[Kamikaze] Parental Precepts
by Kamikaze
April 9, 2008
It's 2008. Do you know where your kids are? Better yet, do you know what they're plotting behind those closed bedroom doors, between cell phone texts and e-mails on MySpace or Facebook? Do you really "know'' what they're doing? Know this. When a 15-year-old is shot down on a street corner at 2 a.m. or three 10-year-olds are accused of hatching a plot to kill a teacher, something has gone wrong in the matrix.
As a parent, I know that there's nothing new under the sun. As a rapper, I realize that kids today are exposed to a lot more things a lot faster than even my contemporaries have been. In this new age of technology, cell phones and personal computers make the lines of communication reach much farther, much faster. I've long held the opinion that they have hastened the maturing process for our kids while stretching the learning curve for parents. Sure, you feel safer if your kids have instant access via a cell phone. And yes, PCs prevent you from taking time from the TV to help with that book report. But they also make your kids vulnerable to outside stimuli.
Our kids are exposed to sex, drugs and crime on a daily basis ... at school. No matter how good or how immune you think your child may be, they're friends with someone who has done one, or all three. Deal with it. From Jackson Academy to Jim Hill, no school exists in a bubble. You can either prepare your kids for the real world, or you can give your teen the G-rated version of an R-rated story. Denial is a killer. Literally.
Folks, there are 16-year-olds making thousands of dollars a night selling dope all over this city. They leave the corner just in time to make their first class. There's a 15-year-old in the burbs popping pills before soccer practice. There's a 14-year-old girl who looks like she's 21, dating someone twice her age. All this under the seemingly watchful eye of adults. Do we dismiss it, or do we acknowledge that there's a new breed of kid these days: one who is not necessarily smarter but much more brash.
Look, you don't magically get parenting skills just because you have kids. Hell, I still don't know what I'm doing sometimes. But you have to concede that it's hard work. Some parents are simply phoning it in. Listening (not judging), questioning strange behavior and a little snooping are all a part of the job. Privacy for your kid only goes so far, so don't believe their hype. You're disappointed by kids today? I'm disappointed by some of the parents and guardians I see. A colleague who works for Jackson Public Schools told me recently, "When the kids leave school at 3, the parents should be coming in at 4,'' and I fully concur. Maybe then you'd know if your son is out selling drugs in the wee hours. Or maybe it would raise a red flag if you see your youngest stuffing rope and duct tape in his backpack with the intent to tie up and kill his third-grade teacher. (Seriously, check those backpacks).
It's not easy being a parent. It's a selfless job. It's a lot harder being a kid today, though. Stop trying to be the cool mom or dad and be the parent that your kids "hate." They'll love you for it in the long run.
And that's the truth … sho-nuff.
© Jackson Free Press, Inc.
