FF:NZ Modern youth are from the dark side

I hate school holidays. I dislike large hordes of irritating pre-teens hanging around malls, movie theatres and the like.

I most especially hate the ones who attempt tosteal my not only my wallet and mobile phone but my OBI WAN KENBOBI AOTC figure from my desk when I'm out the back in the copy room.

Excuse my language mods, but the little bastards should be Force-choked or at least prodded with a gaffi stick a few times.

Grr. I'm venting.

Does anyone else here remember being that cocky and devious enough to actually walk into a corporate-style store, behind someone's desk and and start rifling through their drawers at the age of 13?

I was personally afraid to even look at anyone older that me the wrong way. The brat even tried to tell me that he "wasn't doing nothing", even when myself and another client snapped him out shoving my belongings into his pockets and making a beeline for the door. Kept denying it till Johnny Law turned up and hauled the juvenile punk downtown.

Hmph. A stupid thief with bad grammer. What a bloody world.

Those of you with kids, raise 'em good.

 

Just been thinking about how many dramas I seem to have at work.

More of Kai's work antics

Darth Graal - I blame our company again

 

A pox upon delinquent teenagers ... I, too, hate the holidays, although now that I have a job which involves absolutely no public interaction, it's not so bad. I remember a few years ago I was in mark I comics (when it was still in Lorne Street) and I was looking at some Star Wars books. They had this "leave your bag by the counter" policy, and saw this group of kids rush past me giggling ... I turned around and my bag, complete with lecture notes, wallet, credit card, walkman, tapes, and a fe personal items. Stuff which was almost worthless in the scheme of things, but which caused me a few days of hassle, getting new cards, cancelling old ones etc. ****ers ....

Without wanting to get into the "in the old days ..." thing, but I was *terrified* of older people when I was a teen. I certainly would have been too scared to steal stuff from them. grrrr ...

Bring back 2pm curfews I say!

 

The upside to School Holidays is that the rush hour traffic is great. My drive time's halved.

The bummer is trying to get lunch in Newmarket with the kids everywhere.

 

Can't argue there, JP. I've been consistently on time to work for a week now, which is NOT the norm .

Lawrence - forget the curfews, stun guns work better.

 

Hmm I would never even think about stealing I was brought up to respect your elders and other peoples property

 

> Hmm I would never even think about stealing I was brought up to respect your elders and other peoples property.

I was bought up to fear my elders ....

But, yeah ... sorry for the generalisation YouAgain. But I'm sure you know the type, right?

Lawrence, the bitter misanthrope, will now get back to work,

 

Fear will keep the locals in line sums up my parents

I know the type ..I used to be friends with a few.

 

The problem is that parents / teachers / etc. are too scared to smack kids these days - it's a no-no to punish kids. If they do something wrong you're supposed to give them a lollipop and say "don't do that again".

 

In the words of dennis leary....
" My parents used to beat the s$%t out of me and when I have kids I'm looking forward to beating th s$%t out of them, mowing the lawn and crying thats therapy for ya.... WHACK! stop crying and get out there and mow the lawn!"

" hey the leary kids in thearpy again and their lawns look fantastic"

I agree with you guys entirely I don't see what harm a little clip round the ear does. If you've done something bad ya don't do it again quickly if you learn that there are consequences to your actions from a young age, don't get me wrong I'm not into actual beatings, but perhaps if kids had the fear of the cane or a strap at school when they misbehave (as I did) or had some strong discipline at home, we wouldn't see teenagers killing people over the price of a pizza.

 

THE DECLINE AND FALL OF WESTERN CIVILISATION

What really scares me is the seemingly big increase in the use of firearms in the last few years, especially amongst young offenders. Time was you might get the **** kicked out of you for your wallet, but at least you wouldn't get shot. There was a robbery in Onehunga a few months back where a woman was held up with a pistol by a young guy. And in yesterday's Herald I read that there was a gun pulled in a road rage incident in Auckland. Plus, of course, that 17 year old kid who shot 2 cops because his girlfriend dumped him. I'm loathe to say TV/film violence contributes, but this seems to go hand in hand with the rise of "gangsta" culture and hip hop etc. Extreme violence seems to be a more and more common ay of dealing with problems.

A few months ago I was in the Glenfield mall carpark, and there were these two teens doubling on a BMX, riding around the carparks acting like jerks. They were swerving in front of people, making them slam on their brakes etc. As I got in my car i saw them spot me, and ride towards me, obviously planning on hassling me. As I was pulling out of the car they started circling me so I couldn't get out of the park ....

So I just kept on driving and knocked them off the bike!

It was pretty satisfying, because they were so gobsmacked that I actually stood up to them. Then, of course, they started kicking my car and I had to speed off with them chasing me on a BMX down the street .... ****ers.

