There was a time, not all that long ago, when boys were raised up to be young men. It seems that these days, though, they are mostly becoming “big boys” rather than “men.”
Imagine if we could go back in time and observe one of these guys being honest with his Kindergarten teacher.
”Little Johnny, what do you want to do when you get older?”
The little future-big-boy replies, “Well, I want to get high and drunk on an almost daily basis, and play a lot of videos games. I’ll also want to get laid, so I guess I’ll need a girlfriend. Since my parents don’t have a basement, I guess I’ll need to move out to have more privacy, so I’ll probably need my own place. Maybe I can just get a party house with some other guys, so we can all share our drugs and alcohol, maybe even our girls if need be, and then I’ll have someone to play video games with. I’ll probably want to watch TV a lot too, and maybe look at porn online late at night. All that will mean that I at least need some money, so I guess I’ll have to get a job, but I don’t want one that drug tests its employees. Maybe I’ll just try to wash dishes at a restaurant or something.”
”Well, what a well thought out answer Little Johnny. You’ll fit into our society just fine!”
I know that such a situation of a child answering that way sounds very unrealistic, and yet, so often that is exactly how young men “grow up” these days.
Much of the life of young men these days do not prepare then to be men when they grow up. They are taught to live for pleasure and do whatever makes them happy, and eventually wind up being in their twenties or thirties, drunk, high, playing video games and sleeping around.
I know that everyone had the freedom to live that way if they choose, and I’m not trying to condemn anyone, I’m just painting a picture here.
I think that men are a threat to corruption and corrupt government systems. Since they pose a real threat, it is best to try to prevent them from existing. Obviously killing all males is not an option so if they can be distracted and trained to live for pleasure they will be far less of an obstacle to deal with.
Deep down in the heart and soul of all people there seems to be a driving force pushing us to accomplish and achieve. Hard work, commitment, and dedication used to be the way to obtain that sense of accomplishment. These days though, you can conquer entire worlds just by using a video game controller, all from the comfort of your favorite sofa or lazy boy.
By a conservative estimate, I wasted at least a decade of my life wandering aimlessly seeking pleasure, and for the most part, I gained zero life skills or understanding that I can apply as a husband or a father. Many parents these days have gotten very little insight and practical know-how about how to be a parent before they wind up having their own children. Many of these parents came from dysfunctional or broken homes, and don’t even have a good example of how to raise children from their parents.
Personally, I don’t really trust the day-cares and schools to prepare these children for real life. I think that many of the current “grown-ups” all around us are the results of that type of training.
I KNOW THAT I WAS!
Yes, we all have choices and no matter how bad the odds are, we can over them. Still, people can be influenced, and there seems to be a disturbing trend here. I’d rather not raise up my son to be a STD-infected inmate who’s really good at playing Call of Duty drunk when he’s on the outs.
Certain character traits like honesty and integrity have very little focus in the current society in which I live. Being respectful has gone out of fashion. Ends justify the means now, and all anyone wants is the easiest way out.
In the end, it’s my responsibility to raise my boy, not society’s. If he chooses to get married one day and have children, I’d like him to have a clue about it ahead of time rather than fumbling through one of the hardest jobs any person will ever face: parenting.
If any of this short rant has offended you, please know that such was not my intention. I just wanted to speak up on this issue a bit because I am growing ever more concerned for the future of this world. No matter what happens, there will always be those who want us to be under their control, or dead. I have other plans, and don’t want to just live a distracted life while more serious things could be attended to.
FULL STEEM AHEAD!
FOLLOW
A lot of what you've said here is true....You can raise your kids to be responsible and have values but when they live on their own away from your influence they can and might do things their own way - regardless of how you raise them - they have free will.
I agree it is the parent's responsibility to train up a child in the way they should go but it doesn't guarantee the child will stick to that training. What goes on in their hearts and minds becomes evident later on when they exercise that free will.
You know the bliblical story of the two sons, one said yes and did not do the Father's will and the other said no but did do the Father's will. An example of heart condition and will in play.
Regardless of the outcome, your children deserve your full attention and training. And parenting is tough, the toughest job ever.
How do I know? I've raised 3.
Yeah, it's a very tough job, and I'm still getting started.
At least those taught responsibilities and values will have a better foundation.
