Parenthood
Our son, Eric, is a good kid. He's not perfect, but he's a good kid. Eric is almost nineteen and is a senior in high school. He should have graduated last year, but he enjoyed ninth grade so much he wanted to do it twice. He attended private schools through that first pass at ninth grade, at which point his mother and I decided not to continue footing the bill for private school. He still didn't do very well, but he managed to pass. Last year, he very nearly flunked again, and had to go to summer school. This year, I think he has finally figured out that he doesn't have to like school, but he does have to pass. He's GPA this year is running about 3.5; amazing.
Other than having almost no interest in education, he really is a good kid. He runs with a good crowd, doesn't drink, smoke or do drugs, and gets into almost no trouble.
Did we waste all that money sending him to private schools all those years? I don't think so. They were church-run schools, and he got very grounded in them. His sense of right and wrong is imperturbable, and he (for the most part) understands the parent-child relationship very well. When his mother or I ask him to do something, it gets done with a minimum of "ah mom's." I'm not sure he'd be that way if he'd gone to public schools from the beginning.
Some folks may think that in sending him to church school he got indoctrinated. Well, he did; but he would also have been so in public schools. The difference being in what he would have been indoctrinated in. In church schools, he got right and wrong, self discipline and personal responsibility, in a public school he would have gotten moral ambiguity, virtually no discipline and the doctrine of victimhood. He is a little ostrasized by some in the public school because he's different, but he seems to revel in it.
He has no interest in college. This is bad for him, but good for me, in that I don't have to pay for it. I'm trying to convince him to join the Navy upon graduation, for a number of reasons; foremost of which is that I have no doubt that there is going to be a reinstatement of a draft in this country. On a ship at sea, he will be far safer than chasing terrorists around Bahgdad. He can also see a bit of the world, learn a skill or two, and even earn some money for education, should he decide at some point that more of that is a good idea. He has other plans, though. He framed houses last summer for a builder who is the father of one of his friends, and seems to enjoy that a lot. He's also interested in becoming a fireman. Between those two things he can probably make a pretty decent living just about anywhere in the country. I just hope and pray that that bastard Uncle Sam doesn't snag him; he's our only child.
Our son, Eric, is a good kid. He's not perfect, but he's a good kid. Eric is almost nineteen and is a senior in high school. He should have graduated last year, but he enjoyed ninth grade so much he wanted to do it twice. He attended private schools through that first pass at ninth grade, at which point his mother and I decided not to continue footing the bill for private school. He still didn't do very well, but he managed to pass. Last year, he very nearly flunked again, and had to go to summer school. This year, I think he has finally figured out that he doesn't have to like school, but he does have to pass. He's GPA this year is running about 3.5; amazing.
Other than having almost no interest in education, he really is a good kid. He runs with a good crowd, doesn't drink, smoke or do drugs, and gets into almost no trouble.
Did we waste all that money sending him to private schools all those years? I don't think so. They were church-run schools, and he got very grounded in them. His sense of right and wrong is imperturbable, and he (for the most part) understands the parent-child relationship very well. When his mother or I ask him to do something, it gets done with a minimum of "ah mom's." I'm not sure he'd be that way if he'd gone to public schools from the beginning.
Some folks may think that in sending him to church school he got indoctrinated. Well, he did; but he would also have been so in public schools. The difference being in what he would have been indoctrinated in. In church schools, he got right and wrong, self discipline and personal responsibility, in a public school he would have gotten moral ambiguity, virtually no discipline and the doctrine of victimhood. He is a little ostrasized by some in the public school because he's different, but he seems to revel in it.
He has no interest in college. This is bad for him, but good for me, in that I don't have to pay for it. I'm trying to convince him to join the Navy upon graduation, for a number of reasons; foremost of which is that I have no doubt that there is going to be a reinstatement of a draft in this country. On a ship at sea, he will be far safer than chasing terrorists around Bahgdad. He can also see a bit of the world, learn a skill or two, and even earn some money for education, should he decide at some point that more of that is a good idea. He has other plans, though. He framed houses last summer for a builder who is the father of one of his friends, and seems to enjoy that a lot. He's also interested in becoming a fireman. Between those two things he can probably make a pretty decent living just about anywhere in the country. I just hope and pray that that bastard Uncle Sam doesn't snag him; he's our only child.
posted by David at 1:17 PM
2 Comments:
1. I am thankful every day that my parents scraped, saved, & sacrificed to send their kids to private school. At least where I grew up, public education is seriously eroded. Your son sounds like he knows what his parents gave him.
2. I hope Uncle Sam stays far away from your boy.
I went to private schools growing up too.
Also, being a firefighter is a great plan--my nephew just decided to do that at age 29...and loves it. Very noble profession.
I am glad I had the great honor of spending time with Eric this past summer! Great guy, just like his dad.
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