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purplecat wrote:
Well, to tell the truth I’m shocked to find people who agree with some of the points I made…Around here people think I’m nuts and believe our education system is awesome…wow.
I agree completely that our education system sucks. Hell, I noticed a drop in standards just moving to Nebraska from Arizona after 9th grade (tho, admittedly, I could’ve been more challenged there too). I felt like I was put back 2 grades! The technical college that I graduate from in 2 weeks had me there for over a year (July ’06 start) for a course that really only requires 6 months tops. And people are struggling! It’s disgusting.
I just checked out a new Borders bookstore nearby and donated to their book drive – for troubled/needy middle-schoolers that only read at a 2nd grade level. I know these kids have issues at home and whatever else, but WHY are kids (assuming no actual mental disability or unaddressed learning disability) getting beyond elementary school if they can’t read better than that? It’s know it’s not just Nebraska.
mimitrek wrote:dragonessjade wrote:You know what was interestering is my sister went to Africa to volunteer to teach the children. She said that people did have money for clothes but so many clothes get donated from the U.S. that they didn’t bother buying clothes. She also said that it was interesting that everyone had a cell phone.
It sounds like she was associating with the more fortunate people. If that’s not the case — then the US should cut back on the foreign aid! 😆
dragonessjade wrote:On the teacher issue, I do agree that parents should prepare their children and work with the teacher to help their child become more educated. I was a assistant teacher for a first grade class and the teacher would complain to me that parents didn’t help their child. There were some kids that didn’t even know how to use scissors and couldn’t count to to the required number for that grade. They also didn’t know their ABCs. I have told my sister numerous times that she needs to start potty training my nephew. He will be 2 in Sept 2nd. She has told me that she doesn’t have time. I would hate to see him still in diapers when he is 4 years old.
Yeah, those kinds of things are pretty bad. If someone decides to have a kid, then they’ve already made a commitment to have time for that kid. But I guess that doesn’t turn out to be the case a lot of the time.
But as far as the parents helping to teach their child — I agree that that would be the best case scenario, but I think the most important thing is that the parents teach the child to value education and to have a good work ethic. If a child has that, then he/she will be able to learn and do well even if the parents aren’t able to help (e.g., the parents themselves are poorly educated, they don’t speak the language, etc.).
My sister said that she went into some poor places and I think that maybe we should cut back at least a little. If they getting it then they expect it and won’t ever do things for themselves.Of course there is other factors that are involved with my sister and my nephew. She is trying to go to school full time. My brother in law is always working and out of town most of the time. And since he isn’t in town then he expects her to do all of his errands, clean the house, go to school, take care of my nephew and try to study on top of that. She has to go to the gym to get a break and to study (they have free daycare) during the day. Me and my other sister watch him when she goes to school at night.
I think you made a good point as well… Parents should teach their children to value education. And if their child doesn’t want to learn the stuff they are teaching them…then I think the parents give up (because it is easier then to fight with their child).
mimitrek wrote:If someone decides to have a kid, then they’ve already made a commitment to have time for that kid.
I think that when that happens, the kid has a good head start. The problem is that “decides to” is, around the world and here too, not what usually happens.
Often, of course, the parents rise to the occasion even when there was no particular intent. But this is becoming increasingly difficult. Our lives have been subsumed by technology to the point where it can take an entire income to support that aspect. Gone is the day when an average family could get by on the income from one full-time job or two part-time jobs. Now it takes at least two full-time jobs, and this doesn’t leave much alert-time for the parents of young kids to do right by those kids unless the parents are REALLY dedicated.
The school environment is becoming the extended family, but it’s not yet set up to accept the role.
dragonessjade wrote:Of course there is other factors that are involved with my sister and my nephew. She is trying to go to school full time. My brother in law is always working and out of town most of the time. And since he isn’t in town then he expects her to do all of his errands, clean the house, go to school, take care of my nephew and try to study on top of that. She has to go to the gym to get a break and to study (they have free daycare) during the day. Me and my other sister watch him when she goes to school at night.
That’s a pretty tough situation, and its really nice that you and your sister can help her out. I guess things will get easier when your nephew starts going to school and your sister finishes school.
The Castle [Dave wrote:“]Gone is the day when an average family could get by on the income from one full-time job or two part-time jobs. Now it takes at least two full-time jobs, and this doesn’t leave much alert-time for the parents of young kids to do right by those kids unless the parents are REALLY dedicated.
That’s true, especially for high cost of living areas like the Bay Area. I know some people who have moved to cheaper areas just so that they could get by on one income.
The other thing too is that people nowadays are generally working longer hours than in the past. And with today’s technology and globalization, its a lot harder to leave work at the office…people end up working at home at all hours to conduct business with people at offshore sites.
mimitrek wrote:dragonessjade wrote:Of course there is other factors that are involved with my sister and my nephew. She is trying to go to school full time. My brother in law is always working and out of town most of the time. And since he isn’t in town then he expects her to do all of his errands, clean the house, go to school, take care of my nephew and try to study on top of that. She has to go to the gym to get a break and to study (they have free daycare) during the day. Me and my other sister watch him when she goes to school at night.
That’s a pretty tough situation, and its really nice that you and your sister can help her out. I guess things will get easier when your nephew starts going to school and your sister finishes school.
