Rules Kids Won't Learn in School

Post by **Martrae** » Thu May 19, 2005 5:21 pm

From Charles J. Sykes, author of the book Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, Or Add:

Rule No. 1: Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teen-ager uses the phrase "It's not fair" 8.6 times a day. You got it from your parents, who said it so often you decided they must be the most idealistic generation ever. When they started hearing it from their own kids, they realized Rule No. 1.

Rule No. 2: The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as much as your school does. It'll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. This may come as a shock. Usually, when inflated self-esteem meets reality, kids complain that it's not fair. (See Rule No. 1)

Rule No. 3: Sorry, you won't make $40,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a Gap label.

Rule No. 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'til you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure, so he tends to be a bit edgier. When you screw up, he's not going to ask you how you feel about it.

Rule No. 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity. They weren't embarrassed making minimum wage either. They would have been embarrassed to sit around talking about Kurt Cobain all weekend.

Rule No. 6: It's not your parents' fault. If you screw up, you are responsible. This is the flip side of "It's my life," and "You're not the boss of me," and other eloquent proclamations of your generation. When you turn 18, it's on your dime. Don't whine about it, or you'll sound like a baby boomer.

Rule No. 7: Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning up your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are. And by the way, before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your bedroom.

Rule No. 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers. Life hasn't. In some schools, they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. Failing grades have been abolished and class valedictorians scrapped, lest anyone's feelings be hurt. Effort is as important as results. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life. (See Rule No. 1, Rule No. 2 and Rule No. 4.)

Rule No. 9: Life is not divided into semesters, and you don't get summers off. Not even Easter break. They expect you to show up every day. For eight hours. And you don't get a new life every 10 weeks. It just goes on and on. While we're at it, very few jobs are interested in fostering your self-expression or helping you find yourself. Fewer still lead to self-realization. (See Rule No. 1 and Rule No. 2.)

Rule No. 10: Television is not real life. Your life is not a sitcom. Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes, minus time for commercials. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to jobs. Your friends will not be as perky or pliable as Jennifer Aniston.

Rule No. 11: Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could.

Rule No. 12: Smoking does not make you look cool. It makes you look moronic. Next time you're out cruising, watch an 11-year-old with a butt in his mouth. That's what you look like to anyone over 20. Ditto for "expressing yourself" with purple hair and/or pierced body parts.

Rule No. 13: You are not immortal. (See Rule No. 12.) If you are under the impression that living fast, dying young and leaving a beautiful corpse is romantic, you obviously haven't seen one of your peers at room temperature lately.

Rule No. 14: Enjoy this while you can. Sure parents are a pain, school's a bother, and life is depressing. But someday you'll realize how wonderful it was to be a kid. Maybe you should start now. You're welcome.

Yamori · Post by **Yamori** » Thu May 19, 2005 5:49 pm

Narrock · Post by **Narrock** » Thu May 19, 2005 5:58 pm

But they will learn things of utmost importance like, "Criss-Cross Applesauce" so as not to offend anybody.

horendus · Post by **horendus** » Thu May 19, 2005 7:37 pm

I broke:

Rule No. 3: Sorry, you won't make $40,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a Gap label.

But I may have just gotten lucky...

I started by teaching myself programming languages and messing with the innards of a computer when I was young. Out of high school, granted my first job wasn't the big money maker, but I wasn't expecting that - instead I used a private business to feed my brain in an environment I could hone more of my skills in, then I landed a good gov job writing software pulling 50+k a year plus benefits.

Zanchief · Post by **Zanchief** » Thu May 19, 2005 9:00 pm

Um since when was it the schools job to raise children. You want to beef on kids, put the blame on their parents.

Way to push your agenda...

Post by **Martrae** » Thu May 19, 2005 9:15 pm

Like it or not schools spend a lot of time with our children.

Way to not understand the post...

Zanchief · Post by **Zanchief** » Thu May 19, 2005 9:38 pm

I thought the problem you had with schools was they tried to raise children, turns out you just want them to do it your way.

Nice hypocrisy.

Harrison · Post by **Harrison** » Thu May 19, 2005 9:39 pm

Schools are pathetic wastes of money after 6th grade.

Zanchief · Post by **Zanchief** » Thu May 19, 2005 9:41 pm

Harrison wrote:Schools are pathetic wastes of money after 6th grade.

That has a lot to do with what we're talking about.

Harrison · Post by **Harrison** » Thu May 19, 2005 9:42 pm

I know

Diekan · Post by **Diekan** » Thu May 19, 2005 10:39 pm

I will agree that our school system needs a tremendous amount of work. But, you also have to consider the types of kids in them today... a large part of the problem IS the kids themselves.

