Until near the end of the season when an eager, smiling mom approached me to inform me she needed $10 for each of my children for trophies.Trophies? Were we going to some tournament where everyone pitched in on the cost of trophies? Had something happened that I was unaware of? No. Every child on the team was to receive a trophy for the season.
Reluctantly, I ponied up the cash, attended the team party at the local restaurant and chipped in our family's portion for the coach's trophy as well. I chalked it up to a well-intentioned but misguided parent.Until the next season when the same scenario played out again. Those of you with kids know this. If your child participates in anything, a huge reward is coming their way. Whether they have truly deserved it or not. No longer are the fun, exercise, and experience of playing a team sport the rewards. Oh no. We must purchase rewards. For everyone.
I then saw this duplicate itself in the classroom. The first time I went to a teacher to politely ask her if she could mark my son's errors on a paper instead of placing a sticker at the top and writing "Good Job!", I was informed that she wasn't going to use a red pen to mark errors because it might harm his self-esteem.
Good grief. I have self-esteem to spare and I can guarantee you some teachers had to buy red pens by the gross to get me through school. That's why I have self-esteem. I learned from my mistakes and reveled in my successes.
My true successes.And kids do know the difference. At the ripe young age of 11, my daughter came home from school furious one day and slapped an English paper down on the counter. It had a yellow post-it note on the front with a 96 written on it. At first I thought she was upset that she hadn't received higher than a 96. Not my girl. She was smarter than that. She proceeded to explain to me that she didn't know why she received a 96 and not a 76 or an 86 or even a 99. Because there were no other words or markings on her paper. No feedback whatsoever. She was livid because she didn't know why she deserved a 96.
We have been creating generations of kids who do not know how to truly work toward a goal. They don't know how to accept failure and learn from it. They don't realize that some people excel in one area while others find different avenues in which to do well. We've led them to believe they are great in everything.
Incapable of mistakes. Justified in all they do. Right no matter what.
Now, could this lead to grown men, elected officials, yelling rude and disrespectful comments to the President of the United States in a public event? Or to a spoiled performer strutting uninvited onto a stage to rip a microphone out of young woman's hand and announce that she was not the performer he believed should have won?
I think so. I think we have created a culture where everyone thinks they are right and justified in all that they do. I'm sad for what we've lost. I think it's called humility.
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118 comments:
As per usual, Deb, you are preaching to the choir. I am not a big fan of the 'everybody wins' philosophy. Sometimes you lose. And there are a lot of great lessons there.
Those little motivational stickers and ribbons? I found one once that said: Good Eater Award. I bought it. My sister and a few of our friends passed it around for years. It was funny. It horrified us that that had not been its intended use.
Aaaaagh! The trophies for everyone drive me crazy. And Elementary School Field Day is ridiculous around these parts. What happened to the three legged race with actual winners? You are totally right on this one.
I soooo agree with this. In my kids' school not only do they request the parents to purchase (or pitch in) for for "good behavior" prizes, but the prizes are FOOD. (I refuse to buy things for this) Nice right? My kids are being rewarded as if they've learned to sit and roll over. UGH!
I completely agree that kids have been taught to believe they need not do anything to get a pat on the back and a good job sticker...*sigh*
Can you hear me shouting "Amen"? You are so right about all of this. It's a battle I fought when my children were young and in school and it has only gotten worse since then. And you are right, these kids are growing up into adults that expect the same. We need a big dose of humility in this country! Great post Deb!
Deb, this is perfect and AMEN!! I am from this up and coming generation and I am embarrassed of the majority because we won't wait, work, or plan. The philosophy is I am here I was born and I deserve EVERYTHING I WANT and anyone who tells me no is just a mean person that is jealous of me.
It's disgusting.
Once more, I'm thankful for the opportunity to homeschool my kid. And, yes, I grade her papers with a red pen. ;o)
I totally agree.
Except for one thing. I have one out of three kids who is a reluctant participant. When she was younger she really wanted a trophy, and that is what got her to play. Now she genuinely enjoys it...
But it really has been taken waaay to far. And the academic component is unaaceptable.
Oh boy I am with you on this one! I have former students who thank me now for being so hard on their writing.
My kids find the trophies completely meaningless and so do I.
As a parent of three and a preschool teacher of 30 years, I totally agree with you. I refused to participate in this kind of thing when I was running my own preschool. It's a false self-esteem if the only way the child earned it was by breathing.
