"F.O.A.D." wrote in message
m...

On 5/24/13 6:56 AM, JustWaitAFrekinMinute wrote:
On 5/24/2013 6:08 AM, John H wrote:

Wow, aren't they special.. I am so glad they are the model for all
parents out there... LOL! So happy all families have the time and
schedule they do....


It's tough on families these days, but responsible parents
traditionally
make whatever sacrifices are necessary to help their kids perform
satisfactorily in school, and if that means giving up kiddie motorbike
racing so there is time to help with homework or to take kids to the
library or a museum, then so be it. Your posts on this subject read as
if you are looking to rationalize the paths you took that did not lead
to helping your children succeed in school.

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I am glad you used the word "satisfactorily" because I firmly believe
that the childhood years should be a balance of well rounded
experiences and activities in addition to attending school and doing
homework. Schoolwork is always the priority but I'd rather see a kid
get a "B" rather than an "A" but also enjoy playing sports, being
involved in a drama club or other extracurricular activities within
the school system or outside of it. Drop the grade to a "C" and they
go on notice and extracurricular activities become limited. Drop to a
"D" and the extracurricular activities are eliminated until the grades
come up. It puts additional pressure and demands of time on the
parents to transport them, purchase the necessary extracurricular
equipment , and support them by attending the football/baseball games
and dance recitals in addition to teacher/parent conferences but it's
part of the deal if you have kids.

We used to tell our kids that as parents, our primary job was to run
the household, establish the rules and work to earn money to pay the
mortgage, buy food and clothes and generally support the family.
*Their* job was to do the best they could in school. Their *pay* or
reward for doing so was the right to participate in all the "fun"
activities as well.

We also used to tell them that the most important grade they received
on their report card was the "effort" grade. People (kids as well as
adults) are not equally programmed to excel in all subjects but as
long as serious effort is made they cannot be faulted.

I think successfully raising kids in a manner where they can go on in
life and stand on their own two feet as responsible adults is by far
the toughest job parents will ever have. In my case, running a
growing business was duck soup in comparison.