Generation ME

[zibazinski]

We complain these kids aren't able to deal with real life, well, whose fault is it? Parents who act like their kids walk on water-child worshipping-then the school is forced to perpetuate that myth that your little Johnny or Susie is so special.

[zibazinski]

I think that kids who learn that life can sometimes suck are better prepared for life.

[Deleted]

zib, I couldn't agree more with your last couple of posts. Not everything your kid does is the best thing ever. If your kid does C level work, then they should get C's. Don't meddle in their academic affairs unless you have reason to believe that something fishy is going on. At my college, parents were highly discouraged from meddling. The "kids" are now legally adults (usually). If they have a problem with their grades, THEY should be the ones to talk to the professor/dean/etc. I got some good grades and some not-so-great ones. But you know what? I earned all of them. I'm glad I didn't have helicopter parents.

[zibazinski]

The fact is my kids were above average in some areas, average in others, and below average in a areas as well. Same as, I bet, EVERYONE else's kids. They got the rewards they deserved, not awards for taking up space. They were able to look around and see that someone was smarter, faster, more artistic, whatever than they were and also that there were kids not as smart, fast, or artistic as they were. THAT prepares them for life.

[thyme4change]

At my college, parents were highly discouraged from meddling.

OMG - If my parents had ever called a professor or anyone else, I would have been mortally embarrassed. I honestly believe I would have died from embarrassment, or suicide, caused by the embarrassment, or something. I'm embarrassed just sitting here thinking of the possibility that anyone's parents would do that.

[Deleted]

A very popular and prominent state school in our tri-state area not only does a great deal of hand-holding for students, but I believe they give parents access to students' grades. I was shocked when I heard that, and I feel really bad for the graduates who relied on those two services.

[Deleted]

Jun 22, 2011 12:29:43 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

A very popular and prominent state school in our tri-state area not only does a great deal of hand-holding for students, but I believe they give parents access to students' grades. I was shocked when I heard that, and I feel really bad for the graduates who relied on those two services.

I have access to DD's grades because she authorized my access. She also authorized my access to her billing account (probably because she wanted me to pay the bill). Under FERPA, parent's do not have access to their child's grades, or other information, unless the child authorizes it (and that's regardless of age - DD was 16 when she left for college and it applied).

[Phoenix84]

When I was in seventh grade I participated in a chess tournament. I lost bad, I think in the first round. I got a ribbon for participation. I don't think I was scarred for life or my whole outlook on life would be totally different if I hadn't gotten that ribbon. I still remember losing bad.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I don't think I was scarred for life or my whole outlook on life would be totally different if I hadn't gotten that ribbon. I still remember losing bad.

We got particpation ribbons for field day and I don't think my entire life would have been radically altered if they had not given one. I still knew I sucked.

[midjd]

Jun 22, 2011 13:24:59 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I don't think I was scarred for life or my whole outlook on life would be totally different if I hadn't gotten that ribbon. I still remember losing bad.

We got particpation ribbons for field day and I don't think my entire life would have been radically altered if they had not given one. I still knew I sucked.

Ha, same here! For some reason my teacher assigned me, the shortest (and probably least athletic) girl in the class, to the high jump. Yeah, that didn't go well. I do think I still have that "Participant" ribbon around somewhere, though

[zibazinski]

Isn't that amazing? You all went on to graduate, to careers, to spouses and families, and didn't shoot up a high school because of your low self esteem.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

You all went on to graduate, to careers, to spouses and families, and didn't shoot up a high school because of your low self esteem.

I went on to have a bloated sense of entitlement and self worth because I got a ribbon for showing up.

[midjd]

Hey now, who says I didn't shoot up the school?

[Sum Dum Gai]

I don't see the big hurry to teach kids that life sucks or that they aren't "all that" or whatever.

That's not what I'm saying at all.

If you have a ribbon, or award, or plaque, or whatever that's supposed to be won by the math student with the highest average, give it to the math student with the highest average. Don't give it to the dude with the second highest average because the girl with the highest average is already getting the perfect attendance award or whatever. Nobody likes rigged competitions. It's not fair to the girl who rightfully won the award, and I'm not sure how much it does for the guy who knows he didn't really win the award but it was given to him out of pity.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I got perfect attendance awards, they're kinda embarassing. I would not have minded if that had gone to the second kid in line.

