If we truly want to help our young ones, we must first teach them to help themselves. Not help themselves to what they have not earned but help themselves to prosper.
If you go back to the 60's, 70's, 80's and maybe the 90's, what did we have, Kids who were shown how to be independent. How to cook a meal , how to boil a kettle, how to run a house. Mop and vacuum, mow the lawns. but today I wonder how many can do any of those tasks. Even one????
I have to wonder if the answer lies in early training within the family. If no family training exists it is up to the community or in some cases the military to do the job instead.
But ideally it starts young. Take my situation for example. I have a 4 year old neighbour who visits and likes to get the remote and automatically lift the bottom of the " special " bed. The little fellow jumps on my bed and messes up the bedspread .
I am 92 and I have a bed that raises up and down at the foot and the head - marvellous. And the little fellow loves it.
He then rolls down into the middle because he has already lifted the front too. What fun. He laughs his head off and repeats the performance. The remote comes out and he puts the bed to rights. Then it is time to move to the piano and have some music. But, before that, I say " not until we have tidied the bed up ", and he is on one side and I am on the other pulling the bedspread smooth again.
We had a big surprise the other day when he hopped off the bed and started to tidy the pretty bedspread without having to be reminded. That was
Lesson number 1
A young Grandson visits me and there are a pile of dishes, no dishwasher in my house. " Grab a tea towel" I said " and you can dry the dishes. "
Lesson number 2
He is very proficient now. So much so that when he went to a school camp a short time ago .. no dishwasher .. he gave lessons on how to do the job of hand washing and drying the dishes. No one else knew how to do the dishes !
Lesson number 3
He used to watch with interest in the making of a rice pudding, ( everyone loves a rice pudding. ) But how many know how to make it?
He is an expert now. He cooks all sorts of dishes, in fact from what I can gather he has a meal waiting for his mother when she comes home from work. The washing is all dry, kitchen bench all tidy, and table set. And, not even 15 until the end of the year.
Now we all know we could do those jobs probably around that same age. , we helped out with all household chores usually on Saturday morning before we went to some sport or footy . We had lawns to mow , vegetable garden to help remove weeds.... then we enjoyed our own free time. It seems today that if teenagers can find time to do homework it is a miracle because the internet and mobile phone takes most of the spare time .
It was Frank's idea to write a letter to the White House in 2017, asking for the honour to mow the White House lawn and "show the nation what young people like me are ready for." His Dad suggested Frank mow the lawn for free when Frank originally wanted to charge the president his "regular price" of $8
What a shame we don't have more kids like young Frank.
Is it because mothers are so busy today with work that when they come home they have no energy to say come on give me a hand. It is easier to not have the sulks and arguments and do it themselves. !!!!!
Is this another reason we have takeaways, cooked frozen meals from the supermarket. Pizza , that instead of a treat, it is the norm. Quick and easy .
Now we have a 20 year old who instead of laughing and enjoying the fact that he is featured in a cartoon is all upset.
Where is the sense of humour that young ones used to have , where is the sense of fun, there was a message in that cartoon. Look at what we used to have. Look now at what that lovely beach or forest used to look like and Now. Is it because they have lost the enjoyment of life because they only have managed one side of life and not the other side which is pulling their weight and doing their share. So terrified of global warming that they are willing to kill koalas to save the planet.
Maybe now is the time to get back to Redhead's Boot Camp. First of all no telephone to bury their noses in... TV, only when the days chores have been completed. Of course they may be too tired with the unexpected effort required that they might just fall into bed and sleep. They would learn to do dishes, no dish washer, Learn how to use a washing machine and to use the sun and the breeze to freshen and dry the used clothing. Maybe even realize you do change clothing every so often too. Then of course there is the cleaning of the bathrooms the kitchen, oh I nearly forgot the toilets too. I will leave you to imagine the rest.
Conversations next and reading material. Watch Conservative news instead of a quick look at the left wing activist propaganda . Oh the mind is starting to change already. I think by the time the first week was over , I would see a definite change, less deliberate baiting and rudeness , more laughter and helpful suggestions , more smiles and even a touch of happiness.
I honestly believe that at the end of the fortnight you would see very different teenagers to those who joined my Boot Camp . I believe that if the parents of these misinformed teens could get the courage to stand up and change the way they educate their children , make them read the right books , make them talk and find out about things rather than just take someone's word for it. I am not meaning a Boot Camp regime , but making them partake in the running of the household, gardens and enjoying sport , being busy , I think a lot of kids give up sport and bury their noses in the TikTok and the Facebook side of life .
Is there hope ? Can we see a brighter future ? I do hope so.
But I think that Redhead's Boot Camp might be the only solution.
As President Trump has said " what have we got to lose " because what is happening now is not working.
Redhead
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