Teaching our children
Are we passing on anything usefull
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 by Philly0381 | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
There was a conversation in the IRC the other day about knowledge that gets passed from generation to generation.
A person remarked how his kids made a fort out of a shipping box and were having fun. Imagine that, not needing a computer to have fun.
Another person remaked that thier father needed to be called upon to help the husband change out a water heater. Nothing drastic but it does make you sit back and start thinking.
What was passed on to us by our parents and their generation and what are we passing on to the next? Are we as individuals or as a civilization in general passing on usefull needed knowledge to the next generation? You know, some basics, like taking seeds and planting them to have food to eat, how to fix things if they break, how to hold a conversation and a intellignet discussion with someone without having to use a computer. 
Speaking for myself I find it somewhat unnerving that for the most part basic knowledge just doesn't seem to be passed on anymore. I was lucky growning up. My grandparents came from Europe and did what they did there, they had a farm. Both my parents are first generation Americans so I'm only the second generation to have grown up here. A lot of things were passed on that were just basic to living. If I had to I could survive with little help from the grocer. 
So what do you think, are we passing on the knowledge or are we just setting up future generations to a very bad ending. 
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Reply #22 Friday, June 13, 2008 10:09 AM
A sampling:
Financial
- Saving. Spend less than you earn. It’s such a simple maxim, and yet very few young adults understand it or know how to follow it. Teach your child from a young age to put part of money he receives or earns in the bank. Teach him how to set a savings goal, and save for it, and then purchase whatever it is he was saving for.
- Critical thinking. One of the most important skills not taught in school. These days, we are taught to be robots, to listen to the teacher and not to question, to accept what we are told and not to think, to be good employees and to shut up. If you’re an employer, you might want your employees to be like this, and if you’re a politician, you might want your citizens to be like this. But is that how you want your child to be? An unquestioning, naive, ignorant citizen/employee/student? If so, carry on. If not, just start introducing the habit of questioning why? And the skill of find out the answer. And how to question authority — there is no one right answer. Conversation is a good way to accomplish this skill.
- Positive thinking. While critical thinking is an important skill, it’s also important to have a positive outlook on life. Sure, things may be screwed up, but they can be changed for the better. Find solutions instead of complaints. And most of all, learn to believe in yourself, and to block out negative self-thinking.
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Reply #21 Friday, June 13, 2008 10:06 AM
But anyway – the whole point of this site is that if we don’t start examining our fears and whether they really make any sense, we’ll just keep cutting “dangerous” activities out of our kids’ lives without even thinking twice.
It’s like being on a diet that restricts any foods you have ever heard may be harmful, no matter what the source — actual scientist, quack, morning news show — or how it applies to you. So you cut out all salt, all fat, all carbs, all dairy, all eggs, all peanuts, all wheat, all meat, all tap water (in case it’s carcinogenic), all bottled water (in case it’s carcinogenic), coffee (because it’s so wonderful, something must be wrong with it) and pretty soon you are eating unsalted popcorn three times a day with nothing to wash it down with.
Meanwhile, think of how we’ve restricted our kids: they’re not allowed to walk to school (cars!), bike to a friend’s house (perverts on the way), play in the park (those perverts again), the woods (scary), the creek (drowning) the lawn (ticks), the tree (gravity) or dirt (dirt). All they are left with is a selection of supervised, sanitized, often pricey activities that allow zero room for creativity. And at the end – I know because I’ve been there – they get a trophy.
So I got my boys the skateboard which, it turns out, if you’re not Tony Hawk, really does not go very fast and has yet to make any kind of airborne loop. The kids love it, they wear their helmets and it gets them out of the house a little.
Good incentive to do something different!