Raising a generation of mediocrity

Today I read a news article about a 2 year old in Canada who was "suspended" from her daycare center because she violated the "no outside food" rule.  First of all, why the hell have we allowed ANY daycare center or school dictate what our children eat?  Okay okay - the full story here.  The daycare center apparently have a "no outside food" rule due to the possibility of children having food allergies.  Okay, I get that.  But to "suspend" a 2 year old because she wasn't able to finish eating a cheese sandwich and without her father knowing, stuck said sandwich in her pocket and took it into the school.  The school found the sandwich and advised the father that she would be suspended for 3 days because they violated the rule for which there is no tolerance. 

Then there is the situation that happened with a friend of mine's daughter who got in trouble for hugging a classmate.  Then the next week, she "shared" a snack with another classmate and was made to write a note to her parents telling them she was "bad" for sharing.  Are you f*#king kidding me?

It is bad enough that teachers and administrators at our public schools only give a shit about themselves and don't really give a rat's ass about what the parents have to deal with on a daily basis.  We have allowed our public school system and daycare centers become too "politically correct". We have allowed them to punish the good kids while allowing the bad kids to get away with breaking the rules. 

We are raising a generation of mediocrity.  Our children (mine included) are coddled and babied.  They are "protected" from the real world.  They can't think for themselves.  When it comes to academics their teachers only know how to teach to a test and anything that is not on that test is forgotten.  We have allowed out public school system to remove cursive handwriting from the curriculum.  We have allowed them to discontinue teaching our children things that challenge them to be better.  But is it all the public school systems fault?  No, not really.  As a parent it my fault too.  I have become over-involved in my career and not involved enough in my child's education and now that she is in middle school and halfway through her formal education, I fear that I might be too late to step in and fix all that has been broken. 

As a parent, I have allowed this to happen because I am the bread winner of my family.  I have to work 40+ hours a week to make sure we keep a roof over our head, gas in the car so that I can put food in my child's belly and keep clothes on her back.  I have fallen into the trap that so many other parents have fallen into.  Not because we wanted to, but because we HAD to and because of that, we are raising a generation of children who don't realize that they have to work hard for everything they need & want in life.  

The sad thing is that no one is stepping up and saying anything about it.  This bullshit of standardized testing has ruined our education system and it's getting worse.  But we continue to go with the flow - I mean why not?  Nothing we do or say is going to change "their" minds.  Growing up, it was instilled in me that I have to study, do my homework, go to school everyday and respect my teachers.  And I did well in school.  I made good grades and graduated in the top 7% of my graduating class with a GPA of 3.8.  I attended college with the help of an academic scholarship that was awarded to me by my high school alumni association.  I did okay in college....and would have done better if I had been just a little more serious about it.  And I often times think that I would love to go back to school and get a better degree - like in law or politics.  But then I think, I have a child to send to college.  I can't go back to school.  My daughter will be graduating from high school is 6 short years.  And you know what - she isn't anywhere close to being prepared.  That is my failure as a parent.  

Mediocrity: The quality or state of being mediocre.  Mediocre: of moderate quality, below average to average.  I hate to say this but it's all our fault.  We have allowed our elected officials pass laws that do nothing but harm our children's education.  We have sat back and watched while our teachers have given up and they no longer provide the same quality education that we received as children.  The kids worry about "core curriculum" (whatever the hell that really is) and they stress over tests that if they don't pass, they are labeled failures.  We have taken away the ability for our children to learn about good sportsmanship and team work by allowing every child to participate in little league and get a "participation trophy" because we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.  

I wish I could start a movement.  The kind of movement where other parents who were raised like I was stand up against the system and demand change.  I don't even know where to begin.  I am that mother that teachers and principals don't want to come in contact with because I can be a bit crazy at times.  But I am also my child's only advocate for what I feel is right and just treatment.  

Are we going to continue to allow our child to just learn enough "to pass a test"?  Or are we going to demand that our children do and know more.  Are we going to insist that our children be challenged into pushing themselves to take personal responsibility and strive for greatness?