Really awesome kids

[Stella]

I have been noticing a whole lot of fabulousness lately from the kids I know and I just wanted to comment on it. I hear a lot of people talk about how kids today are rude, selfish and not very well behaved, and while I know a couple of those kinds of kids, I've been noting some really good eggs too.

When we were visiting my cousin in New Mexico I was really, really impressed with how kind and sweet his kids were. There are four of them ranging in age from 5 to 18 and they were just a delight. All of us but the 18 year old took a tram ride to the top of a mountain to have lunch at a restaurant up there. Because there were so many of us, we split into two groups and sat at tables near each other. The kids wanted to sit together, so the grown-ups and toddlers sat at one table and the 5-10 year olds sat at another. They ordered for themselves and were absolutely perfectly behaved. They were polite to the waitstaff and polite to each other.

Yesterday we had a friend and her son over and her son, age 12, brought me a Christmas present he had bought me, vintage Christmas dishes he had picked out for me while he was shopping with his Grandma. I thought that was very thoughtful. He complimented my cooking at dinner and when my 6 year old saw a spider and was scared of it, he comforted her and helped take care of the problem.

Today my 11 and 12 year old neighbor kids came over and volunteered to help me watch the babies while Zach, the girls and I got unpacked from our trip and cleaned out the car. They do that kind of thing pretty often.

The teens I worked with at my last job were amazing too. Articulate, interesting and very hard working. They both went off to college this year and I just found out that one of them, the one who is majoring in chemical engineering, got a 3.9 grade point average for his first semester away from home. He finished his first two years of college during his last two years of high school and he is taking some pretty hard classes at a well respected school. I am really proud of him.

My own kids are pretty good too. They are helpful and responsible and kind. It's been fun watching my older kids helping their little brothers learn new things and encouraging them. They are currently working with Baby Travis on learning how to walk. Even James, my two year old, loves to be helpful and is mostly (all toddlers have their moments) a real sweetie.

I just wanted to put this out there. I love hearing about the good things people do and once in a while I think it's especially nice to hear good things about the younger generation, who are often maligned. Tell me your stories about the good kids in your life. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors, this is your opportunity to brag a little. :)

[fidgiegirl]

In teaching I ran across lots and lots of good kids. My current job takes me back to my old school sometimes, and the children are very sweet to me, asking when I'm coming back, etc. (and I just posted that I don't want to, oh, mean old me!!! :) ) Unfortunately the rude kids overshadow those nice kids a lot of the time, at least in a school setting. The sweetest ones were in my Spanish Club. First thing on a Monday, it was hard to get in a mental place for that group, sometimes, but they were so nice that I almost always left smiling.

[peggy]

I have found that people who criticize 'those teenagers' or young people in general aren't really around them all that much. Are there bad apples? Sure, and there are bad apple adults, but I have found for the most part, the young people/teenagers/young adults are very good, moral, focused people.
IMO, we focus on the things that the young have discarded from our generation, without remembering that we in turn discarded things from our parents generation. This is the natural evolution of society. I have tried to see it as such, and embrace the new that is the norm for our kids. For instance, who would have thought even 10 years ago that most communication would be through text messages on our phones? Or that we would all be carrying phones, even? But instead of rejecting this as rude and cold, i learned to text with the best of them and in the process am in the loop with my kids. My daughter lives in this town but my son lives in LA, but he texts very often, sometimes just a sentence or two, during a down time at work. But it keeps us in the loop. I love it. Also, he is a good son, who understands that even a word or two every few days keeps mom very happy. ;) But I digress.

I will venture to say most young people are quite competent, even if they themselves don't realize it yet. Looking around, I feel quite satisfied with the newest crop of future leaders.!thumbsup!

[Fawn]

I have to agree w/ Stella and Peggy....there are a lot of awesome teens in my social circle.

I am not worried about passing the reins on to them.:)

[puglogic]

While I would not trust myself to parent a teenager (so many changes! so much confusion! :) ) I have noticed a lot of them are surprisingly "together." My niece and nephew, for example, are smart, self-deprecatingly funny, and confident - I like hanging around them. But even when I was at the college, I was surprised at the percentage of kind, compassionate, forward-thinking young people.

[flowerseverywhere]

I think all kids respond well to anyone who treats them with respect. Viewing and treating kids like they are "losers" will produce that very thing.

On NY eve we were at a party with many adults and kids. The kids know I love to play games and they came prepared. We had a great time, they were polite, fun and we all had a ball.

Expectations are a big part of it. If you go in expecting kids to be brats it may be a self fullfilling prophesy.

[Mrs-M]

I like to think as parents, we all do our best to ensure a proper and well-adjusted upbringing related to our children (and many of us do), but reality tells me differently, so whenever I see children who are out of control, defiant, and absent of basic daily manners, more often than not, I view the parents at fault, not the children, because early-learning is set and instilled by example.

I make time to correct, rein-in, and guide my kids, and it shows. I'm not at all suggesting that I use an iron-fist approach to hammer-home my intentions, just that kids need guidance and authority, and with me they get it. I never fail to be pleasantly comforted, whenever I hear a parent say to a child, "and what do you say". (Example being, please, and thank you, basic daily manners).

But even more pleasantly comforted I am, when a child (minus outside intervention) shows initiative and addresses an adult as "Mr" or "Mrs", and says "please" and "thank you". Nothing, puts a smile on my face quite like that. But my proudest moments come by way of compliments related to my children Re: their behaviour, good behaviour, and how they carry themselves, because that is a direct reflection of me as a parent, and the success I have achieved in being the best I can be in my methods and ways to raise, nourish, cradle, and teach.