One of the best teachers I ever had whipped my proud little butt in High School English. She made you sweat and everybody "hated" her class. If you forgot one of the resources she required, she would say something like, "Sharon, are you naked in class today?" Oh the horror... You NEVER forgot after that.
But she's one of only two teachers I keep in touch with.
Go Figure.
I'm afraid you've touched on a topic that could get me ranting for hours. I taught high school. Enough said. The term I used for it "arrogant entitlement" and I don't see it getting any better any time soon.
You got it! I totally agree with you on the trophy stuff! When my son was in the 4th or 5th grade he had to write a report. I looked at it and thought he'd done a poor job, and I knew he could do better. I asked him if it was the best he could do and if he was satisfied with it. He said yes, so I let him turn it in, knowing he would get a poor grade and be upset because of it. I figured he would work harder the next time. Well, guess what? He got a good grade on the report and simply learned that he didn't have to work hard.
Not only is it not good for the kids who need to learn how to fix things in order to succeed---but it's not fair for the kids that have ALREADY worked hard and had success. What about the soccer team that really was the best? Is there something wrong with that?
It's like the horrible things they're doing in government now trying to "close the achievement gap" in kids. Why can't kids be on different levels!?!?
A trophy that has no real hard work or achievement behind it is nothing but a "dust catcher."
I agree with everything you've written. A perfect example is my husband had an "lunch box alarm making contest" in his class of 5th graders. Out of 14 teams many had their alarms fail. One kid cried out, "But what about us, don't we win too? We're just little kids!" It was a perfect segue for a lecture from him.
P.S. I'm not a fan of bringing snacks for the team kids after the game. Thank goodness when the kids get to be 12 the majority of parents have agreed it is easier to not have to provide snacks and a Gatorade for the team.
I totally agree. Humility is desperately needed for our kids. I see too many arrogant kids around.
Well you wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelins by suggesting to them that they aren't perfect the very first time they try anything, right?? No red pen?? That's stupid.
On that same line, my son's handwriting looks like a 3r grader. Yes, I should have done better in early life to correct this, but I mistakenly assumed that teachers who saw his writing daily in large amounts and in papers that they have to read to provide him a grade-would help him or suggest he do certain things...they did not. And I have failed him as well, but come on---they have to look at it every day! Get the red pen out PLEASE!!!!
I have a box of trophies from 5 years of my sons sports. They were showcased for the 5 yrs he was in sports, and then moved to a box where they have collected dust for the last 5 years, never to be seen again. He does not feel any sense of pride or happiness towards them because they were given to everyone on the team - he doesn't feel like he earned them. Smart kid.
Ever since I found out that my husband was NOT ALLOWED to use a red pen to mark papers as a teacher, I have had very similar thoughts.
You've nailed everything I think. I think other parents maybe think I'm hard on my kids, but I'm really just trying to be honest and help them to find their true potential. Of course they're wonderful, but they can be MORE wonderful if they learn how to set goals and work towards them. And experience a little bit of failure along the way.
Write ON!!
Thought-worthy - as usual. I do love your posts.
Somehow this culture of everyone being the same and always succeeding is not really helping us or our kids.
I believe that we learn from our mistakes. Without them, we learn nothing and do not develop.
Wow! You bring up good points. I hadn't really thought about it, but what you say is true. Maybe they don't need so many rewards. Don't read my post today...I'm sort of ashamed now... but in my defence we're just trying to survive over here.
I completely agree with you on this one- and I think that it extends as far as high school, when so many teachers pass kids who have not earned a passing grade, just because the school has a "no kid left behind" policy.
I remember one of my University professors gave me a really low English grade my first year, but she pushed me to try harder and to write more articulately. The second time that I had her, I earned an "A" in her class and really felt that I deserved it!
Is that same reason everyone has those "Creative Blogger" awards on their sites?
My sons teacher is a super hard grader and leaves tons of comments on his paper. I think he's a but over the top. Giving a 4th grader an F for not putting his cubby number on the paper. COme on, it's their first year having letter grades and you're gonna do that?
Debbie,
It will be most interesting to see how this generation of trophies for all will raise their children.
Great ode to the humble.
we're working on a big event we do every year. in it we have a carnival where kids can win prizes. the workers get accosted each year because little johnny wants the football prize, but can't win the football game. thankfully we have a strong support staff that says no win, no prize.
I really appreciate this post. I so agree that people should only be rewarded for what they deserve. Otherwise we are rewarding everyone and lose the entire definition of what is good. The good and bad get merged and blurred and we end up with all these gray individuals with no idea how to be respectful and deserving of friendships... or even acquaintances.
