Consider the Consequence

Up on my Soap Box for Parental Responsibility:

Jessie Owens said that, “a life time of training for just 10 seconds." Whether our kids make a right or wrong choice that can affect their lives can happen in less than the blink of an eye. As parents, we may devote a lifetime of training our children for that one brief blink moment. However, the counter- pressure is not to impose the consequence necessary to complete the training. As parents we are not always ready for the reverse consequences to ourselves that this necessary training might have on us. We don't seem braced to accept that in doing the right thing for our kids, we may appear in the short run to stand to lose our sons' and/or daughters' friendship (I don't think their respect). Ten seconds is ten times longer than it takes to make a bad decision that may affect our kids for the rest of their lives. Step up and take the risk that the consequence of accountability may be more important for our kids in the long run then their immediate friendship.

A Slap in the Facebook - My Daughter Declined my Invitation of Friendship

Should parents join facebook ? I sent a facebook request to my daughter who is a college freshman.  My four high school age kids accepted my request.  She declined.  SHE DECLINED.  At first I was annoyed.  I associated her decline with the way I might feel if my credit card was declined for no good reason.  However, after I stopped imagining all of the inappropriate comments and pictures that she must have posted and that she wanted to keep me from seeing, my rational side accepted her choice.  My daughter, and my other teens as well, are entitled to their privacy.  In the same way I would not pick up the phone and listen in on a private conversation, Teens should be allowed to communicate with their peers without feeling censored.  Facebook can be a great social network for adults to reconnect with family and friends.  It is not a slap in the face to have a friendship request declined by your son or daughter.  Besides, your cousin Fred will always be happy to reconnect and share with you what he had for breakfast.

Empty Your Pockets: Student Drug Searches

Students do not check their 4th amendment rights to be free from unreasonable search and seizure when they walk into school. However, that does not mean that a student may not be searched for drugs. If a student is suspected of having drugs on his person the administration in conducting the search must have a reasonable suspicion. The search must be reasonable (remember the outrageous strip search of a 13 year old who was carrying aspirin), and the need to maintain order must out weigh the student's right to privacy All of these conditions may seem thin ice too an administrator who may be afraid of being sued should he/she make a mistake. Accordingly, where a student who contests a search, an administrator is likely, and probably wise, not to conduct a forcible search but instead might bring in the local police to conduct the search. In that case, the officer would have to have to obtain a warrant that finds probable cause for a search. In short, trying to find the balance of safeguarding fundamental constitutional rights against discouraging the school administration from taking necessary and appropriate steps to maintain order is a thin rope.