This Got Me Thinking...

[DL_DB]

I know I'm going to receive a lot of flack for this comment, but I'm willing to take it to voice my opinion.

Gender roles exist for a reason.

There, I've said it.

Men and women are different. Personally I think the best people for certain jobs, like firefighters, police officers, construction workers, etc, should be six and a half feet tall and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. A good female friend of mine is a firefighter, and even though she's in great shape, she struggles with some of the physical aspects of the job. She's only 5'6" tall, and simply does not have the muscle mass to pull a charge 2.5" line up a flight of stairs as easily as some of her male counterparts can.

Women come preprogrammed to do certain other jobs better. One reason why women secretaries (administrative assistants, sorry) are still prevalent is because of their ability to multitask, something which most men lack to ability to do. You can point a man at a job and he'll give it his entire focus, but it often takes a woman to coordinate all the small tasks that make the job possible in the first place. This is one reason women are great at child rearing.

So maybe the reason people feel more comfortable with women taking care of their young children is because we're coded to believe they should. We see men taking care of children and something inside us rebels at the thought, not necessarily that we think they're a pedophile, but we just have an innate sense of wrongness.

[pampers212]

I don't think that Danish law is going to protect kids . if somebody want to abuse children they will find a way

Good point. Laws never guarantee protection of the innocent, they just provide the possibility of justice when someone is hurt.

[sarah_ab]

so in the past three years there have been more than 5 cases in the usa of FEMALE teachers have sex with underage male students.

just thought i'd point that out.

its not that women cannot be, and are not, sex offenders, its just until recently it has never truely been recognized by the justice system as being as widespread as it is!

[Vermino]

so in the past three years there have been more than 5 cases in the usa of FEMALE teachers have sex with underage male students.

just thought i'd point that out.

its not that women cannot be, and are not, sex offenders, its just until recently it has never truely been recognized by the justice system as being as widespread as it is!

well for my first reply i was gonna put in the clip of South Park with Miss Stevenson having sex with Ike but I couldn't find one (sighs).

[Yvhuce]

It's part of the double standard... Generally when it's a woman teacher, it's considered something of a rite of passage for the boys who she seduces... If it's a guy, break out the shotgun, cause someone's goinna die...

[babykeiff]

It is a lot worse than people here are referring to.

The discrimination laws, that exist to enforce equal rights, place the rights of a child ahead of everything. This, in my opinion, has lead to many problems which society has to face. I will quote an example -

A child, of two normal average parents, is placed in kindergarten, while the parents work. Six days a week, the child's exposure and teachings is based on the clinical environment of the kindergarten, where it is illegal to chastise or correct the child lest s/he feel inferior. Its own parents cannot correct or teach the child since the child is asleep, or being put asleep when it is in their care. (Average working day 8-5, child is up at 7am, placed in kindergarten by 8am, collected at 5.30pm, and in bed after a meal and bath by 7.30-8pm).

The child gets older, and is placed in the public schooling system, where the teachers etc don't have the authority to correct or chastise the child. Parents are still working 6 days a week, and only have exposure to the child between the hours of 7-8am, and 5-9pm. Between the time the child leaves school, and the parents arrive home, the child is in after school care.

The child reaches 18 years of age, and no-one has corrected him/her or taught him/her the difference between right and wrong. He commits a crime, and it is now the burden of the overstretched legal system, to try and correct 18 years of mistakes.

Does anyone see the problem, - and it exists TODAY, where the rights of a child outweighs to needs of the child, and outweighs the rights of everyone the child depends on to teach him/her?????

Yes, there are problems with SOME people, and their interaction with children. The problem in society is with ourselves, and how willing we are to put ourselves on the line in order to help our fellow man (and woman). Genetics states that we are all related, yet still, we can't even get on with our own family, never mind our neighbours. Talk itself is extremely cheap, yet we 'fall out' or spend years arguing with a family member due to something they said or believe in. LIVE AND LET LIVE - please. We are not children, and do not have to fight each other to survive. The year is 2010, where there is plenty of money, food, water and energy for everyone IF we work together, yet some people (even a few here) take pleasure in extremely childish pursuits - I am talking about doing things, or behaving in certain ways deliberately to antagonise others. Please remember, we all share this planet, and hopefully, after we are ashes, the planet will exist for our offspring to share.

