Successful raising of children is known, and not a secret. There are things that affect child development so that the actual form of successful raising is not known, but the success is. Children raised in a two parent loving family have an advantage over those that aren't, but that isn't always the fault of the parents. In Australia, schooling is important, but the choice of school is far less determinative than other factors, like financial security and domestic stability. It has little to do with how many colorful toys, and lots to do with loving parental care. Teenagers can be good parents, but they require more than a little support and advice. As a teacher, I was aware of issues I had no control over. As a citizen, I'm aware of yet more. But when they aren't your children it becomes hard to effectively, wisely walk the walk which renders a successful childhood.
Just after Christmas and I am walking to the local gym. a group of youths from age five to thirteen are gathered inside a connecting tunnel at the local railway that links one street to another. A seven year old, blonde haired, blue eyed, slim girl asks me for her christmas present. I smile wanly and continue through the group at a regular walking pace, and reply "I'm sorry, but it is past Christmas and I don't have any."
"I thought you were Santa because you are so fat" she says.
"Maybe if you'd asked a few days ago." I calmly replied.
A couple of the boys have moved behind me and an older girl, perhaps thirteen years old and possibly a sister of the talkative girl, motions with her hands for them to back away. I kept a pleasant banter and wished them well as I walked through the tunnel. Like working with dogs, it is best not to show fear, but these children could easily have turned abusive and been hurtful. No parental supervision. I was an adult with a lot of teaching experience and I felt that I could not have been more proactive in dealing with them. They were bored and could have become very abusive. In fairness, I am fat, but no responsible adult would have addressed me that way, but these children had seen others do so and had no problem copying the behavior. Welcome to life in Fairfield under the ALP.
Any ALP member might say it isn't their fault. There are issues in the neighborhood that need to be addressed at a high level, and much of it falls back to personal choice of individuals. However, there are many cheap, effective things that can be done which aren't.
Public institutions and family groupings raise children. They learn from modeling. A calm teacher is much better than a nervous, panicked teacher. What happens when the leader assaults public institutions and undermines them? A statue that could potentially bring a community together is despised by the local leader because it doesn't suit his political alignment base. The history of the area is described as shameful by the local leader whose agenda is to divide the community and claim to support underlings.
A young girl in Queensland is pack raped on several occasions partly because her community conspired to endanger her on the premise of political myths that divide a community and abuse institutions that are essential for good homes, necessary for raising healthy children. And while this abusive seven year old girl may not have been raised as appallingly, her local leaders in the ALP have the same limited vision as those that endangered that girl in Queensland.
No comments:
Post a Comment