Some Rules Kids Won't Learn in School
Unfortunately there are some things that children should be learning in school, but don't. Not all of them have to do with academics. As a modest back-to-school offering, here are some basic rules that may not have found their way into the standard curriculum.
Rule #1. Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teenager uses the phrase "it's not fair" 8.6 times a day. You got it from your parents, who said it so often you decided they must be the most idealistic generation ever. When they started hearing it from their own kids, They realized Rule #1.

Rule #2. The real world won't care as much about your self-esteem as your school does. It'll expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. This may come as a shock. Usually, when inflated self-esteem meets reality, kids complain that it's not fair. (See Rule No. 1)

Rule #3. Sorry, you won't make $40,000 a year right out of high school. And you won't be a vice president or have a car phone either. You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn't have a Gap label.

Rule #4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait 'till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure, so he tends to be a bit edgier. When you screw up, he is not going ask you how feel about it.

Rule #5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity. They weren't embarrassed making minimum wage either. They would have been embarrassed to sit around talking about Kurt Cobain all weekend.

Rule #6. It's not your parents' fault. If you screw up, you are responsible. This is the flip side of "It's my life," and "You're not the boss of me," and other eloquent proclamations of your generation. When you turn 18, it's on your dime. Don't whine about it or you'll sound like a baby boomer.

Rule #7. Before you were born your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way paying your bills, cleaning up your room and listening to you tell them how idealistic you are. And by the way, before you save the rain forest from the blood-sucking parasites of your parents' generation try delousing the closet in your bedroom.

Rule #8. Life is not divided into semesters, and you don't get summers off. Nor even Easter break. They expect you to show up every day. For eight hours. And you don't get a new life every 10 weeks. It just goes on and on.

Rule #9. Television is not real life. Your life is not a sitcom. Your problems will not all be solved in 30 minutes, minus time for commercials. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop to go to jobs. Your friends will not be perky or as polite as Jennifer Aniston.

Rule #10. Be nice to nerds. You may end up working for them. We all could.

Rule #11. Enjoy this while you can. Sure, parents are a pain, school's a bother, and life is depressing. But someday you'll realize how wonderful it was to be kid. Maybe you should start now.

- From a college graduation speech by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.




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Avast There mates..make yer way here and drop yer anchor. We'll swap some lies and have a Black Jack o' ale.
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Thanks for sharing that Arvon!! That is so stinkin true. I notice that sort of attitude from my younger people that I supervise. Like I owe them something. In younger, I mean 19 years old. I usually hear "its nice outside, you should let us go home."

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"I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."
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Every bit of that is true, and the cycle keeps repeating.
Sometimes, I wish life was as easy as running an RPG...
maybe that is why I play so much!

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Padre de una niña bien traviosa pero guapa
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Aisukuríimu ga tabetái desu.

Good points Arvon, there are many people my age who still think in these terms. Fortunately, I'm not one of them http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...miles/wink.gif

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Ciao!

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You are right Arvon. School cannot teach you everything.

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Do you people think that, being a Mum aware that my son will probably turn that way when a bit older (he is 10 now), if I start now telling him the counter sentences above, I stand a chance of succeding in hammering this in his head before it's too late ? Or is it hopeless no matter what ? http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...iles/smile.gif

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The world is my oyster !

Quite correct! I know most people have trouble with the transition from school to "real life". However, I think the "pampering a student's self-esteem" is something that will only be found in the US... although I am sure no teachers will tell a student "You're useless" here.
The rest holds true, as well.
I hope I will not have many problems...

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Good point's that I tell my daughter when she complains about
cleaning her room. I only say them differently. Thanks for
the humor Arvon

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It will help in the LONG run Moiraine http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...iles/smile.gif but once they hit the puberty thing, you just have to work on sheer repitition http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...iles/smile.gif Saw a study on the Learning Channel showing the chemical activity in teens going through puberty...It seems the chemical balances and reactions closely resemble those people classified as MAD! mad, mad I tell you, they are all mad...errr ahem http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...iles/smile.gif you get the point http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...iles/smile.gif

My son Just turned 11 http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...iles/smile.gif fortunately for me my daughter is still daddys lil girl at 8 http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...iles/smile.gif

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Good ones http://www.ironworksforum.com/ubb/no...iles/smile.gif

and all too true heh