Twice today I uttered the statement "Damn kids these days..."
First time I was eating breakfast with Piko and looking over their picture day forms. Yay picture day! What's this??? For $10.00 extra you can order photo retouching? For elementary school students??! Well, heck, no more fears of the night before breakout, or bad hair day! I remember the year that my dad got me ready for school on picture day and sent me to school with a ratty old t-shirt and slicked down hair. I ended up in a "boy" slot on the group picture page. And then there was my 11th grade photo where I looked like I had this hair.
AND NOT ON PURPOSE!!!
Second time would be this afternoon when I was informed that a parent, independently from the program, is going ahead and arranging for trophy for the soccer teams. I have several problems with this. First, a participation medal is already included in each child's registration fee. Second, what the heck? I have parents on my team that can't afford to buy their kids black shorts to play in (we bought extras and handed them out with the team jerseys). I'm sure as heck that they won't be able to afford a second trophy, and then their kid will feel left out. Third, and probably my biggest problem. Trophy's? Aren't trophy's for winners? Since we do not play competitively, there technically are no winners. I might support a "Most Improved Player" type award that is chosen by the coach, but other than that, not so much. Also, I find it kind of ironic that the parent on my team who seems most interested in the trophy has the most underachieving child. This kid could not kick his way out of a paper bag, nor does he put forth any effort. He's more interested in running around the field flailing his arms and staying as far away from the ball as he possibly can. It has come to this, we are rewarding and promoting mediocrity, and lack of effort in our children. Here's a trophy for...well, for nothing.
Maybe I should be saying "Parents these days..."
7 comments:
Yes, it's the parents. It's the Age of Narcissism, and people are living vicariously through their kids like never before and therefore doing stupid things like trophy lady.
She probably wants to start some kind of trophy cabinet in her house to show off to friends and family about how gifted and brilliant her little "mini-me" is.
How can winning feel good if you
a) don't know what losing feels like?
b) you have nothing to strive for?
c) you don't have any motivation to accomplish anything?
These types of parents annoy me too. Maybe I'm hard on my kids, but if they lose because they didn't make an effort, I'm not terribly sympathetic. On the converse, I try to offer them as much support as I can for the things they choose to do to help them keep their eye on the prize so to speak.
I'm not even sure how I feel about participation trophies because they kind of rub it in that you didn't win. I was in a lot of talent competitions as a kid (oh my that video brings back some memories of some of the gosh awfulest stuff you have ever seen...) and the top three talents would usually get some money or a trophy and everyone else went home empty handed. I went home empty handed. ONCE. That was motivation enough...
:o)
p.s. I actually HAD a talent, I played the guitar and sang, and I played professionally for awhile (no bad tap dances to the theme from Footloose!!)
Although there was the time I accidentally stomped on the microphone stand during competition and busted my nose...
Yes, and as you all can see I did not bring home any "trophy's" for spelling. EEEEE!!!!
Yesh, Piko's not getting an additional trophy, even if it is only $7.00. She's absolute pants at soccer, because she does not make any real effort, and I'm sure as heck not going to be giving her a trophy for that. She's having fun though, which is what I really care about. The participation medal, is just a little medallion that says "SOCCER!!!" on it or some crap. Our league is not even a competitive league, it's truly recreational. No scores, no stats, though I know everyone knows who wins each game. So having **TROPHIES** seems to defeat the wole purpose. Which is why it has to be done independently from the program.
I completely agree with you.
Kids absolutely need to learn how to lose.
And how about the whole, "Well, it's your sister's birthday but we'll give you a cake and presents too so you don't feel left out."
All those stupid trophies and ribbons just become garbage anyway. We should find a way to mark the events but without all the 'stuff'.
Photo retouching? Really?
Good gawd what is this world coming to. Some of the funniest stories are from those horrible school photos.
Like the year my mom took my curling iron away 2 days before my school photo. Or that time my mom put my hair in curlers, and my head had this bell shape. Sure I was mortified for about a decade.. but shit... now it's funny.
that video you posted is HILARIOUS! (if your hair looked like hers back in the day, WOW! lol)
I'm sure if I showed you my hair in grade 9... you would be in awe of my skyscraper bangs aswell :)
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