure i was always home on time....

i guess that's the problem with teenagers nowadays...
they think that their parents "like" to yell at them...
they think their parents are doing it to spite them or something...
they don't see that they're yelling because they care and just want the best for their children...

i used to sit in my high school class and think: "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS HERE IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LISTEN?"
it used to irritate me a lot, because i was 17 going on 40, whereas the kids there had a maturity level of a lemon. LOL

it scares me as well, wondering who will be looking after us in another few decades...
but i guess this is where our role comes in...
it is our duty to raise kids that will make a positive influence and hopefully extend that to other children of their generation, and maybe the world won't be as bad :)

wonderful blog... Arna must be proud !!! hehe
i enjoyed reading this tremendously.. keep writing !!!

Thuy xox

Absolutely agree and this was spoken about at my bbq yesterday, and our dear neighbour said that all lack of respect went out the door when the cane went ,,, but i disagreed with her a bit, as in my age bracket we didnt have the cane, and there is no way would i have spoken to a adult the way some do... I think some kids have too much freedom, and also dont know how to have fun, and the technology has taken over the world... We as parents need to get their and show them how that its cooler to be outside instead of in side...

My eldest he plays sports, and mick and i sure notice his behaviour and they  way he acts is so diffrent to a child his own age that doesnt play sport...

So for some kids, all they are doing is screaming out for attention, and they aint getting it in the right way, but saying all that, some kids just want more more,and still not happy.. so how can you please some of them....

xxx cazza

You are so right !!!!!

All I see in the school playgroud is disrespect and out and out rudeness

Even at that age they don't respect people or property, whats worse is sometimes even the 8/9 years old can be quite intimidating !!!!!