You SO hit the nail on the head with this one.. well-intentioned but seriously misguided parents are raising a crop of Kanyes as we speak- yikes. They don't get that their kids will learn more from their mistakes than from being told that everything they do is perfect...
Once, when my oldest was in kindergarten, he was punished for something that he didn't do. A substitute teacher called him down for throwing rocks on the playground. Now, his own teacher would have known this wasn't something jordan wouldn't have done, but that the kid standing next to him was known for such antics. But the sub didn't know, so she punished jordan. He wanted me to make a phone call, to push for justice and complain that he had been mistreated. Instead, I said, "Jordan, sometimes life isn't fair and we just have to deal with it."
Same goes for board games in this house. When I win, I don't just win, I win and cheer and clap my hands. None of this losing on purpose so the kids don't get their feelings hurt. Sheesh!
We are about to discuss this in my personal dev. 8th grade class today!!
Here is a GREAT 60 minutes special on the subject!! (Video is about 15min long)
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4126233n%3fsource=search_video
Yep and a useless banquet with people I don't know.
Seems like false praise to me, a bit.
You and I must meet. I think we need to be in the same room to prove that you and I are not the same person.
I work at an elementary school and one of the sad elements I see is a sense of entitlement amongst the parents, trickling down to the kids. I HATE this, I try to teach the kids to be grateful for anything they have. I want to have a school wide assembly where we show them "Slumdog Millionaire"
I totally agree. I learned from my mistakes, and red markings on my paper and getting my ass whipped when I had to show it to my mom. Now we are no longer able to let on child stand out or come home to a good old fashion ass kicking. How are kids supposed to learn?????
I so agree with you. It's going to be a hard reality when they aren't a famous rapper and work at McDonalds and their boss doesn't put up with their diva attitude.
yep Deb things have changed very much since i was a kid in school-
i agree, the kids expect things to come easily, almost instantaneously, and often are accustomed to quitting something quickly if they don't see the expected and immediate result.
Secretia
A great big Amen to you Debbie. You hit that nail on the head. Our society has turned into something ugly.
erm, I also think the word civility comes to mind as well. There is nothing wrong with making a mistake as long as you learn from it.
That is what I always asked my nieces and nephews when they did something wrong - I didn't berate I just asked what did you learn from this so you don't do it again.
And why do so many people fear saying "I don't know?" There is nothing wrong with that either. As long as you go and get the answer.
Your children are going to lead the their generation.
and...yet when I, as a teacher, did that very thing I had parents who were upset.
UGH.
It's REALLY bad in a music classroom when "everyone should have a solo at the concert" mentality hits. Um...no, they shouldn't.
I agree!!! Nuf said.
My first grade teacher used a red marker - not just a pen. I loved her and her marker and when I had to stop into school after we were out for the summer she gave me one of her red markers and I cherished it.
I've never seen a trophy I liked. I earned (like really earned) a few growing up and had to convince my mom it was ok to throw them out 20 years later. She was like "don't you want them?" and I said - " mom, c'mon where do I want to display those hideous things?!" So in the garbage they went.
I agree with you 100%!
I love this post! Everyday, I hope people open their eyes and see what they are doing to their kids!
BINGO!
You are so smart.
Great job! I like to know what I did wrong, how do I know what to change if no one tells me? Good grief.
Totally agree! So now we have kids/adults with self esteem up the wazoo -- and nothing else. "Oh, I can't read. But that's okay because I feel really good about myself!"
When you receive an award for every little thing, where's the significance?
I love your daughter's attitude, and I'm also shocked at the whole self-esteem thing, the truth being that the reality is exactly the opposite of that desired, you develop no self-esteem, and either grow in indifference or develop an exaggerated idea of yourself.
YES YES YES! I can already see it in PreK. Makes me wanna smack some people. Who started this?! Psycho whackjobs.
Right on! So glad my son decided he would not play soccer again this year. ;o)
Humility is needed it's what makes us better people in the long run!
When my step-son (who's 23) was in elementary school, they didn't play tug-of-war, it was tug-of-peace. I was dumbfounded! What the heck is "tug-of-peace"????
We have raised a generation of people who expect rewards and acclaim for simply showing up. I don't think we should tear our children down, but constructive criticism is a good thing. We should learn to use it.
Oh, I definitely agree. We've created a generation of people who think they should get an award for "participation" in everything they do. I'm all for building self-esteem, but it's better to encourage the behaviors we want, rather than just praise everyone for everything all the time.
