Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Are your children fucking stupid? Who's fault is that?

This guy seems to think it is Hollywoods fault. He makes some good points about role models and the influence of on screen behaviors and such. He also completely ignores the elephant in the room. The parents. If you are not your kids primary role model then that is the problem right there. If you let your child model the behaviors of TV and movie characters without your input then you are to blame. If you allow your kids more TV time than you give them time with you, you are to blame.

Blaming the media is a cop out.

I limit my kids exposure to TV, I subject their viewing choices to my approval. I devote the best part of my time to their upbringing and education. I correct bad behaviors. You know what? I have good kids. They get good grades, they have no discipline problems, they use clean language. That is due to my wife and I not Hollywood, also if they go bad that is also my fault not Hollywoods.

You would think this is a no brainer but people love to blame everyone else but themselves.

10 comments:

Leigh said...

That really bugs me when people blame others for their own bad kids. God knows it isn't easy being a parent, but come on, put in a little effort. My kid is polite, well spoken, knows her manners, chews with her mouth closed, etc. There is a reason for that, and it's parenting. Her cousins are like crazed little animals, it's crazy. Their parents let them get away with anything. And in ten years they will be blaming TV for why their kids are so bad. It's a shame.

Nick said...

What I find so odd is that it mostly seems to be the self-responsibility "conservatives" that sing this tired song, blaming someone or something other than the parents.

PersonalFailure said...

Wait, video games and the rock n' roll music got no blame? I'm appalled.

Ryk said...

@SE
Yeah you would think it would be the "nanny state liberals" who would want the government to raise their kids. Go figure.

I recently heard a Christian bemoaning how the world was corrupting his children. He talked about them being lazy and disrespectful and a bunch of other stuff. I thought it was funny for a nasty atheist like me to point out that my kids were doing great. I bragged them up like crazy. I said honestly that it is only Christians I hear complaining about their kids, and all the atheist parents I know are doing just fine.

I am happiest when I have no use for the government to do anything. I do quite well when liberals, conservatives and sundry just shut the hell up and let me raise my kids.

Jen Phillips said...

Yeah, I have to admit I feel like I'm on a bit of an 'atheist mom mission' to present good, honest, thoughtful, polite children to the world, not only because it's good for them and good for the world, but because it's a testimony that teaching kids to do the right thing, giving them a strong sense of values, etc. can absolutely be uncoupled from any religious indoctrination.

So many people seem to doubt this,I feel it's part of my responsibility as an 'out' atheist to refute this stupid myth that one is incapable of making good life choices without the promise of an eternal reward--or a threat of eternal punishment.

Kerri Love said...

I agree, if your kids are watching TV, listening to music or reading magazines/books and if your not involved, that's your fault 100%

Parents need to TALK to their children about EVERYTHING, even if things seem harmless or you think they might be "too young", children are never too young to be taught.

My parents didn't pay much attention to what I did or where I was. For the most part I did ok, but there were a few things they didn't know about that they damn well should have. I'm very lucky the situations I did get into, were not much much worse. I think I'll leave it at that, if anyone wants to know more, they can email me.

Just make sure you know what your kids do, and what they shouldn't do, and why. Kids really don't have the abiltiy to know better, that part of their brains are not developed until much later in life. So while they don't have it, you have to have be it for them.

Ryk said...

Hi Jennifer.
Good to hear from you. It just amazes me how all of the atheists I know seem to be responsible parents, honest people and full of life. Yet the Christians paint us as hopeless, empty, and immoral. I would love to see some accurate demographics comparing theists and atheists. I am pretty sure we would come out looking good. :)

@Kerri
HAPPY BIRTHDAY

BaldySlaphead said...

Part of the reason our kids may grow up a little more balanced is because of that fundamental concept that it is 'down to us; there is no one else'. It's about taking responsibility for yourself, which, if you're a religious person, you don't.

If I don't teach my kids to say 'please' and 'thank you', where else are they going to get it from? Some myth?

-blessed holy socks, the non-perishable-zealot said...

Whoa. Dude, you have some serious anal retentiveness happening. You stick your head in the sand and hope it'll all go away when you pull it out. Alas, it won't. Gonna wanna get worse UNLESS you do something about it. Believe in Jesus, my brudda, and then all the whorizontal additives will lose their luster when YOU know we A-L-L must face our Divine Judgment - doesn't matter if you don't believe (that's the world talking). Jesus doesn't care if you don't believe. You had your WHOLE life to pick-up a Bible and begin the journey of faith. God bless you. Meet me Upstairs and we'll have a keg... or two.

-blessed holy socks, the non-perishable-zealot said...

You're thinking. That's good. God bless you with summore discernment.