Words of Wisdom

Youth is wasted on the young.

Thursday 7 May 2009

Parental Instruction: Responding To Cries of Alarm

Just a quick note to parents.

When your irate child TEXTS you from school (during lessons I might add) to complain that their ipod has been confiscated, possibly until the end of term, do NOT immediately phone the school demanding an explanation. Instead reply in text that said child should not be using a phone during lessons, that she can tell you the story at home tonight over dinner and, should you find there to be any inequity, you will contact the school at your convenience the next day.

This may cost you a bit in text charges but reeaally!

The parent in question turned out to be quite reasonable when he phoned the school to find out what the story was. He also agreed that she had been doing the wrong thing and she would have to take the consequences BUT my problem was with his immediate response.

What message are we giving our teenagers when we respond to their ipod angst as if it were a life threatening situation?

What are we reinforcing about the use of phones in class?

Generation Y needs a healthy dose of 'reality check' as far as I am concerned. Life can go on without mp3 players and mobile phones.

"But we'll be raped!" shrieks one of my (more hysterical) Care Group members.

You will be raped anyway kid. Mobile phones do not deter rapists. Should you be confronted by an attacker, your phone is unlikely to get you assistance in enough time to prevent the attack. Nor will it help in a mugging where it is, most likely, the intended loot.

Also parents, if your school has laid down a policy of 'no phones/ipods' in class and after many day/week long confiscations has implemented an 'end of term' confiscation.....suck it up.

And please. Oh please. Do not simply go out and buy your kid another one :-(

7 comments:

SSG said...

hear hear

Andi said...

Here they certainly will not come to the school for much else- not for poor grades, massive discilpine issues, or even to establish a cohesive parent / teacher bond...but they sure will come to complain if we take cell phones and / or electronics! Our school handbook states that if any sort of electronic device is confiscated, it must be turned in to campus police only to be returned to parents after a payment of a $25 fine. It still does not make much difference in keeping them out of school.

Unknown said...

shesh. i saw a kid on Em's playground the other other day (the k-garten play area) who couldn't be more than 8 year old, texting away. i was horrified and when I caught Em watching the kid I quickly distracted her. that is the last thing we need...

Arizaphale said...

Great. I wonder if she can spL?

Jill said...

No kidding!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I sort of wonder on the rape thing if it makes them MORE susceptible, because parents feel more comfortable allowing them more freedoms than we would if they didn't have a cell phone with them.

Jill said...

Don't you mean "gr8"????? :-)

Arizaphale said...

4 shr I did.