First there was this little boy who stole his grandmothers vehicle because "it's fun to do bad things." It has been stated that charges will not be filed. Then there was Soulja Girl flipping on the train in ATL. She's bipolar and locked up on a $300 bond. Finally, there was Miss Ghetto Faboulous USA 2008; who decided that prom night was the perfect occasion to show off her new line of stripper wear. She's all over the news complaining that she was treated unfairly. All three of these are examples of why WE as African Americans need to do a better job of supporting and raising our children. They say it takes a village to raise a child, so when will we step up and step in?
We have to be proactive and give thses kids positive role models and set an example worth following. I belive that it starts with family. If you see your little nephew Cornbread is 11 and playing his playstation 24/7 but you know his grades are horrible and he can't tell you what a noun is; step in and ask him about his homework, then step up and help him with it. If you know that your cousin Lil Nay Nay at 3 can "sweep the floor with it" but cannot sing the Alphabet Song, take it upon yourself to teach it to her, and sing it with her every time you see her. Basically, if you see that a child in your family does not have the proper influence it is up to you to provide that influence, take Cornbread to the museum, the bookstore, or volunteer in his classroom, reward him for changing that C to a B. Get Nay Nay a few Dr. Seuss books, some colored blocks, or crayons and a coloring book. Stimulate their minds, show them how much fun and how rewarding learning can be. If you know that their parents are exhausted and don't have time to help them with homework, set aside some time to do so yourself.
If we don't do it who will? Is it the teacher's responsibility to see to it that our children get all of the knowledge they need? We tend to see these things but keep quiet about them, in essence sitting around watching it happen but saying nothing. I know you can't tell other people what to do with their kids but if they see that you are trying to help them, they won't object- unless of course they are determined to be ignorant, in which case, your best bet is to show up in the classroom and help the teacher. The longer we sit in silence the more situations like those mentioned above will continue to occur.
ETA this pretty much sums it up!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Is there trouble in Souldom??
First, I like the statement you placed on the comment page. Now, I just want to comment on the little boy. You know he needed his ass beat. Grandmaw should have snatched his fat ass up. I can promise you he wouldn't have done that crap again. I ain't playing.
To "one man:" My initial feeling was that someone needed to tag his butt, but then it dawned on me that this late in the game it would more than likely be a waste of time. I think they missed the boat on that one, he's to the point now where a good butt whooping would probably make things worse from a psychological standpoint.
He doesn't really seem to understand consequences and while a spanking would've helped with that had they been doing it all along, it would just add fuel to his fire. He needs some exercise, consistancy, and structure. He could also benefit from having a strong male take an interest in him and model correct behavior.
Okay, miss gypsyeyes, I agree with you on that point, but you know someone still needs to tag that ass. C'mon now. He's still young. How old was he? Seven? Oh, yeah, one of his consequences would be a straight up tail licking. One of those, "show me the hand you picked up the keys with" moments. Do you know about those?
Soulja girl, I just feel sorry for. Jail is not the answer to people with mental issues, seriously. I deal with them and they just ain't right. Most of them talk alot of crap, but they are pretty much harmless, but you never know.
I think we have to role model for all kids, especially those who don't have a traditional family.
To: MissGrapevine
That begs the question what is a traditional family? I'd say half of the kids my mom has taught in the past 5 years either suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome, are crack babies, or are being raised by grandparents because their mothers have better things to do. Even in my own family I can see, the effects of girls having babies too young and grandmothers having to start all over to insure the safety of these kids. I think we left the traditional family behind when the crack epeidemic started and it's gotten progressively worse. I won't deny that family structure is important and that children benefit from having both parents involved in their lives, but at the same time I think making the children feel wanted and loved takes precedence over who, in terms of a specific person, is actually caring for them.
Post a Comment