I find it interesting that you took down your "child in the street" post because you didn't want strangers chastizing you on this site, yet you feel the need to do the very same thing when you post random chastizing comments on other items found on the Vindy site - (which often make it quite clear you have no clue about that which you are commenting upon.) If you are going to write for the newspaper you should be willing to "get" as good as you "give". Perhaps you should take this as a lesson learned - people in glass houses, and so on. As the years go by, you will learn to hold your comments, sometimes until you know all the facts and other times even when you do, because you'll learn that everyone makes mistakes, screws up, has problems and even, occasionally, has a child who sneaks out of the house and into the street. I, too, thought the poster who scolded you was a little harsh - stings, doesn't it? - ask any parent over the age of 40 and they will all have a story or many stories of what their child or children did that scared the living daylights out of them. They can laugh about it later because said child, and mother, survived and found it wouldn't be the last time something would happen that would scare the life out of them at the time. Relax and enjoy your child's childhood years - they go by quicker than anyone can tell you and you don't want to look back and think you were too busy being a basketcase to have enjoyed it all. And, don't be too quick to judge others - now that you know the flip side of that routine.
It still surprises and frustrates me when I see people who insist on posting comments when they have no idea what they are talking about. I have had children in school and participating in extracurricular activities for over 25 years and I have put in more volunteer hours than I want to remember. The schools and organizations need quite a bit of money to function, there never seems to be enough. Most organizations, i.e., little league, scouts, use fundraisers to help offset the cost of running their programs. Many families have children involved in these programs who could not afford to foot the entire cost to include their child(ren), fundraising is a way to ensure that every child has an opportunity to participate. Many costs associated with youth sports are safety-related and required and equipment can be quite costly. Some might say that if those families can't afford the costs of having their children participate then the child should sit out - but many of those same people will also be complaining about those children roaming the streets looking for something to do. And, I would hope that those same families never find themselves in the position of having to tell their child they can't play ball because, perhaps a parent has lost a job and now can't afford the fees. Many (perhaps all) of these organizations have silently funded the fees for children who cannot afford the cost, and those funds come from fundraising. PTAs help keep the costs down for field trips and senior class awards and breakfasts, etc., they pay for holiday parties, skating parties, and other events that children look forward to. No one wants to send their children out to hit up the neighbors, after all that's what relatives are for, but some have no choice - they have no relatives in town or perhaps they simply can't afford to just write a check. Those who can afford to, often do and those who can't also often find other ways to do their part to ensure to success of the schools and other programs. And then there are those who wouldn't dream of spending their time attending a PTA meeting or a booster meeting or serving time on a board - but they are ALWAYS the first ones to have a negative comment or tell those who are trying their best what they are doing wrong and how they think they should be doing it.
Allergies from Hell
I find it interesting that you took down your "child in the street" post because you didn't want strangers chastizing you on this site, yet you feel the need to do the very same thing when you post random chastizing comments on other items found on the Vindy site - (which often make it quite clear you have no clue about that which you are commenting upon.) If you are going to write for the newspaper you should be willing to "get" as good as you "give". Perhaps you should take this as a lesson learned - people in glass houses, and so on.
As the years go by, you will learn to hold your comments, sometimes until you know all the facts and other times even when you do, because you'll learn that everyone makes mistakes, screws up, has problems and even, occasionally, has a child who sneaks out of the house and into the street.
I, too, thought the poster who scolded you was a little harsh - stings, doesn't it? - ask any parent over the age of 40 and they will all have a story or many stories of what their child or children did that scared the living daylights out of them. They can laugh about it later because said child, and mother, survived and found it wouldn't be the last time something would happen that would scare the life out of them at the time.
Relax and enjoy your child's childhood years - they go by quicker than anyone can tell you and you don't want to look back and think you were too busy being a basketcase to have enjoyed it all.
And, don't be too quick to judge others - now that you know the flip side of that routine.
May 24, 2009 at 9:19 a.m. permalink suggest removal
The politics of neighbors and your kids selling stuff
It still surprises and frustrates me when I see people who insist on posting comments when they have no idea what they are talking about. I have had children in school and participating in extracurricular activities for over 25 years and I have put in more volunteer hours than I want to remember. The schools and organizations need quite a bit of money to function, there never seems to be enough. Most organizations, i.e., little league, scouts, use fundraisers to help offset the cost of running their programs. Many families have children involved in these programs who could not afford to foot the entire cost to include their child(ren), fundraising is a way to ensure that every child has an opportunity to participate. Many costs associated with youth sports are safety-related and required and equipment can be quite costly. Some might say that if those families can't afford the costs of having their children participate then the child should sit out - but many of those same people will also be complaining about those children roaming the streets looking for something to do. And, I would hope that those same families never find themselves in the position of having to tell their child they can't play ball because, perhaps a parent has lost a job and now can't afford the fees. Many (perhaps all) of these organizations have silently funded the fees for children who cannot afford the cost, and those funds come from fundraising. PTAs help keep the costs down for field trips and senior class awards and breakfasts, etc., they pay for holiday parties, skating parties, and other events that children look forward to.
No one wants to send their children out to hit up the neighbors, after all that's what relatives are for, but some have no choice - they have no relatives in town or perhaps they simply can't afford to just write a check. Those who can afford to, often do and those who can't also often find other ways to do their part to ensure to success of the schools and other programs.
And then there are those who wouldn't dream of spending their time attending a PTA meeting or a booster meeting or serving time on a board - but they are ALWAYS the first ones to have a negative comment or tell those who are trying their best what they are doing wrong and how they think they should be doing it.
April 30, 2009 at 3:18 p.m. permalink suggest removal