After I read @trevor.george 's reply to you I felt like my reply was kind of negative....I honestly didn't mean for it to sound like that. I like how @trevor.george said it. Teaching and guiding them to make wise choices to find those other good jelly beans is a kinder and a less preachy way of what I was trying to say....also I was speaking from my own experience. I taught all of mine responsibilities, values, Godly principles but....they all went their own way in the end, not a believer in the bunch. Perhaps I spewed a bit of bitterness....I'm sorry.
That is a hard reality to face, and it can be a touchy subject. Not everything in life is positive, and you mostly just expressed reality. No need to apologize, as your comment did not offend me (and even if it did, I would just forgive and move on anyway) and I hope that my post did not offend you. As long as they are still alive, there is still opportunity for them to choose differently. We will be praying for them, all 6 of us!
Thanks....that will be a sweet picture in my mind - all 6 of you. And no, your post didn't offend me either. Such tender hearts we have.
When we don't prepare our children to live in the world we honor, respect, gratitude and character -- we fail them. Unfortunately, kids today are getting so many mixed messages from the "adults," who live completely void of these traits. It is a tough time to be a kid.., and a parent. Cheers, to the dedication you have to your children -- Much Respect!
I appreciate that @macksby.
Excellent points there!
You have various topics :)
See you again!
I do have varied topics! Thanks!
Marriage has become a shaky foundation for parenthood of late. When the father and role model of a young boy or girl, can be ostracized from the family on the whim of the mother, and many of the laws of the land will fall in her favor, there is a fundamental problem with fatherhood and the value that society gives it.
Men have always been disposable. In war, and in industry for example. It has just become more prevalent in these modern times for them to be disposed of in family life too.
It doesn't matter how committed you might be to fatherhood, when fatherhood can be taken away from you, and our culture looks upon that event with a cold heart. He's just another man. No good. Get rid of him.
There sure are a lot of examples of situations like that in our society.
Good points and nice post!
Thanks @team101!
Unfortunately, I think one of the biggest problems with raising little boys is our education system. When a preschool teacher tells you it's time to get little 3 year old Johnny on Ritalin because in her "expert" opinion he has a real problem, you know the system is broke.
The last 25 to 30 years we as a society have been drugging our young (almost exclusively) males to make them quiet and more manageable in the classroom. It wasn't like that before. It's no wonder these little boys grow up to be big boys with no ambition. They grew up sedated.
Excellent point and great evidence to bring to the attention of others!
I agree, kids can be rough, but drugging them to make my life easier is not really an option for me!
they give girls antidepressants and birth control though
I appreciate your honesty and style, papa-pepper!
Thank you @spark!
This is so true, it is an age of entitlement. I home-school my children, though it is not to protect them from other kids and their influence, it's to protect them from the doctrines being inflicted on our young that encourages this entitlement, that prevents them from being critical thinkers.
I'm glad I came to your page, though I admit I actually wandered here to look for contests and also because I've noticed a great many people have their names done in an awesome papa-pepper style logo at the bottom of their pages...if you have the time and would't mind I would very much love dreemit done papa style :)
We home-school ours for the same reason.
Something like that? Or something else? Or change it a bit?
Very creative @papa-pepper.
It's just what came to mind when I thought about the name.
That's awesome, maybe just a little smaller I'm not a fanfare kinda gal LOL Thank you so much!!!
I will shoot you a smaller one this evening.
No, I got it! I may have added a little fanfare that I said I'm not about, haha! I love it truly, thank you so much!!!
I think,thanks to you, I can figure out how to resize, you know now that I'm a photo editing genius LOL
True. I am reading this book at the moment, “The Millionaire Mind”. When hundreds of people, who had built their wealth in their lifetime through their own efforts and had become millionaires, were asked to list and rank factors that contributed to their success in life, the number one factor listed was “being honest with all the people”. Something to think about, isn’t it?
Wow, that sure is something to think about!
Just keep on being you @pappa-pepper and your wee @little-peppers will turn out fine.
You are putting in the one thing that matters to a growing kid - time and effort.
You are showing them the way every day in the way you treat them and @mamma-pepper and how you interact with others.
They are watching you and learning (that not all jelly beans are good jelly beans). Don't underestimate the power of that.
Maybe I'll tell you a story about how that worked out for me sometime. ;-)
I like that!
Thanks for the encouragement!
I really love how you worded your reply @trevor.george.
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Hello!!! :)