Of Widgets, MacDonalds and Hideous Year 9

So many things to comment on.

Do you like my weather widget? I followed a link off a new page I've been viewing, Ravings of an American Expat in Oxford.

Chris is an amusing Georgia bred (or perhaps just educated...not sure...mad keen GU Bulldogs fan anyway) new father, adrift in the chilly climes of Oxford UK. Not only is he amusing, with access to a fascinating array of music, but his lovely wife is from l'il ole Adelaide. Yes, downtown home of yours truly.

I'm a little concerned about the accuracy of said widget however. It's currently reading 28C and I can tell you from where I'm sitting that it is waaaaaaaaay hotter than that at present. When I was driving to pick the Baby Angel up this afternoon at 4pm it was 38C!!!! Perhaps the widget sensors are located somewhere in an air conditioned meteorology building?

Anyway, one of Chris' posts concerned a protest in a MacDonald's outlet in Paris and it was interesting to see how emotive people became about MacDonalds! Opinions ranged from 'MacDonalds is the spawn of the devil' to 'We heart MacDonalds' with a number of variations in between. One of the reasons for the protest was the 'exploitation of workers' and after a conversation with friends at dinner on Saturday, all of whom have teenage children in the workplace, I got to thinking about the lessons kids learn from their first experiences of work.

My friend was very concerned that her two kids, who started working at 14 years old, had 'good' initial experiences in the work place, lest they be left with a 'poor impression' of the experience of 'work'. She was concerned lest they be the victims of abusive bosses or exploitative multi nationals. After all, she logically points out, why should we pay a 10% surcharge for our coffee on a public holiday when none of that goes into the pockets of the young, usually underage workers? After all, there are no longer penalty rates for working on weekends. What if children are pressured into working more shifts than they want for fear of losing their jobs?

Now I apologise if I am misrepresenting my friend and perhaps I am overstating her view, but I worry that this sort of protectiveness is part of the problem with the youth of today.
(It has to be said however that her kids are absolutely delightful with an excellent work ethic and plenty of initiative to boot, so perhaps her stance has been a good one and we should be looking after our kids' interests in the workplace.)

Neverthless, it is my belief that there are some very worthwhile lessons to be learned by being the dung at the bottom of the dungheap that is employment.

Gratitude is one. When you finally work your way up the heap and can cheeerfully tell your exploitative boss to stick his job...there's a great sense of satisfaction in that. The wonderful feeling when you find an alternate job and your stingy employer reaches into his pocket to 'up' your wages and keep you on.......that is a great moment. There's the knowledge that you can do it and you can prevail in adverse conditions. That whatever is thrown at you, you have survival techniques. That although the world does not owe you a living, the fact that you have worked through some pretty ordinary crud and come out the other end with skills, experience and a reference means that you can probably safely claim a living!

Currently I see a generation of kids for whom the thought of failure is more than they can bear. The idea that they might be treated a mite unfairly is intolerable. They would rather sit in a pit of a bedroom all day with an X Box than attempt to venture into the harsh world where, horror of horrors, they may fail at something. This is what our schooling has prepared them for.

Co-incidentally, Chris from Oxford mentioned something like this in a round about way in a comment on my post regarding the BAs sporting achievements. He refers to the practice today of making sports days 'noncompetitive' so the children do not experience failure or loss. The BA did express some concern to me on the morning of the Swimming Carnival, that she may not do as well as she did at the Athletics Carnival.

Me: Well, that's ok. Just do your best and have fun.
Her: Yes, but Mum......I LIKE winning!
Me:....well..................................get over it!!!!!!!

Himself is a great believer in competitive sports days too. "Children need to learn how to lose as well as win!" he exclaims. Rich coming from him who is one of the worst losers I've ever met!!!!
:-D

To sum up; I suspect we do not do our children any favours by constantly shielding them from loss or disappointment. We do not teach them about the real world, about supply and demand, about work skills which can be bought and sold for a price, according to their value. One of my greatest learning experiences was working in a sewing factory in the UK at the age of 19. Not only did I gain sewing skills but I learned to value the University Education which I had put 'on hold' and which had the potential to 'get me out' of that place. I learned that to keep a job I needed to be up on time and work with vigour. I learned that I could not simply say what I thought or what I liked to all and sundry because that had the potential to get me sacked! What valuable lessons in life.

And at the end of it, I had worked and saved long enough to quit and do my backpacking around Europe trip. At the end of it I would return to Australia and resume my studies with a fresh appreciation of the privilege it was to study and I would know that I could 'hold down a job' and use it to achieve my goals. (ie travel) And all these valuable lessons for the princely sum of 69 pounds per week in 1979.

Don't get me wrong. If I thought my 14 year old child was being abused emotionally, physically or sexually in the work place I would be wading in with all guns blazing but a bit of minor economic exploitation? I don't think it hurt anyone in the short term.

Feel free to weigh in here and disagree to your heart's content!! Just leave a comment.

Now, as to hideous Year 9. You know what it's like to walk around Toys R Us with a 4 year old saying "I want I want I want...?' You know what it's like to try and converse with the check out chick while Miss 6 at your heels is asking over and over
"But WHY can't I have a packet of chewing gum? But that's not FAIR. But you PROMISED"??

Well multiply that by 24 and factor in the additional height and attitude and you have my Year 9 History class.

"But WHY can't I go to the toilet? But I NEED to go to the toilet. I'm gonna pee my pants if you don't let me go to the toilet!!!!"

I am feeling better now 7 hours after having released them onto an unsuspecting public with their bladders intact. I think the champagne helped.