[Yvhuce]

Schools take 5 days a week, not 6. Also, that's a supreme argument against year-round schooling. Typically, the summer vacation is when the kid gets to spend more time with family. If not parents, then usually with grandparents, great grandparents, or an aunt and/or uncle while the folks are at work.

Also, preschool and kindergarten are not full-day schools. They last half a normal school day. So, the kids have to have someone watching them and presumably making them learn to behave themselves. By the time a person reaches 18, unless they've got some sort of mental problems, they should be fully capable of knowing the difference in right and wrong, even with minimal or no parental interaction. Part of the problem with society is that they don't want to hold the individual accountable for their own choices and actions...

[sarah_ab]

Schools take 5 days a week, not 6. Also, that's a supreme argument against year-round schooling.

Also, preschool and kindergarten are not full-day schools. They last half a normal school day.

some schools end up going six days to make up for lost days during a very bad winter, its either go six days or they are in school until mid july

many schools do year round education, 8 weeks of school 2 weeks off etc...

many preschools and kindergartens are full day, in maine there is ONLY full day kindergarten, and lots of preschools double as day care and so they do preschool activities all day.

just wanted to correct these misconcepts..

also in some states it is not mandatory that a chid attend either preschool or kindergarten.

[babykeiff]

The point I was making, which some have tried to circumvent, is that the parents, the people who are supposed to be responsible for child care etc, are working SIX days a week. They are in work from 8-9am till 6-7pm, and the child / children who are supposed to be 'cared for and taught by said parents, are pawned off to some kindergarten / day care until the parents come home from work - and the little time the parents that they spend with their charge is NOT enough.

Simply - Raising children is a full time, seven day a week task, not something that is only done on the week-ends / evenings.

[ErinM]

Simply - Raising children is a full time, seven day a week task, not something that is only done on the week-ends / evenings.

So what are you suggesting, parents should quit their jobs and spend every waking moment with their kids and just look to the .gov to pay for everything?

[timmyc]

So what are you suggesting, parents should quit their jobs and spend every waking moment with their kids and just look to the .gov to pay for everything?

My dad, brought home the bacon, and my mom raised the children. My mom did not work short of part time Avon sales until all three children were in school full time.

[Yvhuce]

some schools end up going six days to make up for lost days during a very bad winter, its either go six days or they are in school until mid july

many schools do year round education, 8 weeks of school 2 weeks off etc...

many preschools and kindergartens are full day, in maine there is ONLY full day kindergarten, and lots of preschools double as day care and so they do preschool activities all day.

just wanted to correct these misconcepts..

also in some states it is not mandatory that a chid attend either preschool or kindergarten.

Not misconcepts. Just the way it is around here. Our school system extends the school year if more than the allowed snow days are missed. And it's usually very rare for them to award snow days, except when its so bad that the buses can't run (which itself is a rare occurrence). Either that, or they take it out of spring break. Preschool isn't a requirement, here. But Kindergarten is.

[sarah_ab]

sooooo yes back in the day when gas was 25 cents a gallon and women only went to college to meet a husband and then drop out, it was quite natural for the man to work and the woman to raise the children.

course back in the day women couldn't vote, couldn't take birth control, couldn't buy a car or own a house without a male cosigner and couldn't get many jobs other than secretary, nurse, teacher...

welcome to 2010, where it is nearly impossible to provide for a child on just one parent's salary. And yes of course we all know examples where it is done... but the vast majority of people need two incomes in order to provide for their children in such a manner as to garuntee all their needs are met, both physical and emotional.

course, no one has mentioned how the uber rich would barely even see their children, leaving them to be raised by nannies, maids, and in boarding schools.

i guess criticism for not spending time with your child is only held for those in the lower classes.

[Yvhuce]

That's another problem with our society: It has a tendency to raise the rich to "above the law" status and vilify the poor. It could use a good tear down, cleanup, and re-build...