I went to work today. I didn't do much, but I went. Do I get a trophy?
You said it!
I agree... with all of what you said. And I have 4 children. We learn much more from our mistakes and the feedback that we may receive for them.
This is breeding that sense of entitlement that I, being in HR, see coming into the workforce. We get these younger employees that are upset because they weren't praised and rewarded for doing what they were paid to do.
And when my Kindergartener "graduated" to 1st grade, they didn't have a gratuation ceremony, they "celebrated each child's uniqueness" (because not all of them were gratuating. One child even receive a "best hugger" award!
~ AquarianJwl
I couldn't agree more. I was a teacher. They taught us in college to correct using ink in any color other than red. Red seems more damaging. Give me a break.
Our current "anything goes" society has been alive and well for generations past. It is easy for people to jump on the "anything goes" bandwagon because it requires no discipline on their part. Cause and effect waits for no one. Placating just primes the pump for the future undisciplined "prima donnas" of the world. We should never fear to do what is right and respectful in the face of our "anything goes" society.
Deb - I think you are right!!!
..
Oh wait.
What?
:P
Seriously I agree 110%!
Right on, Deb!
I agree with you 110%. That is why I haven't enrolled lil'D in soccer. I think it is ridiculous to have every kid win a trophy. In my day the team that won the tournament won the trophy. We teach him that he doesn't always win and that that's okay. It teaches him humility and acceptance. I believe if we let kids think they are always winners at everything, when life throws those curve balls, they will have no clue how to deal with it. It could be devastating to their psyches. Lil' D will do individual sports, like tennis and golf. We will have him try out for a swim team to have the team aspect of a sport, but for right now they don't do that trophy buying stuff. The world has gotten too politically correct, and everyone needs to be pleased, happy, and get what they want when they want it. It is a dangerous cycle. Sorry for my rantings. Take care.
-Kiki
Lots of bad behavior these days. I suspect we will see more and more of it. I get very annoyed with the 'everybody wins' mess because one day those children will realize it is a lie and not know how to handle it, as we are seeing in the public arena.
Great post. Future generations need to grow up learning that life ISN'T fair and they won't always get everything they want or think they deserve. I think an inappropriate sense of entitlement is one thing that really irks me more than most. I'm glad your daughter even at her young age knows the difference. Good for her, and for you too!
Oh, so that's the undoing of kids these days - I had no idea it was all "everyone's a winner" out there. Though I am looking forward to my "finishers" medal on Sunday :-)
I like to see what I did wrong then I could fix or correct it. If someone just wrote a grade with nothing on it like a paper I wrote then I would have not been able to improve myself.
Excellent Post. Let me say that again. Excellent Post. My husband and I just had this conversation today regarding our daughter, a senior in high school. She informed us that because she has a MATH disability she will be given special consideration on college entrance requirements. WTF? Now this is our daughter but we are both of the same mind. NO. NO. NO. We do not use our disabilities to further ourselves. We rise ABOVE them. We IMPROVE ourselves and we do not accept "special" consideration .. BTW - she does not have a disability, she gets C's in math. No math genius.. but how many of us are?
Sorry for the rant. I'm just mad that people outside of this home have decided to teach my children to coast....
I agree. This kind of philosophy gets under my skin!
Absolutely brilliant post... I wonder if there's any way you could submit it to a local newspaper? It needs and deserves to be shouted from the rooftops, most pointedly from the school administrator's office.
All in all, I can understand why the homeschooling movement is growing. I've thought about it long and hard, myself.
~April Belle
Instant gratification! I'm usually not showin' my serious side but don't get me started. Children do not have to wait for birthdays or holidays to receive their "toys."
They are not taught to write thank-you notes or hold a door for someone. They are not disciplined for fear of being reported to social services. I'm retired education and this crazy world would be a better place if we improved on our parenting skills once again.
OK I'm over it. Ya'll have a wonderfully rewarding weekend!!!
I'm all for humility. I'm the very best person at being humble. I am so humble, it makes everyone else looks like squabbling babies. (hee hee)
That's just ridiculous - giving them all a trophy. Very unBelgian, if I may add.
I agree! The sense of entitlement some people carry around with them, and the manner in which they exercise their "rights" are absolutely apprehensible!
Once again, I wholeheartedly agree with you (that happens a lot!).
