Will Work For Food

[Gromgor]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051117/...girl_on_corner


All I can say is I think this is an effective means of getting a child to think about the consequences of their actions. This is a form of peer pressure to do the right thing. She's worried about what her friends and others close to her will think of her as well as the general public.

[Wrent]

I don't know, I mean I think it was funny. I think it was better than what the supposed 'experts' would recommend. What did they want her to do? Pay her $50 for an A, $25 for a B? Say "If you get A's and B's, I'll give you a hug!"

The overlying problem is that too many schools and teachers just don't care. Kids can skate by and 'pass' doing next to nothing. I work in a Private College's registrar's office. It literally disgusts me the huge number of HS graduates I see with F averages. I swear on my life I have seen no less than 4 kids that GRADUATED with less than a 1.0 gpa.

I highly question the math used sometimes, 5 or 7 semesters of all F's and D's and then senior year C's and B's and they have a cumulative 2.5 gpa...

Granted, Chicago public schools are pretty horrible compared to most other cities and states. But come the fuck on!

Yes, maybe the mom should have had a heart to heart with the kid. Tell her straight out. Maybe she already did? Maybe she tried 2032 different ways to tell her why she can't go on like she was, who knows?

Anyone else really love the talkshows that have Teen Boot Camp? where some enormously overbearing former drill instructor just pummels the kids with reality. I personally think that, in some cases, it takes more than just gentle well wishing and positive reinforcement to wake kids today up. No, I'm not saying beat your kids or embarass them, etc.. Most cases where those methods are never going to work o n a child is because they are too far along the path, too set in their ways. The parent didn't start rewarding good and healthy behaviours young enough.

Furthermore, the idea that any and all punishment, embarassment, etc will permanently scar a child is ridiculous. Things that are, today, considered HORRIBLE punishments or treatment would be considered MILD 20-30 years ago. Most of us here were kids then. Most of the worlds population should be emotionally damaged! Will the world miraculously be better in 15-25 years because little mikey was never punished, and only had positive reinforcement?

Does your boss say, "Well, you haven't done your work for a whole year..... but this week you did good! Nice going, Bob! Keep it up! I'm putting in a raise for you."

[Halyanne]

My mom threatened to go on welfare and walk with me to school and sit with me through all my classes if me or my brother and sister decided to misbehave in school. And we all knew she'd do it.

[Gromgor]

According to the article the mom had already removed the daughter from several After School Activities I'm guessing the girl wanted to be involved in.

This obviously wasn't the first step. According to the article it does seem to be the last step necassary to get the girl back on the right track.