Community Chat

[suzyQ3]

Eventually, my point might be clear.

We had our daughter, our 15-year-old grandson, and his long-time friend come for dinner at our house last weekend.

We talked about school. The friend speaks fluent Japanese because her parents sent her to a full-immersion Japanese elementary school (her father is Korean; her mother, Japanese).

Both kids are now in high school and are in Mock Trial (they are given cases and play the roles of prosecutor or defender) and in Model UN, in which the students play roles as ambassadors and delegates and have to do research, debate, and come up with solutions to international problems.

Both of them weighed in on current events with us; both were knowledgeable and exhibited a good handle on important issues both national and local.

They were also polite and helpful, while chattering away incessantly. They were both very, very funny.

I requested that my grandson play the piano for me. He's been a student for probably ten years now, and I love his classical improv.

I reminded him that he and his 13-year-old sister were coming again for dinner this weekend and that their grandfather was making his beyond compare famous tacos. He told his friend that they are life-changing. So of course we invited her, too.

Am I bragging? Well, yeah, I guess. But that is definitely NOT my point.

Sometimes I just get fed up with oldsters like me who paint the whole newer generations as spoiled, entitled, selfish, lazy, lacking in morals -- I'm sure that I missed some labels.

I think some base their opinions more on news stories, which by definition highlight the worst, rather than on actual contact with young people -- some of us may even have contact only with our peers.

My two guests (and my granddaughter) are hardly singular, yet so many dwell on the negatives. Really, all past generations were full of "variety." No one generation has a patent as being the last civilized group of people. The world changes. We can never go back to what some view as the better ol' days.

So the next time you feel like belting out "What's The Matter with Kids Today," think about all those younger people who, although different from us, are enhancing and making our world better.

[luvmybeetle]

@suzyQ3   Well said.  My daughter learned Japanese in high school and was very good at speaking.  I learned a little also.

[mom2four0418]

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@suzyQ3 wrote:

Eventually, my point might be clear.

We had our daugher, our 15-year-old grandson, and his long-time friend come for dinner at our house last weekend.

We talked about school. The friend speaks fluent Japanese because her parents sent her to a full-immersion Japanese elementary school (her father is Korean; her mother, Japanese).

Both kids are now in high school and are in Mock Trial (they are given cases and play the roles of prosecutor or defender) and in Model UN, in which the students play roles as ambassadors and delegates and have to do research, debate, and come up with solutions to international problems.

Both of them weighed in on current events with us; both were knowledgeable and exhibited a good handle on important issues both national and local.

They were also polite and helpful, while chattering away incessantly. They were both very, very funny.

I requested that my grandson play the piano for me. He's been a student for probably ten years now, and I love his classical improv.

I reminded him that he and his 13-year-old sister were coming again for dinner this weekend and that their grandfather was making his beyond compare famous tacos. He told his friend that they are life-changing. So of course we invited her, too.

Am I bragging? Well, yeah, I guess. But that is definitely NOT my point.

Sometimes I just get fed up with oldsters like me who paint the whole newer generations as spoiled, entitled, selfish, lazy, lacking in morals -- I'm sure that I missed some labels.

I think some base their opinions more on news stories, which by definition highlight the worst, rather than on actual contact with young people -- some of us may even have contact only with our peers.

My two guests (and my granddaughter) are hardly singular, yet so many dwell on the negatives. Really, all past generations were full of "variety." No one generation has a patent as being the last civilized group of people. The world changes. We can never go back to what some view as the better ol' days.

So the next time you feel like belting out "What's The Matter with Kids Today," think about all those younger people who, although different from us, are enhancing and making our world better.

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Beautiful post, suzyQ3. Thank You!

[Free2be]

What delightful company!  I'd love to be a fly on the wall to enjoy their chatter and piano but I'd be wishing to have a seat at the table for grandfather's beyond compare famous tacos! 

Seriously, schools across this nation are teeming with great kids and sadly, even some dropouts who have lost their way will be fortunate enough to get a second chance to prove themselves and will do well.

[dmod nj]

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@suzyQ3 wrote:

Eventually, my point might be clear.

We had our daugher, our 15-year-old grandson, and his long-time friend come for dinner at our house last weekend.

