Earlier today I wrote about m next chapter... well, our country and its next chapter has also been something on my mind! We joke about kids not having to deal with any of the things we did, but what does that all really mean for the future of this country? 
My husbands cousin is a teacher, today she took her class outside to sit on the grass for a lesson on trees. Fabulous idea, right? Then why did someone report her to child services for it? For treating the kids "like common animals?" Kids these days get a cell phone before they are ten years old! They get what they want out of their parents rather than having to work for anything! Kids are not taught respect or values. Kids proud to say they are not virgins at 12 years old- what does that mean for America? Kids have no respect for the police, for teachers, for any authority. When I was a kid if I talked back to a teacher or parent I got in a lot of trouble! We just knew to respect cops and other authority. And then there is the president... Yes, he has screwed up a lot. But that does not excuse teaching your children to be disrespectful and make jokes! As an adult, I still have issues with it! But if we must bad mouth him, don't do it in front of kids- teach your kids respect! Obama is the highest authority this country has! I am so sick of the disrespect shown to him so publicly! Other presidents have messed up, dis we teach our kids to not respect them? I know if I had ever said a bad word about Nixon, I would have been punished for the simple fact that he was the president and I should be respectful. Kids don't want to work- at all! they feel they deserve things handed to them... what happens when they grow up and have to get out in the real world? Yes, my daughter is an adult and lives with me, and I do as much as I can for her. BUT- she has a job, she helps pay the bills, and has her own bills to be responsible for. And she works around the house to help me when she is not at work. Her boy friend lives with us as well, we are teaching them both responsibility. He pays us rent, he has a full time job and a car to take care of. I want to give them the best chance at success they can get, and I think learning finances and budgeting and basics of having a place to take care of, is a really good start. Kids don't go outside to play, they sit and play video games. They don't get any exercise, and eat fast food because parents are too busy to make family time and a home cooked meal. They don't read books, they read stupid internet stuff. 
I hope somehow there will be enough good seeds out there to be able to keep this place afloat for a long long time. I'm pretty sure my generation is ok, but my daughter? I think by the time my daughter is 60- this place will have fallen apart.
Teach your children values- moral- respect- honesty- and faith. Not faith in a god, but faith in themselves! I won't get into my opinions of the 'God' issue here, but kids need to believe in themselves, have self respect. And have faith that things will work out in the end... Teach them work ethics. Teach them peace, turn off some of those violent video games and spend quality time with them! Remember how you were raised? Did you like it? If you did, then repeat- if you didn't, change it with your kids!
Love &light