Yeah or her husband needs to stick around more…but then they would have less money. Yeah, it will be really nice when my newphew starts school. I hope she can get him into a pre-school. I think she might have one more year to go and then she is done.
this world has outgrown it’s paychecks. I will never have children of my own, human kids at least, and part of that is because I know would NEER have the time. I moved from the bay area to buy a condo and now have a 1 1/2 hour commute each way so an 8 hour work day is an 11 hour day w/o overtime. When the winter storms start I may end up in the ofice up to 12 hours a day and 3 on the road so that does not leave much time for anything else. I hope to be out of debt after the next 2 winters so I can work a little less in winter and still get by. It’s VERY difficult to make it in No CA and So CA isn’t any easier. I saw yestrday that house prices in San jose are finally starting to come back up
Dragon Master wrote:I saw yestrday that house prices in San jose are finally starting to come back up
Actually, I don’t think they ever dropped…as far as I know, they’ve continued to edge up in most neighborhoods during the past couple of years, even as house prices have dropped in other places in California (like Fresno).
House prices are crazy out here…
I know in my area the prices had to go down due to so many and no extra money. They just built 8 units on what used to be tennis courts for the Apt complex across the street. They where originally $335K and only 1 sold on the corner, they have now reduced the price to $285K and they are still not selling. I wonder how the person that pid $335K feels??? i have heard that San Jsoe had come down a bit also. No one can afford to buy a house here anymore
I think you might be thinking of sales volume instead of price — according to this chart the median and average prices for Santa Clara County are higher now than for the same time last year.
The house prices in Lodi and other places in the Central Valley got hit the hardest during the last couple of years…partly because they had gone up the most prior to that due to speculation. My brother is in Rocklin (near Sacramento) and he said that the prices have dropped quite a bit there also.
But any drops in price are temporary, and they’ll go back up eventually…so there’s nothing to worry about if you’re planning to stay there for some time. But of course, its a different story if you want to move out of the area in the near future…
mimitrek wrote:dragonessjade wrote:You know what was interestering is my sister went to Africa to volunteer to teach the children. She said that people did have money for clothes but so many clothes get donated from the U.S. that they didn’t bother buying clothes. She also said that it was interesting that everyone had a cell phone.
It sounds like she was associating with the more fortunate people. If that’s not the case — then the US should cut back on the foreign aid! 😆
dragonessjade wrote:On the teacher issue, I do agree that parents should prepare their children and work with the teacher to help their child become more educated. I was a assistant teacher for a first grade class and the teacher would complain to me that parents didn’t help their child. There were some kids that didn’t even know how to use scissors and couldn’t count to to the required number for that grade. They also didn’t know their ABCs. I have told my sister numerous times that she needs to start potty training my nephew. He will be 2 in Sept 2nd. She has told me that she doesn’t have time. I would hate to see him still in diapers when he is 4 years old.
Yeah, those kinds of things are pretty bad. If someone decides to have a kid, then they’ve already made a commitment to have time for that kid. But I guess that doesn’t turn out to be the case a lot of the time.
But as far as the parents helping to teach their child — I agree that that would be the best case scenario, but I think the most important thing is that the parents teach the child to value education and to have a good work ethic. If a child has that, then he/she will be able to learn and do well even if the parents aren’t able to help (e.g., the parents themselves are poorly educated, they don’t speak the language, etc.).
Here is where GB had a point about progress. I know for a fact that when I work for 12hrs a day, it is very hard to come home and sit with my child and do homework. My brain is fried, I have to cook dinner, I have to walk the dogs, I have to clean up… some days it just feels like to much to fight with soldiers all day then come home and fight with my son to get him to care about his homework. Some days I fail. Most days I dont, but I do know that if I was a stay at home mom, with someone else worrying about bills, I would have no problem managing the children and household. That is a big part of the problem. Both parents (When there are two parents) are working. Both come home and try to out-do eachother on who had the harder day, and no one takes care of the kids. Both are “too tired.”
skigod377 wrote:mimitrek wrote:dragonessjade wrote:You know what was interestering is my sister went to Africa to volunteer to teach the children. She said that people did have money for clothes but so many clothes get donated from the U.S. that they didn’t bother buying clothes. She also said that it was interesting that everyone had a cell phone.
It sounds like she was associating with the more fortunate people. If that’s not the case — then the US should cut back on the foreign aid! 😆
dragonessjade wrote:On the teacher issue, I do agree that parents should prepare their children and work with the teacher to help their child become more educated. I was a assistant teacher for a first grade class and the teacher would complain to me that parents didn’t help their child. There were some kids that didn’t even know how to use scissors and couldn’t count to to the required number for that grade. They also didn’t know their ABCs. I have told my sister numerous times that she needs to start potty training my nephew. He will be 2 in Sept 2nd. She has told me that she doesn’t have time. I would hate to see him still in diapers when he is 4 years old.
Yeah, those kinds of things are pretty bad. If someone decides to have a kid, then they’ve already made a commitment to have time for that kid. But I guess that doesn’t turn out to be the case a lot of the time.
But as far as the parents helping to teach their child — I agree that that would be the best case scenario, but I think the most important thing is that the parents teach the child to value education and to have a good work ethic. If a child has that, then he/she will be able to learn and do well even if the parents aren’t able to help (e.g., the parents themselves are poorly educated, they don’t speak the language, etc.).
Here is where GB had a point about progress. I know for a fact that when I work for 12hrs a day, it is very hard to come home and sit with my child and do homework. My brain is fried, I have to cook dinner, I have to walk the dogs, I have to clean up… some days it just feels like to much to fight with soldiers all day then come home and fight with my son to get him to care about his homework. Some days I fail. Most days I dont, but I do know that if I was a stay at home mom, with someone else worrying about bills, I would have no problem managing the children and household. That is a big part of the problem. Both parents (When there are two parents) are working. Both come home and try to out-do eachother on who had the harder day, and no one takes care of the kids. Both are “too tired.”
Yeah, that is a good point Ski. The parents are too tired to come home and take care of the kids. I actually had to take care of my sisters because my mom was single and she had to bring in the income. It is too bad that you can’t just push a button and the child would do what they were suppose to. 😉
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