We talked about school. The friend speaks fluent Japanese because her parents sent her to a full-immersion Japanese elementary school (her father is Korean; her mother, Japanese).

Both kids are now in high school and are in Mock Trial (they are given cases and play the roles of prosecutor or defender) and in Model UN, in which the students play roles as ambassadors and delegates and have to do research, debate, and come up with solutions to international problems.

Both of them weighed in on current events with us; both were knowledgeable and exhibited a good handle on important issues both national and local.

They were also polite and helpful, while chattering away incessantly. They were both very, very funny.

I requested that my grandson play the piano for me. He's been a student for probably ten years now, and I love his classical improv.

I reminded him that he and his 13-year-old sister were coming again for dinner this weekend and that their grandfather was making his beyond compare famous tacos. He told his friend that they are life-changing. So of course we invited her, too.

Am I bragging? Well, yeah, I guess. But that is definitely NOT my point.

Sometimes I just get fed up with oldsters like me who paint the whole newer generations as spoiled, entitled, selfish, lazy, lacking in morals -- I'm sure that I missed some labels.

I think some base their opinions more on news stories, which by definition highlight the worst, rather than on actual contact with young people -- some of us may even have contact only with our peers.

My two guests (and my granddaughter) are hardly singular, yet so many dwell on the negatives. Really, all past generations were full of "variety." No one generation has a patent as being the last civilized group of people. The world changes. We can never go back to what some view as the better ol' days.

So the next time you feel like belting out "What's The Matter with Kids Today," think about all those younger people who, although different from us, are enhancing and making our world better.

---

@suzyQ3 

STANDING OVATION! 

[SilleeMee]

I really enjoyed reading your post @suzyQ3 . It was very insightful and I wish there were more people in this world like you.

"We have children to help bring us out of our past and into the future."

[GCR18]

I think people generalize.  My niece is 16 and maintains a 4.0 GPA.  She knows what she wants to do when she grows up and has a college picked out.  When I was 16, I had no clue.

[RedTop]

@suzyQ3,

Grandchildren like yours should be bragged on!

I do not have grandchildren; okay by me, being grandma was never on my bucket list.   My daughters are successful young women who love their work, and what they do in life, and never wanted children.   I have one nephew; good kid, owns a home, and works a government job.   My family is very proud of the nieces and nephew.   

“What’s the matter with kids today” applies to every one of my husbands nieces and nephews and great nephews.   Everything we hear about them just makes us shake our heads.   Oldest is a functioning alcoholic,  5 kids by 4 women.  Only one who had a career is on marriage #5.   Next one also a functioning alcoholic.   Next nephew insists his wife doesn’t have to work!  Married 2 years, have a child, and his parents have bought 90% of the diapers and clothing for their grandchild, plus pay  monthly bills for the couple.   They still don’t have a pot to P in, nor a window to throw it out of, but drive a $40,000 vehicle.  His parents are working 2 jobs each.  Niece is getting ready to graduate; military won’t take her, she never applied herself in school, barely skimmed thru each grade, but “wants” to go to college.   She’s pretty; I look for her to hang out the drive thru window at her current job for awhile, and eventually make some poor boys life miserable.   Great nephew is a pierced and tatted freak; proudly says his butt cheeks are the only not pierced/tatted skin on his body...... 

Right now, not a one of the above is making this world better.

[lovesrecess]

I have two granddaughters who are jrs in high school and are 4.0 and excellent dancers and athletes....one just scored a perfect score on the ACT...but these are not the kind of young people who are shown on tv or mentioned on social media....it’s only the misguided, socially-maladjusted troublemakers who are somewhat “celebrated” for being “ different” and not following societal norms....so the entire age group seems to get lumped together as being problems.  If you have a wonderful young person who works hard and is making something of themselves....give them a hug from me and tell them we are glad they are our tomorrow’s leaders.

[Lindsays Grandma]

I have no doubt there are many "kids" out there who are well behaved, respectful and very smart.  What takes the attention away from them are the bad reputations of schools and the frightful things some "kids" do.  I am sure by now we all know that bad overshadows the good, sad, but true.   The future belongs to the children of today, hopefully they will turn it around and overshadow the bad.