If i ever find out where they live they'll have a brick chucked through their window.

 

It's a tough call, the whole "is smacking okay?" debarcle. I'm more of a fan of the alternative method of punishment, such as groundings and the removal of luxury items for children. I can raise a case in point if nobody objects.

Christmas Day, 1989. I'm ten years old at a paternal family gathering, playing with the water pistol (one of them really cool Super Soakers) i got as a gift. I take a pot shot at one of my uncles, who is amused at first. Being a kid, i think it's funny so i take a few more.

After about five squirts, he gets a bit pissy with me and the next thing I know, he's grabbed the water pistol off me, smashed it in half by throwing it on the ground and has slapped me so hard arcoss the face three times I chipped a tooth. My grandfather, a former school teacher who used to cane kids left right and centre turns to my horrified mother and says:

"well, it serves him right."

There I am, all of 3 foot high, bleeding like a soldier at Normandy, scared as hell and hearing my grandfather, who I'd always adored up until that point telling me I'd pretty much got what was coming.

I haven't spoken to my uncle in nearly fourteen years and have never forgiven my grandfather. My father later broke my uncle's nose that day and has not spoken to him since either. I never understood why it happened but my mother exlpained to me a few years ago that my grandfather used to beat the kids silly over the smallest of things and it basically made them grow up mean, with the exepction of my father who always favoured alternative punishment. If i was bad, he took my old Nintendo away for a weekend. I swear, i never got in trouble for the same thing twice.

As such, my family ties to my paternal side are barely existant. I saw my uncle at a reunion two years ago and at age tweny-one, I was about thirty centimtres taller and maybe ten kilos heavier. He avoided me the whole night.

Sorry if I'm rambling, but I reread my previous posts and it made me sound like I thing kids should be given a smack or two to keep them in line. I've got a degree in youth pyschology so I guess i'm pretty opinionated on the subject.

Mods, feel free to edit this if you thing i'm being irrelevant.

I just wanted to ammend my earlier statements and add an insight to the discussion. It just seems to me that some kids out there need more attention but we should be looking at the parents first.

 

I know a good recpie for a motolov cocktail bomb STH


edit: Thats sad Kai I wouldn't want my super soaker broken either

 

haha i live in the inner city, all teh kiddies here stay in the suburbs, woohoo

 

Lawrence - Hey, good on you for not taking any crap. The skaters frustrate me too, they have no respect. I've run over two skateboards in my street now cos the kids don't keep off the road.

The first time I let it go but on the second, I spoke to their parents and was told that I should "bugger off because they're not hurting anyone."

It just demonstrated the lax attitude of many parents. I'm still awaiting a call from the police to see what's going to happen to the juvenile who tried to flog my wallet. I'm curious to hear what his parents will say.

Anyway, my brother, whom I live with, got so fed up with the kids skating all over the road and getting in his way (he's back and forth from home quite often) he actually went up one night a while back and removed all the nails from their makeshift ramp, which they plant on the street.

The last time I saw one of the punks in my street, he was nursing a bandaged wrist and the skate ramp was kindling on his front yard.

Whilst I don't think beating your kid is the answer, you have to do something with them before disgruntled indiviuals such as my brother take matters into their own hands.

 

Never been hit by my parents but if they hit me now id have them up for assalt

Invercargill has its problems like the little fags who stole a box of cards worth 300 from the comic shop and then one of the dbz players who is lick 20 and poors concrete the next day gave them the hell fright chased them 3 blocks yelling at them it was so funny

 

yes, YouAgain, it was a sad day in many ways..... *RIP, sweet hydro-fueled weapon*

 

Firstly, can we not use "fags" as an insult?

I may be a misanthrope at heart, but I have sickly white liberal values as well ....

Kai : I just think there is a degree of "acceptable" punishment. Smacking a kid so hard it breaks a tooth is quite different to a gentle smack just before a toddler runs out onto the road. I also have a real problem with people other than the child's actual parents delivering punishment. I don;'t think uncles etc. have *any* right. They should just talk to the parents.

But yeah, I see your point. I know I *was* smacked as a child, but to be honest I can only recall it happening maybe once or twice. I was never "beaten" and I don't think I'm emotionally scarred as a result.

 

I was Smaked alot when I was Younger I was a Little $h!7 but I wasn't beaten but I was hit hard enougth to leave a mark sometimes but its done me good Im a straight A student and top of my class.

 

Firstly, can we not use "fags" as an insult?

Fully agree. Sexual persuasion is a choice, not a crime. Let's cut the slang.

I may be a misanthrope at heart, but I have sickly white liberal values as well ....

Hey, I'm the most jaded person I know and still run by a set of morals. Peas in a pod, Lawrence.

