You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
She came home from her private girls school and told us over the dinner table that in Health Class they were discussing world issues. (Don't ask me how this tied in, maybe through Obamacare.) Twenty eighth grade girls were asked to go to one side of the room if their answer was "yes" and the other if "no." The question was "Do you think Obama is doing a good job?" Only my daughter and one other girl went to the "no" side of the room. The next question was, "Do you think the United States will be better in ten years because of Obama?" She didn't budge. My husband and I couldn't believe it. What guts! I told her I was going to post this on Ricochet and she said, "Yay. I'll be famous." Okay, so she is still 13. Her name is Wally. So now she's famous.
PS...the other girl's father is a doctor.
- Comment (29)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
Comments :
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
If I'm still around when Wally is running, she will have my vote!
Jul '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
You should be proud.
NOW, I am more positive about Our future.
"One (Wo)man with courage makes a majority." Andrew Jackson
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
Denise, send your daughter an "atta-girl" from me.
I can't fathom why a teacher would ask a class of teenagers to "vote" in such a public fashion. Wouldn't it be better to elicit student opinions in a more open manner, one less calculated to reinforce the natural tendency toward groupthink?
May '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
That's outstanding Denise. But I would be livid if something like that took place in my kids' (progressive) school.
Jul '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
Has Kathleen Sebelius heard about this?
May '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
I have two sons, 13 and 14. Can we talk arranged marriage?
May '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
Her resolve will truly be tested in college, but it sounds like she's capable if withstanding the onslaught.
Jul '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
I wonder if the kids who massed on the other side of the room did it because they knew what the "approved" answer was - or if they really believe in the excellence of the Messiah.
Sep '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
Given Mr. Obama's low approval rating, don't you find the 18-2 split surprising? Are their parents (present company excepted) all so far out there? Or haven't their kids heard the news yet?
Sep '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
Given Mr. Obama's low approval rating, don't you find the 18-2 split surprising? Are their parents (present company excepted) all so far out there? Or haven't their kids heard the news yet?
Sep '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
Denise Moss: Twenty eighth grade girls were asked to go to one side of the room if their answer was "yes" and the other if "no."
Just the latest cutting edge technique being taught in Schools of Education around the country.
Whatever happened to simply scaring the kids straight with videos of live births?
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
Wow. To a 13-year old girl, the most powerful force in the universe isn't gravitational attraction but peer pressure. For young Wally to know her mind so clearly, and to stake our her position so bravely--well. Denise, you and your husband are doing something right.
May '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
Way to go!!! I understand the pride you feel. We have a 19-year old granddaughter who cast her first vote in the California election. Later that day, still wearing her "I voted" sticker, she and my wife were shopping. She asked a friend if he'd voted and he said, "Naw, I don't go in for that stuff." Kylee replied, "It's people like you who gave us Obama."
So let's hear it for the patriotic up coming generation. In the "Generational Cycle" these kids are the next "Greatest Generation," and it's kids like your daughter who will help to restore our country as time continues on.
Aug '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
George Savage: Denise, send your daughter an "atta-girl" from me.
I can't fathom why a teacher would ask a class of teenagers to "vote" in such a public fashion. Wouldn't it be better to elicit student opinions in a more open manner, one less calculated to reinforce the natural tendency toward groupthink? · Oct 4 at 7:04pm
Perhaps the exercise was designed to encourage groupthink?
I've run across such exercises used for in-group "trust-building" before.
When I was Wally's age, I would have never hesitated to answer honestly. Now that I'm older, however, I'd be more circumspect and inscrutable. I've come to the conclusion that sometimes there's no point in damaging a perfectly good working relationship by letting some people know what you really think. Of course, those people would swear up and down that they wouldn't respect you less if they knew -- that they're better people than that -- but they're not and they would.
Still, brave girl, as yet untainted by cynicism and suspicion.
May '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
Way to go Wally! And way to go Denise for raising Wally in the way she should go!
May '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
If only my sister-daughter (Cleopatra Licentia Smith) had such gumption. She voted for Obama, though somewhat sheepish about it now. Gotta get it out of your system.
I didn't know the standing in the corner thing had been done since the Roman Republic. "I call for a division of the House!" was ever a dramatic moment in the Colleen McCollogh novels.
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
I have to admit I didn't even consider the perameters of this poll. Not terribly enlightened, but I'm going to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt that this wasn't some mind-washing endeavor. Remember, Health is taught by the gym teacher and you know what Woody Allen said..."Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach gym." What is surprising is that we chose to send our daughter to this school because it is a 120 year old, academically rigorous, traditionally conservative girls school. (I think the only Jew they allowed until 30 years ago was Betsy Bloomingdale.) And yet my daughter is still inundated with Global Warming Paranoia in a class called Global Studies. It's what Geography used to be, but with an emphasis on under developed nations. I like the intent, to introduce these privileged girls to societies much worse off than their own. But we're on our toes about the indoctrination in the curriculum.
And I know there's a lot more conservative parents at this school than was reflected by their kids. So yes, trying to please the teacher and peer pressure certainly was at play.
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
Midget Faded Rattlesnake
When I was Wally's age, I would have never hesitated to answer honestly. Now that I'm older, however, I'd be more circumspect and inscrutable. I've come to the conclusion that sometimes there's no point in damaging a perfectly good working relationship by letting some people know what you really think. Of course, those people would swear up and down that they wouldn't respect you less if they knew -- that they're better people than that -- but they're not and they would. · Oct 4 at 8:08pm
That's my entire work life. There are two writers I can honestly say to, "Hey, by the way, I'm a conservative." And one of them is Rob Long.
May '10
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
My 10th-grader attends a "top New England prep school." She's on the debate team, the educational policy committee, and is trying to keep the school Republicans alive (they have no faculty advisor, guess why). The school is rife with Global Warming paranoia, and they have stripped out much of the kids' favorite foods because of their commitment to the (much more expensive) locavore, slow food movement. Fortunately she figured out on her own that global warming is a load of waffle, and feels very strongly that personal accountability is the way to go. She's getting a terrific academic education, but I would never have sent her there if she didn't have the backbone she showed years ago. She's really smart and confident. Anyone got a nice son/nephew/other young man that won't be intimidated by her? Congrats to us Denise!
Re: You Know You've Done Something Right Raising Your Child When...
I can't help but wonder whether the environmental alliance with statism is a coalition aimed at realizing the first plank of the Communist Manifesto: the abolition of private property. Consider that Global Warming is just the latest in a series of environmental scares justifying centralized control over private citizens use of their property.
Edited on Oct 4, 2010 at 9:29pm