What Is It With Kids Today?

This is a question that many people ask nowadays - why are children like they are, what makes them tick, why do they misbehave so much? More and more, at increasingly earlier ages, children are unable to control themselves in public (or private, but I am speaking from a public point of view).

Of course, some children can't help it - they suffer from some type of disability that affects the way they act. But what if the child has no discernible disabilities and yet still acts in such as way that he/she spends most of his/her time in the principal's office?

I had a conversation about this subject with a friend just the other day. He maintains that it has to do with poor home life. Through my work at school, it is obvious who has been trained in self-control at home, because it carries over to their everyday life at school. It is also all-too-painfully obvious that there are those who have NOT been trained at home, because teachers and the child's fellow students have to deal with inappropriate behaviors on a daily basis. It is so sad to see children with potential not be able to handle being in a classroom situation due to not being able to control their emotions.

Why is this happening? I don't think the answer is as simple as "bad home life", although it certainly plays a major role for most children. It's a combination of factors, such as what's in the food we eat, outside influences such as TV, movies, and the Internet, the ever-growing single-parent homes, medication, etc., etc. The fact is, no ONE thing is responsible and in some cases that makes it a lot harder to diagnose the problem and figure out a solution. Hopefully, through public awareness and people working hard to make a difference, a "cure" (for lack of a better word) will be found that will help our children, because, to quote a phrase, "they are our future".

Lest you think that all is bleak with our children, I can tell you that there are MANY wonderful children out there! Some of them are so darned cute! They are warm, loving, funny children who sidle up to give you a hug (when you most need one) or give the right answer in class when you don't always expect them to, or just wave and act glad to see you! These children are our future as well!

Having said all this, let me say that I LOVE my job! The pay is awful, but I absolutely LOVE working with children! Wish I had gone in this direction when we moved here 10 years ago. Had I only known...