I have 3 sons. Each of them has told me at one time or another that he knows for sure that he is my favorite child.
I think maybe I did something very right.
Or else they are all pulling my leg:)
Dear Son,
All I can say right now is that at least you weren’t driving. This CANNOT happen any more. Your mother and I love you too much to not do anything.
We need to talk. I know you have gone to this site. I hope you look at it today and read this, because tonight we are going to talk. Changes are going to be made in this house! No more pussyfooting around and pretending we don’t see what is going on because we do. It needs to stop. Now!
Dad
You ask for teens to give advice to parents. Well, here is one parent’s advice to parents.
Schedule some “just-for-fun” time with your kids. We all are so busy putting appointments and meetings and dinner dates on our calendars and computers that sometimes we leave the most important parts (like our families) for what’s left over. Then we’re tired or have other things on our minds.
I like to make a couple of dates with each of my children for just the two of us. We’ve done things as big as take a week-end trip together to as small as just a table for two in a neighborhood restaurant on a busy Saturday afternoon. I’ve noticed that it doesn’t actually make that much difference what we do, nor how much money is spent, as much as the fact that it is scheduled way in advance and respected as important time—by both of us. It’s a good way to remind them- and us too- how much we mean to each other. In truth, what could be more important?
I read this in my Rotary Club newsletter and think it’s worth sharing,
--A Rotarian, Northbrook, Illinois
''Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a high school about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your
Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually
have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.''
Dear Daughter, I have so much to say to you, but I’ll start with these four little words:
“Don’t Marry For Money.” It’s not worth it.
I want to talk to you so much about so many things. Maybe this is a start…
