Lift Teens Instead Of Bashing Them
As a twenty year old young woman, I was floored when I read what you had written. It was a direct aim at the future of our communities. Calling two teens stupid because of what they did is horrendous. Think about the families of these two teens. I really don’t know how to put into words how awful it was for you to say what you said. These teens obviously felt they had no where to turn. Maybe they talked to their parents or and eldernand felt like nothing was going to change. Parents are not super heros. Why they did it wee will never know. But one there is one thing- they are not stupid.
Teenagers know that their parents, teachers, and elders have gone through many of the same challenges that they are facing today. And we also know that sex, drugs, and peer pressure are nothing new. And yes, when faced with a problem it does seem like that's the only thing that going on. We all know that, the one thing teenagers need are parents, teaches, and elders that are going to reassure them that the problem will be solved within days, weeks, or even years. And adults need to make it known that they will talk, that they know about these problems, and that they are not ashamed to talk about them. Going to a parent, teacher, or elder that doesn’t want to face what their child is doing just makes it that much harder. Also talking to a friends isn't always the best thing to do. They may continue to push you down the wrong path. My point is that these adults that theses teens are supposed to be able to talk to- need to express that they are approachable. Tell your kids that you are there for them, tell your kids you understand, and tell them that you are willing to talk about anything- even if it is sex or drugs. Parents seem to think that their teenagers will come to them simply because they are the parents. ALL PARENTS ARE NOT APPROACHABLE! Teens need to be told if not on a daily basis, then do it weekly. Teens can be hard to get through, but after hearing it a few times maybe they will catch on. Don’t just tell them when you are explaining the bird and the bees. But do it from then on out. Teenagers aren’t the only kids faced with this today either. Kids as young as twelve are doing drugs and having sex. Start at an early age. Kids have questions! If they don't have someone to talk answer their questions, they will answer them for themselves.
Another thing is calling teenagers stupid doesn’t really set a good example for the younger people reading this. It is quite insulting and makes it even harder to speak to elders about their problems. How would you feel if you went to ask for help or advise knowing the person you were confronting thought of you as stupid. It would make it a lot harder wouldn’t it? And what are teens supposed to do when there parents don’t help or support them when it comes to having fun? Most of the teenagers I knew that didn’t have parents that took them to those places and didn’t encourage fun, were the teens doing the majority of the drugs. You may not think so, but kids do understand that their parents work and would like to relax. Teens like to do absolutely nothing sometimes too and they don’t expect every day of their lives to be the most entertaining.
My point is that, teens understand a lot of what you have said. They don’t get a lot of credit. And yes, they are wrong a lot. They know that. But they don’t need to be called stupid, they need someone there for them. Someone who they can relate to and someone that they know- doesn’t think of them as stupid!
jdavis61's blog | login to post comments
|