Can you send this to The Times? Pretty please? You know they are taking "time out" away from many preschools, too? They don't want kids to feel left out. Um, for safety or sanity, sometimes kids need a time out. It's getting silly.
what a great post. I realized this myself today when my daughter got an A+ on her first spelling test today. She's in grade one. Can barely remember the names of the letters she's supposed to be writing and got an A+. While I'm happy she's being encouraged on the other hand I pretty much figured they must have all gotten A+s. I liked the good ol A, B, C, F, system. This whole meeting standards, below whatever is irritating.
Amen! This practice of unsubstantiated praise for kids has bothered me ever since my kids ventured beyond my front door. Empty praise is NOT good for kids. Earning praise is what gives kids self-esteem. Our society's whole method of parenting is upside down. And we've created a generation of entitled, spoiled and self-serving people. It's not pretty.
oh wow..this was exactly what i was worrying about today!!
very well written..after my heart
thank you
shraddha
Rock on, lady. Every week I dust one of those damned trophies off. Same coach who doled out the trophies forgot to thank my kid for her gift of a team photo to him. Not a gift to last the ages, but a gift from the heart.
Kids know it's ok to win and lose. And they want to know how the teacher got the answer. They want it to make sense some how.
You are so right.
I totally agree and am impressed that your daughter picked up on it.
I posted about this a while ago - and no one seemed to feel like I did. Happy to see that there ARE other people that feel the same way.
Suck it up, kiddos. That's life.
Amen! I often wonder what my grandmother would think of many of the young people today. In just 3 short generations we lost so much! Thanks for being awareness into the light.
I'm sooooo with you on this. It's insane. Awards, "graduations", pats on the back-- all for minor, everyday things a kid is suposed to do so they learn. Yep, we've created the ME Generation. Ugh.
xo
Yes I agree. When I was a kid we got trophies every year for baseball. The winning team got an extra big trophy. I've read some excellent articles on why my generation is the most narcissistic to ever grace the planet. it's the oprah thing gone too far.
Very fine post.
spot on. fabulous post.
Earning something by working at it fulfills a basic human need and desire - without it, that sense goes unsatisfied, and you feel lost.
Why do you think so many people worry about the little things these days - get your a$$ out in the field and plow for Pete's sake (metaphorically speaking of course, unless you really are a farmer)! When your muscles ache and your hands bleed, we'll see how caught up you get in whether or not your iPod is newer than your best friends.
Sorry. At least I know there are 83 other parents who see how ridiculous empty praise can be.
Excellent!! And a post I've been meaning to write for a very long time. Yours is way better though - NOT empty praise :-)
I absolutely could not agree with you more.
Right on! Praise should be for work that is well done, not for any work.
For cryin' out loud. If they are so against red pen, you'd think they could at least correct the errors in green or purple. Feedback does wonders, positive or negative.
Sooo sad but true. Oh the box of meaningless trophies my son has. And oh the adults we are creating with this nonsense!
***Ally
:applauds: What good points. My daugh once received an award in softball for having the most jewlery, hair pretty's to turn in before each game. hmm.
Oh, Debbie, girl, sing it loud!!!!! I wish I had written this excellent post. You have mirrored my thoughts so well.
::standing and applauding::
You, my friend, are 100% correct.
Thanks for the comment and very well said. It is one thing to compliment children but quite another to go overboard and inflict selfishness and egoism.
This hit home more than you know today Deb. Connects to my life and family goings on...
Sidebar - my son cleaned out his room this week and transformed it from teen boy to young adult male. He asked me to put away all his "trophies." He kept his martial arts medals inhis room. When I aksed hime why, he was able to recall each one and the match he won to recieve it. The entire sturggle. Especially the silver one and how getting second really made him practice harder that year.
All teh soccer and baseball trophies he received just for playing - he siad "store them if you want - but they don't represent much except I was on a team. One baseball team we were the worst in the league and won only one game - still got a trophy."
Well said, Debbie!
Agreed.
I have a cousin who moved to a different state and is a teacher of 7th graders.
She is in a school district that is SO different the one here. The kids get to bring in "coffee" or their beverage of choice to have durring the morning. They chew gum in class, they have "social time" set between classes?!?
Now don't get me wrong I would have LOVED all these things in school. But I am thankful for the strict schedule, the rules, and guidlines.
I don't have children in sports yet. My daughter (3yrs) just started tumbling last week. So I am not excited if every time she participates she gets a cluttering statue.
I want my children to succeed. But at the same time a few stumbles and red pen marks would do them some good.
