Respect and Responsibility

I apologize that it has been a while since I last blogged. I really feel the need to tonight but I'm trying to be careful about what I say. If you know me you know I have plenty of opinions and I feel pretty strongly about them. I hope to not point the finger at anyone but some things have happened lately that really piss me off.
As a school teacher, I must say my job is not at all what I expected. Now don't get me wrong we have those teachable, AH HA moments when the light bulb finally comes on, that I love. I do enjoy teaching and spending time with my students. However, when I was in elementary school if you didn't do your work, your teacher set up a parent conference and you got your tail whooped when you got home. ( I luckily never had to go through that because I was a decent student.) But, now days the trend seems to be to have a child and let them raise themselves. As a parent I'll give you clothes, food, take you to the doctor, when it's convenient for me, and then your on your own. I'll act concerned at the parent teacher conference but nothing will really change. And does it really matter because with No Child Left Behind you will get passed anyway. We are raising a generation of spoiled lazy children. We reward them for showing up, not for thinking or trying. We over praise them for being mediocre.
Just in my ten years of teaching I've noticed there is a definite lack of respect and it's getting worse. Some of the children I have taught act as if they are on an equal plane with adults and do not have to answer to anyone. We need to wake up and start teaching respect. Americans first went wrong when they took prayer out of school and now people have a problem with the Pledge of Allegiance!
Also, all children need to learn responsibility. I don't care at what age, or what gender. On T.V. I've watched many programs where there are problems with the marriage because the men won't do house work. And too many times it gets played off as the woman having too high expectations. That's why so many men have issues with house work. Over the years it's been seen as O.K. for a man not to pitch in with housework or that it is women's work. If you are an adult, act like one. Everyone in the household should be accountable for certain chores, even the children.
Start teaching respect and responsibility at a young age. You don't just acquire it when you hit 18. Or some other magic age. Respect and responsibility need to be taught: at home, at school, and in church. And everyone needs to be held accountable. We need to toughen up. Stop babying people, that's from criminals or to the average person on the street. If we continue on the path we are currently on we will be sorry.