A Latinos Blog

Educating Our Children

You know the other day I was walking through Old Town with my 2 kids, one is 2 and the other is 9. As I was walking and we were perusing the stores, my son whom is 9 asked that we go into a Gems and Stones store, which we did. As we were looking, his eyes were as big as the moon, you see my son likes to collect rocks, stones etc. Now, he came across some very cool things, but the store was extremely expensive. He asked if I could buy him a bag of rocks/stones, they were 24.99. I told him I had no money on me and rebutted with, why I couldn’t use my Credit Card. Of course that did not go well and he ended up with this attitude for the rest of the time we were walking. Of course my daughter whom is 2 started acting up, being whiny, refusing to go into any other stores, but the funny thing is she did not want to go home, when I would tell her we will be going home if she doesn’t behave.

So here I am walking around with two children that are completely disobeying me, whinny, crying, and of course those looks on their face like you just ended their world. I could not believe. These two kids that have always been good, and which I have always been told they are good kids, so why were they acting this way.

As we continued walking, yah I still walked…the day was beautiful and well I wanted to visit some shops, well as we continued to walk, we came across this little cart selling small toys and masks and etc, my son happen to see a Helmet shaped in the medieval times like a knights helmet…well he asked the price and it was 20 dollars…once again he asked that I buy since I did not get him the rocks. I told him once again I did not have money and with that attitude why would I get you anything.

I tried to explain that I could not buy him something every time we went somewhere, of course the attitude quadrupled. By then my daughter was starting to give some tantrums, which ahs never happened, and I put a stop to it, of course crying followed, so I decided to start walking back to the car to go home.

Now the crazy thing is when we got home they both went directly into a Good mood, nice, no arguing…I thought to myself, what the heck did just happen…I was upset to say the least and sent my son to his room and placed my daughter in a time-out in the corner…just about 3 minutes. I could not believe who were these kids.

I do my best to teach them respect, please and thank you and my most important thing is “Patience”. Of course I do what I can to teach them the value of money and being courteous to others. Among many other things we as parents try to teach…but one thing came to mind as I was talking, and I refer mostly to my eldest. Kids now days, actually even when I was a kid, Kids simply don’t listen anymore. It seems it goes in one ear and out the other. And if they don’t listen it could be to late when they get older.

Why does it seem that kids don’t listen to their parent’s knowledge and experiences, and then end up failing? I know not all kids are the same and not all turn out bad even if they don’t listen, but why can kids simply listen to what we as parents have to share and learn from, the parents lives, their lives would be so much more full filled and possibly even better…even successful. I mean if I knew what I know now…I am pretty certain that their would a lot of things throughout my life that I would have done differently, reacted differently, taken this chance instead of that, gone this way instead of that. I mean yah we all learn through trial and error or as many would say on our own, but if you had a parent that could share these experiences….MAN…high school would have bee so sweet, and not just high school but college, my first interview, my first job. If someone would have simply told me hey…kids are kids and you’ll be teased, called this and that, but if you do this then this will happen…I know not everything in life is the same, but I seriously see a lot of things that are happening to my kids that happen to me. And I see a lot of things that happen to my nieces and nephews that happen to me…a lot of similarities…then why not listen to your parent’s words of wisdom, or maybe not wisdom, but experiences and how they handled it.

I know I am talking as a broken record and I my kids will still do those stupid mistakes and things as we did and as our parents did and their kids and so on, but man…I am so just incredibly dumb-founded by this cycle…why…why can our kids take our words for good…who knows…maybe we will never know and maybe this is just the way things need to be.

My Perspective:
Even though your kids don’t listen, please…what ever you do…don’t stop talking to them. Communication is the fabric of life and everything in it…you know that. Thanks for reading and till next time Latino Man singing off.