[CarolinaKat]

Jun 22, 2011 14:09:25 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I got perfect attendance awards, they're kinda embarassing. I would not have minded if that had gone to the second kid in line.

I was too much of a slacker to get those

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

You could have had mine. I was already a nerd, I really didn't like the school drawing attention to the fact that I also never missed a single day of school in an entire school assembly. I got teased enough thank you very much.

[yogiii]

Drama - I got a perfect attendance award too. Did anyone see the episode of the Middle, where Sue is dying to get her award and has to prove she actually was in school one day in Oct. where they marked her absent?

[CarolinaKat]

Jun 22, 2011 14:12:35 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

You could have had mine. I was already a nerd, I really didn't like the school drawing attention to the fact that I also never missed a single day of school in an entire school assembly. I got teased enough thank you very much.

No thanks. I was teased enough as well.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Well crap now where am I going to all those plastic trophies?

[CarolinaKat]

Wherever my non-attendance ones end up I'm guessing....

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Maybe I can get them to disappear to wherever my car keys and left socks go.

[CarolinaKat]

Keys and socks are always under my couch. Along with numerous spools of thread, little jingle balls, and straws.

[hurley1980]

Jun 22, 2011 14:13:12 GMT -5 yogiii said:

Drama - I got a perfect attendance award too. Did anyone see the episode of the Middle, where Sue is dying to get her award and has to prove she actually was in school one day in Oct. where they marked her absent?

Love that show! Axl is my favorite. He's such a punk!

[hurley1980]

Jun 22, 2011 14:17:35 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

Well crap now where am I going to all those plastic trophies?

I threw mine in the dumpster at my apartments when I was about 20. I got tired of lugging the boxes around and they were all falling apart, so I decided to chuck them, and I kept my favorite one as a reminder. What made the whole situation even better was a bum came up just as I was putting the last box in, and he picked two of them up and held them over his head scream "I'm a winner!" It was hillarious!

[thyme4change]

What made the whole situation even better was a bum came up just as I was putting the last box in, and he picked two of them up and held them over his head scream "I'm a winner!" It was hillarious!

ROFL! Maybe that was all he needed and he has since turned his life around. Maybe had he been given a useless trophy as a child, he would have never been homeless.

[hurley1980]

Jun 22, 2011 15:22:43 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

What made the whole situation even better was a bum came up just as I was putting the last box in, and he picked two of them up and held them over his head scream "I'm a winner!" It was hillarious!

ROFL! Maybe that was all he needed and he has since turned his life around. Maybe had he been given a useless trophy as a child, he would have never been homeless.

Touche!

[daylight]

I read the entire thread again, bearing in mind, that southernsusana is actually teaching, but I still cannot agree with supporting this award/self esteem approach.
I agree how a good (but not overlarge) self esteem is a must, but I think it should be the parents providing the circumstances for that. I realize that many kids do not get that kind of attention, but I this does not mean imho that they crave awards...they crave your attention and that is that.

If there are rules for an award and you break them out of sympathy, or for whatever reason, you are not doing any favors for anyone. Just how much worth will the trophy have for little Johnny if he knows that next year someone else may receive the same trophy out of sympathy that he has just gotten for the same reason?

[Deleted]

Did any of you take piano lessons and receive those chalk-like (later plastic) busts of different classical composers each year? My daughter did. She took piano for 12 years, and she has them all carefully arranged on her piano.

DH, you would like my son. He was invited to join some honor society in college. He passed because he didn't want to pay the dues. (We would have gladly have paid them.) He said, "What's the point?"

[illinicheme]

I just had a candidate call me up and ask to confirm whether the rejection letter he got from HR was "true." /facepalm

I wanted to say:
Yes it's true, you dimwit. This is a technical position and you spent a good portion of the time talking about your plans to go get an MBA. When I asked you to give me an overview of your relevant experience, you waved your hand at your resume and said "since you're already familiar with this, let me start by....[launching into a pointless speech that included glowing about your current company and pulling out their annual report]" (WTF?) Everyone in the department was turned off about how you acted like you had the job already. In the words of your me generation - EPIC FAIL.

I actually said something along the lines of:
We identified someone internal to our organization as our top candidate.