I vote we bring back the red pens. Lord knows I had more red on my papers then any other color. If not red, how bout orange? Pink? Purple?
Queen of Feisty
I can't stand this "everybody is a winner" crap. It is raising these kids to be big lazy whiners!! Then, you are right, they don't know how to take any kind of rejection... like when they don't get the job they apply for , or get into the college they wanted to get into. Come on people, let them grown up and learn about disappointment early, so they can get used to it! :-)
Yes, yes & yes!
You have such a wise old soul, in that NOT old body..all I can say is...
AMEN!
amen sister! My 2nd son played rec ball and then was on all-stars for 6 yrs. You can imagine the trophies and stuff around here since he got trophies "just because"!!!1
I homeschool....I love my red pen!
Friends think I'm too hard on my kids...I don't "let" them win when we play a game...imagine their satisfaction when they beat me fair and square!
Thanks for stopping by the jungle today!
Thanks for the visit...don't hold your breath on those pumpkins. ;) Might not get around to them until NEXT Fall! ;)
Amen and amen to everything you've written here. I want my girls to grow up and know that they have to WORK for things to happen, that they won't have everything handed to them. I think there are a lot of things in our country that are explained away as "rights" when they are really things that should be attained by hard work and good ethics....just my two cents. ;)
I found this phenomenon strange myself during my sons first few seasons of baseball. They kept no score. No win no loss. Everyone got a trophy. How did he know if he was doing well or not. What is wrong with the old way?
Loved this, my dear! Totally agree! Kids these days have absolutely no respect for anyone, as they think that they know everything!
oh I agree with this 100%! I cannot stand it when teachers do not write on the paper as it works much better to know what one did wrong!! And the trophies? Um, the excitement lasts a week. Totally not worth $10 in my opinion.
Geez, how is anyone supposed to learn anything or grow?
Totally agree with you. Totally. I'm curious as to the incident with the performer ripping the mike out of someone's hand...what programme was that? x
You are so wise, and you put things so well, and where on earth do you find these photos? They are priceless!
xoxox
Hey, Im new, sorta...just lurked for a while. This post hit a nerve... have to leave a comment.
I buy supplies for our K-9 public school (it's my job) and we hired a new teacher this year. We have always stocked up on red pens for teachers (correcting pens) but when she put in her request for purple pens, purple dry erase markers, and purple correcting pencils for the students to use, of course, I had to ask.
Her answer was that her "training" has taught that red hurts a child's self esteem and that by correcting their work in red, they will feel less likely to succeed. I choked on my spit and laughed right up in her grill. I informed her that at our school, no matter how ill "trained" we may be, we will use red, like teachers have done for generations. I also told her that when my child makes a mistake I want her to use a red SHARPIE and write "YOU STUPIDASS! DON"T YOU KNOW ANYTHING?".
I shook her to her core. I don't think she will last long.
As far as trophies...as Team mom, I get to explain to parents why we don't have trophies each and every season. Ridiculous!
Thanks for listening, that is all
How right you are SITSta! I keep trying to figure out how to be decidedly counter cultural in this way! Thanks for stopping by my blog too :)
absolutely!
npr ran a story a while ago on a generation of A+!SuperStar kids graduating into the employment sector and becoming the worst employees ever, wanting high praise for basic job performance. aahh!
it's a whole culture of entitlement...and it runs so deep.
What a perfect post. I have a little preschooler in my classroom who, at 4, freaks out if she doesn't do something exactly right. Her mother has been on her case about coloring outside the lines, cutting off the line, etc. It's so sad to watch!
I agree with you on this ... except about the soccer trophies. My son played soccer last year and they got one at the end of the season and he was just so amazed and just loved it. It was worth it just to see that. : )
Oh, Mama. Why can't everyone be more like you???
BBJ starts Joy School today. Now, I know there aren't grades for "joy" but...I hope she doesn't get too used to it. ;-)
Great post! I don't have children, but am a teacher and am horrified when I see this trophy business. These parents pony up 10 bucks for a piece of crap they'll be telling their kid to throw out in 5 years. And I mark papers in all sorts of colors and write, "I know you can do better" if I think they can.
What a great post. Totally made me think. I JUST Loved it.
This is an awesome post, and I couldn't agree more! Very well said!
Yes, it's called humility. You are right. It's also a lack of respect. Which goes hand-in-hand with humility.
I don't have words for how much I agree with this post!
Amen to that!
I'm so happy you wrote about this! It really amazes me every time a coach or teacher declares 'everyone's a winner'! WHAT???!!!
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