[Guest Wetnmessy247]

The automatic assumptions involved with the relation of men and children no matter the situation are a necessary evil.

Not all males are pedophiles. A very small percentage of men are involved in sex related crimes or thoughts, and an even smaller percentage in that category are involved with children.

It's a necessary evil to assume because it's an assumption that if you did not take with your children, then if it so happened to be the guy WAS a pedophile, it would partly be your responsibility. ALways consider who you are leaving your kids with.

Please don't turn this post on me. I'm being serious here.

[Vermino]

(I really tried to stay out of this topic after i made my peace, especially when people are talking about "our era")

Everyone has their different ways of raising children.

- You could say F the job, stay at home and raise the kids. But (in honestly) what can you pass down for enlightenment to your children? I guess you could teach your beliefs and experiences, or maybe a trade you learned (like I'm a computer guru) But the teaching stops at the bounds of your brain - where another could bring more wisdom to a growing mind.

- You could grind your ass through your job getting piles of work done year after year to financially set your family for life. But have never even played catch with your son or talked about boys with your daughter, because they were being raised by strangers you hired to keep them busy while you bust ass at work. They might become the next Einstein but their personality and beliefs could be something you would of NEVER wanted to teach them.

When it comes down to it, we still do everything we can for our children - I don't care if your believe in "a parent should be with their child all day" because you restrict them from what they could learn in the world. And if your a workaholic and you can't even talk to your children about the birds & and the bees, you and your kid need to take a day off from school & work and just hang out - Just because you think your doing the right thing in the long road, they need you there NOW - not later.

Don't blame this on how technology and this day in age is the reason why most kids are screwed up or pedo's happen. You think Roman men were with their children all the time? The wives took them and come on, no mom should have to deal with a child 24 hours a day by themselves - which is why daycare was created. So I don't see how this era could be the reason, it's just news is instantaneous now - so when something happens, we are watching it live from our home. *starts to bang the nail in the coffin*

All I'm saying is your children need a father and mother figure - but they also need a crowd that will push them to new bounds. (teachers, mentors, friends) I was once told "surround yourself with successful people, and you will become successful" and I believe it.

I guess I'm a little off subject but in the end, if your going to have your children in daycare - yes, do a check up on the caretaker. If you don't know your children teacher's names then you aren't really involved in his/her life. If your a guy and looking to be a daycare taker, It's about how bad you want to be there. Yeah your gonna be jumping through hoops but get over it. Parents are going to ask you questions because their kids are going to look up at you as their mentor for the next 6 hours or so. A woman becoming a firefighter or joining the military usually get put through more of a test than a man because they are making sure when it's go time, they are able to handle that situation.

(i'm not bias either way. I believe in both sides, equal rights, checks and balances, etc etc) Parents just need to balance a little more with their children. I hope this gives a bit of inspiration to someone because I'm not trying to down anyone in their raising beliefs. (something that works for someone, may not work for another)

Well good luck to anyone that is trying to achieve their dream job (even if it's a daycare taker being a male) - molding young minds can be a satisfying feeling.

For the bad ones corrupting the innocent and the future generation of our society - (they don't have an emote for a knife killing a smiley)

[curiositykilledthecat]

I blame carebears

[BBB]

F care bears!

[babykeiff]

F care bears!

I agree... it is not carebears I blame... it is the stupid purple dino - Barney.

[ErinM]

I agree... it is not carebears I blame... it is the stupid purple dino - Barney.

Yes!!

Thank god I was too old for Barney when that show started.

I remember I was babysitting once and got stuck watching an episode. It was by far the most retarded show I had ever seen.

Now, there are a couple shows that have come out in the past few years that are just as bad, if not worse. The Wiggles(They're on crack, I swear) and Yo Gabba Gabba are two that come to mind.

[Yvhuce]

When I was a kid, we had cartoons like GI Joe to teach us not to do stuff like play around electrical lines or go swimming in a storm...

[PArms]

Thank god I was too old for Barney when that show started.

I was too old as well. In fact 10 years too old. But guess who has a sister 10 years younger!

Shimboree, Shimborah