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Discipline from the very beginning
phgcss September 16, 2008
Hi Everybody,
This thought keeps coming to my mind again and again and so I wanted to discuss and share it with other parents. I also sent an e-mail regarding this to the Jefferson City, MO but didn't get any response from them.
According to me, discipline is very crucial part of every child's lifestyle. The more disciplined he/she is from the beginning, the chances are he/she will continue that behavior into adulthood. In America, we instill the concept of beauty and looks and dressing-up from early childhood(something which should come into picture not before teen age). Even in a preschool, parents as well as children have to face a competition for wearing a dress better than others, using hair accessories, footwear and what not. I think this is the age when children are in a learning stage and their brain develop the most at this stage. So instead of occupying their mind with these silly thoughts and feeling, we should concentrate on their love to read. For this, I think there should be a ban on all those toys such as kids handbags, kids dressing table, kids make-up kits and the like. Also, there should be a uniform for all stages of school(from preschools to all the way to high school), probably the way they have in private schools. By enforcing such rules, every child looks the same, no matter what the race, class, creed, religion, origin or financial background. Also, there should be rules regarding their entire looks: their nails should always be trimmed, no nail poilshes should be allowed, no colorful hair accessories, hair should always be tied(if they can be tied), proper socks and shoes. This way, children can free their mind from something which is totally irrelevant at their age and concentrate on things which will make them responsible and disciplined adults.
I don't know what other parents think about my opinion, but I wanted to convey my point so that parents who have never thought this way might start thinking in this direction and you never know, may bring some positive difference in the future of our children.
Thanks
phgcss November 13, 2008
Thanks wee1one for your comments. I totally agree with you. And thanks for the recommendation of the books. I've put them in my list of 'to be read' books.
I too believe that creating kids interest in studies have to start from home. School should be an extension of home in this respect. The schools should do whatever they can to make their school environment as reading friendly as they can.
36698
carvell04 January 14, 2009
You will not be able to strip children of their individuality, just by putting on uniforms. There will always be a difference. You will have students with brand new uniforms, white clean shoes, beautiful hair pulled back nicely, and their entire outfit pressed and clean. You will also have other students with hand me down uniforms, that are wrinkled because mom or dad did not wash or iron. There will be older, faded shoes and children that don't fix their hair or brush their teeth. I think that uniforms are great, but I think the expectation that other children won't notice a difference is false. My daughter cares a lot about her looks. She has highlights in her hair and hygiene is extremely important. My children from an early age fix their hair everyday, wear nice matching clothes and maybe I should add that she has been reading since her fourth birthday and education is a main priority. To generalize that girls who care about their appearance are more into drugs and sex is a very unfair stereotype towards today's youth. My daughter is intelligent, beautiful, self confident and should not be looked down by others because of her name brand clothes and her appearance.36821
curlysue January 14, 2009
Personally, I think competition will exist whether there be dress codes or not. I think we teach our children how to treat others. Children also emulate their parents. So I should never wear make-up or fix my hair or dress nice for my husband? I have found that issues like these can be resolved at home. If you care about your appearance your child will to. If you dont care your child won't either and that causes low self esteem in our children. As for me and my family we do care about our appearance. I don't think my husband would have it any other way.36822
sonora January 14, 2009
Carvel,
Your daughter sounds like a lovely young woman. I don't think she should be looked down on because of her brand name clothes either, but I also think there are a lot of young girls who look down upon those who don't wear fashionable or brand name clothes. Just come hang out in Scottsdale sometime and you'll see. (not that there aren't lovely young women in Scottsdale either....but there sure are some horrible little snobs too). I think being judged because your parents can't afford name brand clothes is a terrible thing, just in the same way that a person who wears good clothes isn't necessarily good on the inside. You can't, afterall...judge a book by its' cover.....either way.36823
carvell04 January 15, 2009
I agree that there are kids and adults that look down on others that can not afford the newest brand name clothes, but there are a lot of people who do the same thing towards people who can afford it. People judge me, because my daughter has highlights and many people, kids and adults alike, assume she is a stuck up snob. To assume that a young girl that is into fashion, is going to be a party girl, that does not excel in school and end up pregnant, is the same as assuming a young girl that can NOT afford the latest fashion, is never going to amount to anything, end up on drugs and in a gang.36824
curlysue January 15, 2009
Somewhere along the way we got on the subject of money. Even though we can afford expensive clothing, I choose to be frugal. It doesn't take alot of time to make sure your children's clothes are pressed or to put a ribbon in your daughter's hair. I always found lots of name brand clothing at garage sales and thrift stores. I feel sometimes parents won't take the time or effort to help their children feel good about themselves. Don't judge a book by it's cover.36825
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