[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by Loriact

I couldn't believe this when I heard it on the news. Parents going to school at lunchtime? How long has this been going on? It didn't happen when I was in school, and I never heard of it happening when my kids were in school.

I think this is isolated to a few towns and its on the extreme end of the spectrum. We have plenty of snowplow parents in Wilton (they push obstacles out of their child's way, like a snowplow) but no one is let into the cafeteria at lunch time to visit with their kids. Although this article may end up giving the snowplows some ideas.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

That is true. Ask any educator and they will tell you that this is the major problem with failing schools. Jay

A friend of mine went from East Hartford to Darien as an educator. He said while Darien parents are demanding and some are downright difficult to deal with, what he witnessed in East Hartford was sad. A lot of parents who barely have a presence in their kid’s lives because of their own selfishness and immaturity, nevermind caring about their education. Someone here called Darien parents idiots? Nah - the above are the real idiots.

[Frostnip]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

A friend of mine went from East Hartford to Darien as an educator. He said while Darien parents are demanding and some are downright difficult to deal with, what he witnessed in East Hartford was sad. A lot of parents who barely have a presence in their kid’s lives because of their own selfishness and immaturity, nevermind caring about their education. Someone here called Darien parents idiots? Nah - the above are the real idiots.

Or maybe there's some happy medium between neglecting children entirely, and smothering them.

[WouldLoveTo]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

A friend of mine went from East Hartford to Darien as an educator. He said while Darien parents are demanding and some are downright difficult to deal with, what he witnessed in East Hartford was sad. A lot of parents who barely have a presence in their kid’s lives because of their own selfishness and immaturity, nevermind caring about their education. Someone here called Darien parents idiots? Nah - the above are the real idiots.

You know, I was going to disagree, but then remembered that it's difficult to swim in a gorgeous olympic sized pool because so many moms from the low income apartments send their kids down to swim all day long. Alone. Every day. And they are so obnoxious that an adult can't get a lap swim in. So that does qualify as selfish and immature and I'm sure it falls into every other part of their lives.

Whatever your friend saw in East Hartford is going to be even worse in the cities. (Hartford, Waterbury etc)

But I'm not giving Darien a pass on the idiot status either - like Frostnip says, there's a happy medium and neither of these parents are providing it.

How is the kid going to learn to get along with others when mommy is there every day to run interference for him?

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Frostnip

Or maybe there's some happy medium between neglecting children entirely, and smothering them.

You’re missing my point. I’m not suggesting being a helicopter parent is advantageous. I’m saying there are far bigger things to worry about when it comes to public education in this country. Parents who care too much is not one of them.

[Frostnip]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

You’re missing my point. I’m not suggesting being a helicopter parent is advantageous. I’m saying there are far bigger things to worry about when it comes to public education in this country. Parents who care too much is not one of them.

"Caring too much" isn't the same thing as being a helicopter. One's an emotion, the other is an action.

Both under-involvement and over-involvement can be damaging. Kids require a degree of autonomy for their psychological and social development.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

A friend of mine went from East Hartford to Darien as an educator. He said while Darien parents are demanding and some are downright difficult to deal with, what he witnessed in East Hartford was sad. A lot of parents who barely have a presence in their kid’s lives because of their own selfishness and immaturity, nevermind caring about their education. Someone here called Darien parents idiots? Nah - the above are the real idiots.

I have two family members that teach in Bridgeport’s inner city schools. They would have Parents Night where literally one parent would show up. It may have been because the parent did not care but many of the parents must work multiple jobs to make ends meet or don’t have child care. Also one would call the parents about their kids failing and the parents would literally say “What the f*** do you want me to do about it?” This happened multiple times every year. I am not sure they even know how to educate their child which is really sad and downright scary. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Frostnip

"Caring too much" isn't the same thing as being a helicopter. One's an emotion, the other is an action.

Both under-involvement and over-involvement can be damaging. Kids require a degree of autonomy for their psychological and social development.

If you’re suggesting being over involved is as bad as being under involved, then there’s a serious flaw in your argument.

[Neil Watkins]

I have two family members that teach in Bridgeport’s inner city schools. They would have Parents Night where literally one parent would show up. It may have been because the parent did not care but many of the parents must work multiple jobs to make ends meet or don’t have child care. Also one would call the parents about their kids failing and the parents would literally say “What the f*** do you want me to do about it?” This happened multiple times every year. I am not sure they even know how to educate their child which is really sad and downright scary. Jay

My wife has worked in Bridgeport schools and has experienced much the same. This is part of why I think giving all the blame or credit to particular school-systems is unfair (and why just throwing more money into them might not help). The students and the parents have some responsibility and there's not a lot that can be done when they don't give a damn.

Someone here called Darien parents idiots? Nah - the above are the real idiots.

Both can be true. If people think millennials or whatever generation are snowflakes...

[Smooth21]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

I've never heard of parents showing up at a school to eat lunch with their kids.

How bizarre. These mothers "bursting into tears" over the new rule? Are you kidding me? They don't sound mature enough to be mothers.

FFC is its own strange, strange bubble.