Tuesday, February 01, 2011

What Snow Days Prove

I'm looking out across the snow covered lake right now as Winter Storm Ella has begun to drop a new layer. Today is the fifth snow day of the year, and tomorrow looks like it will be the sixth. Watching the news reminds meof what snow days prove about education. One parent interviewed about all the time her child has spent at home this winter complained about what her child is missing out on at school. She lamented that her child would be playing video games all day.
Here are three things that snow days prove:
1. Parents believe education is the responsibility of the school system.

2. Parents get annoyed when teachers are not available to babysit their child.

3. Routines are necessary for children.

5 Comments:

At 6:01 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'd wager to say that if the kid is spending all day playing video games on a snow day, then that's probably their normal post-school routine anyway. Most parents (in my experience and opinion) are not used to taking an active role in the education of their kids - the snow days are just more evidence of the trend.

 
At 6:20 AM , Blogger Mandy said...

Yes. I think you're right. I read the Laura Ingalls Wilder series over again a couple years ago. Laura and her sisters went to school when they could. When they couldn't, they did their lessons at home. It would really help our country and our teachers and our world if parents were reminded in a big way that not all of their kids' education needs to take place at school. Parents are losing the ability and motivation to parent. Each generation seems to be less parented than the previous. Some say it is a cycle and eventually a generation of responsible parents will arise. I think kids need to be taught how to parent by their parents, and if parents aren't parenting, their kids won't learn how to parent.

 
At 6:20 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think our whole society is a little at a loss for what to do when a big non-emergency "emergency" blows through. I wonder why people can't just enjoy the break offered by an act of God that kills the electricity and slows us down. Where is the sense of wonder? People should be awed at several feet of snow. This does not include my mother, who is in her 80s, might break a hip, and should stay indoors.

 
At 8:27 AM , Blogger bobjnm said...

We're on our 3rd "snow day" in a row. It's clear, sunny, and 18 degrees outside with clean, dry roads. Yesterday, it was about the cold, not snow. Today, it's about natural gas. We have a shortage (?!?) right now. There are cities and towns in our state with none. Last night, the governor shut down all public schools and state offices to conserve. I don't know about the kids, but I'm ready to get back.

 
At 5:16 PM , Blogger Jenna said...

4. Parents cannot be bothered to parent.

Seriously, all video games/TV/Computers/Cell Phones/etc. are equiped with off buttons. If you don't want your child to play video games all day, push the button and turn it off.

 

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