Kai : I just think there is a degree of "acceptable" punishment. Smacking a kid so hard it breaks a tooth is quite different to a gentle smack just before a toddler runs out onto the road. I also have a real problem with people other than the child's actual parents delivering punishment. I don;'t think uncles etc. have *any* right. They should just talk to the parents.

True. I guess I'm still a bit dishevelled over the whole thing. The point I think I was trying to make it that it's a vicious circle.

But yeah, I see your point. I know I *was* smacked as a child, but to be honest I can only recall it happening maybe once or twice. I was never "beaten" and I don't think I'm emotionally scarred as a result.

Nor am I. I'm just really wary of raising a hand to anyone these days, especially if I start adding to the gene pool. It hasn't messed me up or anything but it did make me think a little more and it actually kinda shaped my career path in life, so some good did come out of it.

Hmm....this thread is becoming awfully policical to a point. It's good to see that we're all of a similar mind, albeit from diffrenct standpoints.

 

Other forms of "punishment" just don't really work on most kids.

Unless it's something EXTREMELY special, who really cares if you miss out on something, you'll never remember it in ten years anyway. Not being allowed to watch TV, etc. is an utter waste of time.

Sending kids to their room is pointless since in there they've got books/comics/toys, if not PlayStations and TVs these days.

Sitting in a corner ... whoppiee!! Big deal. Ten minutes later it's completely forgotten.

But you would rarely forget a smack (I mean a 'smack', not a 'beating'), even if you do forget what it was actually for) you know you did something wrong and to try to avoid doing something wrong again.

 

Generally growling at my daughter (1 1/2) is enough to stop her doing something naughty.

Once or twice I've given a pretty gentle smack on the back of the hand to stop her doing something dangerous.

It's common sense - kids need to learn quickly to avoid dangerous situations (pulling things off shelves, heading for the road, playing with electrical switches etc).

Most effective way to teach that is with a quick smack and a growling.

That was the way my parents disciplined me, and it worked.

One thing I can't stand is threatening upset pre-schoolers in an attempt to stop them crying "If you don't stop crying I'll give you something to cry about".

And yeah, ACE, please don't use that word in that context (or any context, for that matter).

As for sending kids to their rooms - as well as being no punishment to older kids, it shouldn't be used for pre-schoolers either. The bedroom should not be equated with punishment, as that can cause children not to want to go into their rooms at all. This is a problem at bedtime. For time out, send the child to the laundry or some boring part of the house.

 

If you're sending little ones to the laundry (or other rooms) you'll need to make sure they can't "explore" the contents of the cupboards.

Welcome to "How to raise Kids the SWNZ way"

 

@ Buzz


I was smacked as a child. By my parents and teachers at school; it was like a tradition in Taiwan. Smacking improves grades and obedience, kinda sad really. I remember my last severe-ish er, beating when I was 12, because I left a load of homework until the last minute and mum got really mad.

I don't think I am emotionally scarred by all that, maybe it's in the culture because I was certainly *not* the only kid to have gone through that.

 

re youth criminals ... well, living in south auckland, it's part of everyday life. It's a vicious cycle really, these kids are from over-crowded, abusive homes, and mum is never around, because they have to work long hours to support the large family.

They turn to the street life, because they get friendship there, and usually end up having a couple of kids of their own during the teenage years, who of course are immediately trapped in the cycle. The gansta music and movies do encourage the criminal life style as 'livin' life to the max' yah di yah.

But there are lights in the darkness ... one of my closest friends, her brother spent most of his teenage years on the street, but he eventually got out of the lifestyle, and is now helping out at a youth center, which works to help the kids trapped in the poverty cycle. And some people break out of it through education, for every criminal there's also an untold success story.

I know it's really easy to get so angry at them ... I remember one year, my Dad was going through radiotherapy after having a tumor removed ... he went down to the library, and his car got stolen. He should have called us to come and pick him up, but instead he walked home. The saddest thing was, it was stolen by two girls, aged 13 and 14, who actually saw my Dad leave the car, so they knew he was a senior citizen (he's in his 70s). I don't know how they could do that ... I remember being so angry at the time, even though we got the car back. Anger doesn't solve anything though ... where as people like my mate's brother do, so I'm more a supporter of prevention and rehabilitation, rather than the 'throw away the key' mentality.

re: corporal punishment ... I'm completely against it going on in schools, I think that's really wrong. As for in the home ... well, giving a toddler one smack is natural, I guess, but that's all that is acceptable by me.
It is very prevalent in some cultures ... a lot of my Asian friends talk about their unplesant experiences growing up, and some of the polynesian friends. There's a movement now, to try and oppose that whole 'it's the Samoan way!' mentality among the older generation. Tradition is never an excuse to do something like that, imo. But there's always a bright side ... one thing which I hear a lot is "I'll never treat my kids like I was treated" ... I think things do improve as the generations go by.