An update on the brewing kid/drug controversy:
Hehe, yeah, I wanted that to sound like a news intro, but it didn't so who cares? Any way, here's the latest. Tim is over talking to Justin about the latest crap that he's getting himself into. JoAnn decided that she wasn't going to toss Justin out, yet. And apparently the underlying problem is that Justin goes to public schools.
Okay, so that's the basics. You didn't think you'd get away without my editorial comments now, did you? Public schools are the problem. That was what Tim told me last night. If not the big problem, they aren't helping. Funny, there are a lot of kids that go to public schools, but not all of them are in trouble, doing drugs, dropping out, etc. If the schools are the problem, shouldn't it affect a lot more kids? Don't get me wrong, the public school systems could use some serious work. And some hefty budget increases. But hasn't that always been the case? I really don't believe that the schools are causing Justin to smoke marijuana. I think that the blame here lies with the kid. He made the choice, but he's not willing to accept the responsibility for that choice. Why? Because his parents made some really bad decisions when they were raising him. No, they weren't/aren't bad parents, but I really question a lot of their choices. This practice (and yes, since it happens all the time, I consider it a "practice" if not a mode of operation) of doling out a punishment and they rescinding it, is not helping. And they wonder why Justin doesn't listen to them or follow the rules. Maybe because he figured out eons ago that if he breaks the rules there aren't going to be any consequences? Huh, whodathunkit? I'm really afraid for Justin. He's got a lot of issues that he is unwilling, or maybe unable, to address. He's overweight and it bothers him badly. His solution: watch tv and eat more junk food. Then get high and get the munchies. He is getting bad grades in school and is now taking summer school classes. Why? Because the class doesn't interest him. He doesn't think that English/Literature classes are important because he wants to go to a fine arts school to do drama and scene building type of stuff. What? How on earth can you perform a play if you don't have a clue about literature? Doesn't make sense to me. I mean, wasn't Shakespeare a playwright?
What it all boils down to is that he's a typical teenager who knows it all, however he wasn't given the tools to deal with it. He doesn't know any self-discipline because the rules that he grew up with were never enforced, so he doesn't feel like there will ever be any consequences. He's argumentative and can be downright nasty to his parents, mainly because he's never learned to respect them. Why respect someone who you know will bend to your every whim? Frankly, this kid could have used a serious spanking. Or boot camp. Or a few days in jail. Harsh? Yeah, it is. But at this stage, I don't think taking his tv away or grounding him for a week is going to make any difference whatsoever. GAH! I'm so frustrated and furious right now. Okay, that's enough. Time to hop in the shower to cool off.
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