Comments on: Why Are We Afraid Of Our Children? http://therevengeofintellect.wordpress.com/2008/03/07/why-are-we-afraid-of-our-children/ "The multitude is always in the wrong." -Paulo Freire Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:10:23 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Headleyma http://therevengeofintellect.wordpress.com/2008/03/07/why-are-we-afraid-of-our-children/#comment-22 Headleyma Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:34:53 +0000 http://therevengeofintellect.wordpress.com/2008/03/07/why-are-we-afraid-of-our-children/#comment-22 thats it, man thats it, man

]]> By: kristinabrooke http://therevengeofintellect.wordpress.com/2008/03/07/why-are-we-afraid-of-our-children/#comment-7 kristinabrooke Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:41:15 +0000 http://therevengeofintellect.wordpress.com/2008/03/07/why-are-we-afraid-of-our-children/#comment-7 Sadly, I understand your husband's fear. Our society has become one that gives the power to children. We tell parents that they cannot discipline their children by giving so much power to ACS. We tell adults that they are supposed to negotiate with children because it preserves their self-respect. We tell teachers that making children aware of their mistakes is corporal punishment and by doing so we put our jobs on the line. We live in a society where stupidity is rewarded with frivolous lawsuits and ridiculous settlements. So why are we afraid of our children? Because we are in a period of what Murray Bowen calls "Societal Regression"- where people focus more on rights and less on responsibilities. Our responses to situations are dictated by our need to remove current anxiety and therefore we don't think about the long-term future. What do we do? I'm not sure. We keep trying to teach our students to be responsible adults despite the contradictory messages sent by parents and law-makers. Either that, or we stop caring and I don't know if that can happen. Sadly, I understand your husband’s fear. Our society has become one that gives the power to children. We tell parents that they cannot discipline their children by giving so much power to ACS. We tell adults that they are supposed to negotiate with children because it preserves their self-respect. We tell teachers that making children aware of their mistakes is corporal punishment and by doing so we put our jobs on the line. We live in a society where stupidity is rewarded with frivolous lawsuits and ridiculous settlements.

So why are we afraid of our children? Because we are in a period of what Murray Bowen calls “Societal Regression”- where people focus more on rights and less on responsibilities. Our responses to situations are dictated by our need to remove current anxiety and therefore we don’t think about the long-term future.

What do we do? I’m not sure. We keep trying to teach our students to be responsible adults despite the contradictory messages sent by parents and law-makers. Either that, or we stop caring and I don’t know if that can happen.

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