Are we raising a generation of wimps?

I'm an introvert, which typically means that even in the most social occasions I don't get to, or really "click" with anyone. Needless to say, based on my introverted personality, making friends could be rather difficult; add to the fact that I'm a SAHM working on my Masters degree, and you pretty much have a recipe for a young woman ramming her head against her computer screaming "this is my life, this is my life"...and hey, I'm cool with that. Perks of being an introvert is your cool being alone. You actually prefer it. So imagine my surprise that after my many visits to the base community center, I made new mommy friends. Yay me! The purpose of this post is not to disclose my pleasure over my ability to still bring people in with my shiney personality *ting*, but to discuss the conversation that I had with my two mommy friends about our fears of the generation we're raising. 

As military wives we move... A LOT. I myself have moved roughly seven times in the almost three years my husband has been in service, either to a location to be with him, or back home to my folks (thank you parental unit). Point? We also have children, and have realized that not only are the school systems not how they used to be in our "dinosaur" age time, but the curriculum isn't either. The fact that we don't have a national curriculum, or education system that strives to teach our children, and help them in expanding their knowledge of the world around them, is disappointing. How may this be a problem? If you move a lot like these mom's and I do, your child may either be too far ahead, or too far behind depending on the state and curriculum. You may find yourself becoming frustrated at the fact that your child is not being challenged according to their full potential, or based on what your "friends" children, or even children within your county are doing. And you may, like these mom's and I are thinking about doing, decide to home school your children...indefinitely. And you may also, in the case of these mom's and I, feel the need to "supplement" your child's education, to meet YOUR own standards.

It's hard to blame the teachers and faculty when they are only doing what they are allowed to do. When in some cases, like the mom I spoke to, the faculty aren't given the tools necessary to navigate their own system to advise or direct parents accordingly; therefore, If school personnel are unable to navigate the system correctly, how are we as parents supposed to? 

Our children's education doesn't only seem to be the problem. What we deemed as the"pussification" of America's youth is also a problem. Meaning...we're raising a generation of wimps. The idea that socialization, and a child's "emotional well-being" is key to developing a well adjusted individual isn't being debated here, I actually agree. I also believe that the lack of discipline that youth today get in the American school system, as well as at home, is why we have a growing trend of spoiled, and entitled youth. 

Do I blame the faculty? No. They, again, are only doing what they are permitted to. In many cases teachers have a lack of support when it comes to teaching students that parents send them to educate. Gone are the days when parents stood up for an educator when their child is doing wrong. It is no longer a question to the child as to why have/are they failing, but the question is proposed to the teacher as to why they failed that child; in many cases the parents have not realized that they have not done their duty with respect to their child's education, and have set the standard for dismissing and disrespecting positions of authority. When little J went to preschool, we were told that "time out" is deemed too negative and humiliating for a child to hear and bare in front of their classmates...Huh? According to one mom I spoke to, the word "No" has been banned from use for some daycare providers, because it is seen as negative...What? And we all had heard our share from our respective education providers about the reasons why they didn't assign more work, which is...they didn't want to overwhelm our kiddies. But I ask, how does a child learn not to do something without feeling the consequences from their actions, or from hearing the word no? How does a child learn to manage stress, if they aren't given the workload to build that skill? It's no wonder that some children are becoming spoiled, egotistical, self-entitled, lazy adults, who have a tizzy at the slightest things. Who is to blame? As a community we are to blame. By disparaging adults (teachers) in front of children, not setting standards for honor, honesty and respect, and not giving children the proper tools to become the adults who will eventually lead us...we are to blame. Not to say there aren't some parents who don't abide by the rules of the "old days", but there are many, many, many parents, faculty, "experts" etc. that believe that the old days of good hard work and respect are far too much for our kids. I call...BULLSH*T! Kids are not being asked to climb Mount Everest by asking them to perform beyond expectation, or to present themselves in a respectful manner... they're being asked to become productive members of society.

Now don't get me wrong, I subscribe to a lot of the principles of attachment parenting. Although breast feeding didn't work out for me, I still co-slept/sleep with my babies. Ju Ju is almost two years old, and is now almost completely transitioned into his own bed. Skin to skin was always important and practiced, even after breastfeeding didn't work the way we desired. I wore, held, and cuddled my babies every chance I had, or they needed, which was frequent for my second child. I believe in parenting, as well as teaching with love and logic, but as my husband has said, and the point that the discussion with those women had taken is..."sometimes you have to throw that hippie free-love bullsh*t straight out of the window, and add a little bit of tough love in the mix."