Why is it that the parents always get the blame for practically everything that happens with their children? When a new statistic comes out about over weight kids or a child shoots up a school, the media always comes out blaming the parents. Well I like to look at the bigger picture not often the most popular because its easier to blame individuals then accept the very core of our society is the problem. First, lets look at over weight kids. I've read blogs on here and seen studies talked about on TV that say the problem is how much TV kids are watching today. Parents are letting their kids spend way to much time infront of the tube instead of being outside playing and exercising. Well yes this is true, but why are parents doing this? This is the bigger picture I was talking about. Kids are watching TV more now then ever before because thanks to this Capitalist driven society it has become neccesary for the majority to be dual income homes! It is becoming a thing of the past for a parent to stay home with the kids, we have to send them to daycares, and when we pick them up and get home with them we're to tired from the hustle and bustle to take them outside and play or for that matter to consistently cook them healthy meals. Now obviously I'm not referring to all parents but this does apply to the majority. The TV has become a cheap babysitter, you can set the child infront of it and get some peace and quite before having to go right back into work. And lets talk about product placement on TV, everytime you watch cartoons and a commercial comes on your kids are flooded with these cool cereal that say their a part of a complete breakfast but are actually needlessly filled with sugar. Plus there are all these commercials for quick to fix microwave meals like hotpockets, pizza bites etc.. that are horrible for our kids but like the commercials say their quick to fix. Heck most of those commercials show that the kids can make these meals for themselves! Making it even easier on the parents, now I'm not saying that the parents shouldn't take some of the blame they could learn more about the nutritional values of these meals and learn that the commercials are lying to them when they say that their products are healthy. But again who really has time to make every meal healthy for their family, parents are often just glad to get to spend a few hours with their kids before bedtime, and these less then healthy meals infront of the TV make it possible.
Parents are also blamed for their kids becoming juvenile delinquents. Its all in the home, its the parents fault they never teach their kids morals and values anymore. Kids grow up just running around crazy with no discipline, this is what I always hear older adults talking about. I also hear the media and religious leaders on TV talk about these problems. They say parents aren't spending enough time with their kids or staying in control and knowing everywhere their kids go and everything they do. Well thats true also, for the most part parents do lose some control of their kids, when they get older and get out to be able to start doing things on their own. Again though why is this, because parents are still working long hours outside of the home, and if they do keep track of them every single minute or maintain a very strict household often their kids either grow up to be complete neurotics or they go completely off the deep end when they get out on their own. Forcing values on kids can be very problematic, it can cause them to begin to hate everything you stand for, and parents who work all the time and don't get to instill values have a completely different problem. Their kids don't feel appreciated, or often loved for that matter, they try to talk to their parents but are met with, "Not now, I'm tired" or "Can we do this later?" And they never do. Again this tends to stem from this Capitalist system we have in America. When are we going to stop and take a look at the bigger picture? When are we going to say enoughs enough? We have to do something about this!
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The key is keeping a balance. Our past shapes our present. Not to be too strict, but to have some discipline. I turned just fine, my parents worked, but they spent time with me. So balance is needed.
SHe is right balance is key. But it is hard to balance. Parents have to work some even have two or three jobs just to be able to live.
Your blog is completely unreadable. I blame your parents for not teaching proper essay-organization skills. :p
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If I had had more time I would have written less. -- Thomas Jefferson
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