Welcome since 12-20-11!
20 years ago when I tried scouting in the traditions of my family it was a disaster. Most of the kids were medicated and most of the parents just wanted a place to drop them for a couple of hours. It made the parents feel good like they were doing something to encourage junior into something wholesome or something I guess. They dang sure didn’t want junior to be challenged or disciplined.
One day, my Son and I were working on some project together and both confided to each other that we didn’t enjoy scouts and that we were enjoying our time together much more without having to put up with a bunch of drugged kids.
From that day we built our shop and worked on old cars and built gadgets. We had boys and girls over all the time in the teen years and into college. They always hung out at the shop. The floor will never be clean from all the oil hemorrhages from motorcycles, trucks, cars and an airplane. It is just covered with many good memories. Some of the kids still stop by, they are grown now and many of them have children. Many of them tell us they will build a shop when the time comes.
He went through a phase, like all kids do, of undirected energy. We found him something to do and gave him a reason to do it. We also only had to get the belt out once at about age 6 when he sassed his Mother. Never happened again. It was hard but necessary. I didn’t rest well for days. We like to think we medicated the ills of childhood and the fears it creates over becoming grown up with love.
My Momma and Poppa made childhood so wonderful it is still painful to have had to leave it. We were punished for what we did wrong and loved all the time. I’m sure sometimes the loving didn’t come easy.
One of the best things my Son ever said to me was that he would never do anything to make the family ashamed of him. He has been true to his word for nearly 30 years now.
The best advice I can give to anyone these days with children is HOME SCHOOL.
Totally hip:
We kept our kids going into things they loved as children. Shoot, they started community theater when they were 5. Imagine encouraging dress up and imagination !! They even suckered me into it when they were teens.
Awesome memories.
The other thing we did was to insist on being on a sports team all through school - their choice. My son ended up on the bowling team his last two years (the saga of Derek was just beginning :)
And I totally agree. If I had to do it all again, HOME SCHOOLING !!!
You are a great man. Thanks!