Post by **Martrae** » Thu May 19, 2005 11:23 pm

No, the problem I have with schools is they spend too much time shoving PC crap down kids throats and not enough time actually teaching things that are useful.

You have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, but lately you've been following me around and jumping on every post I make whether you comprehend it and my position on it or not.

Captain Insano · Post by **Captain Insano** » Fri May 20, 2005 1:45 am

horendus wrote:I broke:

Rule No. 3: Sorry, you won't make $40,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a Gap label.

But I may have just gotten lucky...

I started by teaching myself programming languages and messing with the innards of a computer when I was young. Out of high school, granted my first job wasn't the big money maker, but I wasn't expecting that - instead I used a private business to feed my brain in an environment I could hone more of my skills in, then I landed a good gov job writing software pulling 50+k a year plus benefits.

Space Pirate Zombie hunters generally make more money than the masses. Our small elite sect of warriors can't really compare to the rest of the peasants.

I mean seriously... We graduated from space highschool. Its really parsecs beyond tradional earth highschools with their trendy hot topic outfits and dances.

I mean while they were learning basic math we were learning basic zombie infiltration tactics using phased weaponry 101.

Zanchief · Post by **Zanchief** » Fri May 20, 2005 5:21 am

Martrae wrote:No, the problem I have with schools is they spend too much time shoving PC crap down kids throats and not enough time actually teaching things that are useful.

You have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, but lately you've been following me around and jumping on every post I make whether you comprehend it and my position on it or not.

I comprehend it. That's why I call your bullshit.

Post by **Martrae** » Fri May 20, 2005 5:45 am

If you comprehended it you never would have misstated my position.

araby · Post by **araby** » Fri May 20, 2005 6:48 am

way to ruin a good thread.

losers create excuses.
excuses create losers.

martrae is a wise woman <3

Zanchief · Post by **Zanchief** » Fri May 20, 2005 2:11 pm

Martrae wrote:If you comprehended it you never would have misstated my position.

Enjoy your crusade.

Adivina · Post by **Adivina** » Fri May 20, 2005 4:41 pm

Boy people sure are uptight.... I thought this was just a sorta cute little humor post about how kids think.... I must have been wrong :dunno:

Graecus · Post by **Graecus** » Fri May 20, 2005 4:46 pm

i thought it was to reinforce the idea that simple things arent being taught by parents and teachers anymore, for fear that a child might get low self esteem.

since thats what its all about anymore...kids having high self esteem so everyone is happy. but then you have kids that will grow up not knowing basic life skills...parents buy new cars for their kids...and buy them this and buy them that...then the kids dont grow up learning the value of a dollar.

THAT is what i believe this post is to be about...but i guess we are all on a crusade to inform people of the future...all in the eyes of the beholder i guess

Diekan · Post by **Diekan** » Fri May 20, 2005 4:48 pm

Not exactly related to *education* but I am of the opinion that parents treat their kids like *adults* far far to soon. No, at 16 you are not entitled to your privacy... so on and so on.

Graecus · Post by **Graecus** » Fri May 20, 2005 4:54 pm

my thoughts exactly...you and everything you THINK you own, is actually my property til you are 18

so if i want to know what you are doing...or where u are going...thats my right

Yamori · Post by **Yamori** » Fri May 20, 2005 7:57 pm

I disagree. My parents treated and respected me like an adult and I turned out very mature as a result. If you treat your kids like they are sub-human, they will rebel.

Diekan · Post by **Diekan** » Fri May 20, 2005 8:35 pm

Allowing a 16 year old to make adult choices is a bad idea. Treating them like adults is a bad idea. Treating them as sub-human is also wrong, and I don't think anyone here is implying that they should be. I'm just saying a kid has no business demanding anything. Kids today have their own brand new cars, cell phones, parents who ask permission to go into their room... and we wonder why they [the kids] are out of control. When you start treating kids like adults, they'll start thinking they wont need your [the parents] permission to do anything...

YOU may be the exception to the rule, but that doesn't mean it's working out for others.

Yamori · Post by **Yamori** » Fri May 20, 2005 10:05 pm

I agree children have no place in demanding any luxuries (that they don't pay for themselves) like you mentioned, but privacy of one's own room is something that all parents should respect. Trust is very important to have between parent and child, and you can't trust someone who barges in or rummages through your belongings without asking. I can't imagine this creating anything but resentment and paranoia.

LostCause · Post by **LostCause** » Fri May 20, 2005 10:11 pm

Agree Completely with Yamori on this topic