Becky – Yes. There is probably some sort of genetic issue going on there.

Nope, for once you are wrong XUP. I encouraged my sons to fight back if hit, to speak their mind, to stand up to hypocrisy and injustice – to deal with issues on their own. But, like you, they always knew they could tell me what was going on and that I was ready to step in if asked. I stepped in only once, when called upon, for Erratic Genius and once for Word Wizard. When teachers would call me because of an “issue”, to the teachers’ surprise, I always knew about it ahead of time. When teachers called to complain or whine, I told them to work it out like grown-ups with my kids by talking to them and problem solving.

I believe that the most important lesson learned in school is how to fend for yourself in the big world.

Hallie – If my child was getting abused by other kids or teachers I would certainly go and do something about it. Those are the battles you need to fight for your kid. Get her out of that school, find another learning environment for her..whatever. But the small stuff — she was capable of handling that herself. But overall, yes the education system stinks. It’s goal is to produce a legion of little robots who all think, dress, act, learn and regurgitate in exactly the same way so they can all grow up to be passive corporate drones.

Bandobras – Ah, the good old days!! In Grade 2 we’d have a spelling test every Friday morning, first thing. There were always enough words to fill up a piece of foolscap. For every spelling mistake we made, we’d get 2 straps — the girls would get it on the hand, the boys on their ass behind her desk. Kids who complained at home were told “She’s the teacher. She obviously knows what she’s doing or she wouldn’t be a teacher.”

JFG – Yup, and they’ll feel sad for their kids for not being able to enjoy the fun they had. We all have our challenges and rewards, I guess. Though I must say I rarely envy my daughter and her generation.

Woodsy – Oh come on, I’ll bet you were down at your boys’ school once a week with your shotgun giving somebody hell for something!!

Linda – I’m glad mine is almost grown, too.

Charlene – Funding for schools isn’t as important as funding automobile companies and foreign wars. So, schools cut things down to the bare minium: a nice school board building and someone to come clean up the mess in the washrooms on a regular basis. Everything else is cut – staff, supplies, unessentials like art, music gym, libraries, books, etc..

Geewits – That was a nice idea with the fluffy island. With your handy skills I’m surprised you didn’t construct her a spongy platform under her swings!

Leah – Shielding your kids from bad stuff is never a mistake — it’s a natural inclination. What parent doesn’t want their children to have an idyllic childhood full of fantasy and love and fun and joy and kindness? Life is hard enough as you get older (and even when you’re young) without having to have a lot of crap dumped on you from day one. In the animal kingdom, the mother will protect her offspring fiercely from anything or anyone who wants to do them harm, but she’ll be pretty (brutal yet still kind) with her little ones sometimes as she teaches them to learn to fend for themselves.

i made some mistakes with our daughter, trying to cover her from the bad stuff and i now realize that was a mistake. i’m not even sure why i did it b/c i wasn’t raised that way.

it’s better they learn it early, else they believe the world owes them something, or will shelter them like their parents.