On Halloween Trick or Treating Laws

I can easily understand the main reason of the Halloween Age Limits in many towns. At a certain age, A person becomes a little old for Trick or Treating, perhaps. But as far as legislating this? I would say between the community, parent, and the child, something can be reached without the solidity of the law.

The underlying reasons, however, I do not express such understanding with. Keeping teenagers from going door to door on Halloween because masks and their nature may “scare” some people, due to towns having increased crime rates among people.

If it is so agreeable that young people commit more crimes therefore should be limited on a certain night, then is it so unreasonable to say that certain socioeconomic and racial groups that have increased crime rates should not be able to legally come out at certain hours? After all, the law serves their best interests, and it is fair as the groups brought it on themselves. It is entirely to teach them a lesson.

Absolutely not. It is not fair, nor should it ever be a part of legal codes. But that leaves me to wonder, why is it different for youth? Perhaps it is age, but is age any different factor than race or other things that we seek to divide ourselves into?

Perhaps then, it is because Youth are the ones that need a lesson of something? Well, and those others who commit crimes do not?

Perhaps it is because it is effective? Heh, perhaps it might fine a few more teenagers, but I don’t see the root of the problem being cured.

So, let me ask those who are reading this a final time, what is the difference?

If you end up answering “Because that’s how it is”, then we are indeed kidding ourselves.

And, are those that seek to complain and protest the immorality, corruption, etc. of today’s youth any different from the idealistic youth that are stereotyped, lacking the integrity to do anything about it other than shoving legislation to regulate movement down a majority of people who have committed no wrong?

Is it that when youth have little opportunity to make any argument before a law is pased that it’s abuse becomes so easy, almost dismissible in the wake of “correcting youth from wrong”?

Plus, if you are so frightened of trick or treaters or the sheer possibility you might be scared due to a person in a mask, just leave your porch light off.

Gender Identity Problems in Children : Intervention and Advice

Children often naturally explore and are curious about those around them, particularly of different genders and orientations than them. Gender Identity and the desire to be of the opposite sex is nothing alarming, but it can be a challenge in societies where norms surround us from all angles, certain gender roles that are still applied.

First and Foremost, Often the backlash and rejection that follows the gaps in self-confidence followed by such rejections and curiosity.

Children should not be put through psychology to “fix” them, or to ensure they “fulfill their obligations as boys/girls”. Often, Gender Identity Problems can indicate problems in self-esteem, or the self-esteem can come from the rejection followed by being mocked even by some of the most despicable sources as “sissy boys” or “masculine girls”, as well as the gaps they feel in their own identities and not what people say about them.

It should be about helping the children to accept themselves, and to realize that its not weird to sometimes want to deviate and be different.

It should be about ensuring that Children can go to schools and be a part of society without having to live in constant pressure and fear of rejection.

If the Child truly does not have the same desire to fulfill his “masculine duty” or her “feminine duty”, it should be something accepted by the parents as well. Presenting a “need to be fixed” attitude or concern only perpetuates the lack of self-esteem in children. It takes an issue of confusion about themselves and turns it into one of encouraging them to only please the standards of our society. We should be educating our posterity to be individuals, to accept themselves as they are and as they desire to be, not to have to bottle them up or exert them with ferocity when they are rejected.

Adults desire to break up the trends of uniform and minted cliques of students…..There is no better way than encouraging self-esteem and acceptance of oneself. The understanding and security that they will not have to be a perpetuate servant of social trends.

The Balance of overly passive vs. overly restrictive

There are two classic types of parenting structures: those who are passive, without enough motivation and structure, and those with too much scheduled and restrictive structure.

The problems with passive parenting, are in the slightest, that it leaves children often to their own decree, and without the support and encouragement to start to self-motivate, it can lead to a disaster.

The problems with over restrictive parenting, often it gets down to what the parent says, and not enough of what the child is motivated about, and often it limits or destroys the encouragement and self-determination of the child.

So, the best system? Understand your child can self-motivate, and encourage them along, adapting to their needs rather than restricting them to yours.

Yahoo Follows Suit with Parental Pressure: Yahoo Kids to become default

Concerns today about Internet Security, especially around our young people, are more than vital to today’s world, with the Internet expanding as a great resource.

Yahoo, for a while, has hosted this resource openly,allowing comments from a wide area of people. Yahoo had a Kids service as well, Yahoo Kids, as usual to pertain to Kids who need a varying display of resources on the Internet to use it as a resource, and of course offer multiple services based on multiple needs.Sounds great.

But now, Yahoo has extended its policy for children to require that all new accounts, or existing accounts that sign up for new services under a certain age in the mid-teenage years to be approved by a person over 18, or the child will be forced to use only Yahoo Kids services.

Yahoo already had an age adaptive question on its email services, where it promised to modify its resources to better pertain by age.

It may seem benevolent, and a great protection, and of course Yahoo is simply following suit with exponentially growing pressures from parents to keep children secure on the Internet. But let me review some of the likely skimmed disadvantages:

-Children under the set age have many different needs to properly expand with Yahoo’s Resources
Yahoo Kids and Kid-Friendly services are meant for expanding young children’s needs online, but such services are limited to only what is seen as “average” for that age. Requiring this will make it complicated for several children to expand to their needs, when they are outside of the Yahoo Kids services. 13 Year Olds and 8 Year Olds have different needs from Internet Resources. Setting an average for youth’s accounts will only seek to neglect those who are outside of the averages, and often these averages are assumed only by adults.

-Yahoo’s Policy stands extrusive
DMCA Laws require those under 13 to have parental permission to use certain services such as forums and chat rooms,etc. Yahoo’s requirement goes above 13 and what is required by law, extending already a restriction of the Internet for youth.

-Yahoo will not solve any problems, rather create them
There are ways beyond Yahoo’s legal responsibility in which Youth which desire to can go around this barrier. It will only complicate the usage of Yahoo’s services for youth wishing to use Yahoo with its intent, and to connect with the world as the Internet so readily does. With this discouragement, who knows what problems may arise.

Yahoo has a good intent, but this intent is as always, not in the best interests for youth that need resources that are often restricted out of phobia, when they are not needed to be.

Even if it can just be approved by an Adult, It is part of development that Youth learn how to monitor their own activities, decide what is good and bad, and use services on their own. Parent-Child Trust is the best way for parents to ensure their Youth are out of harms way, and this trust is too often destroyed by these policies.

Helena,Montana Kindergarten SexEd Class

Controversy has arisen about a new Kindergarten SexEd Class that will supposedly present kids in Elementary School with beginning sexual themes.

Fox News, following its typical nature, had an interview with both sides on this issue.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4279764/sex-education-for-kindergartners?playlist_id=86856

To bring up a first point, the points of the man from the Family Research Council labeled it as “suggestive towards the naturality of homosexuality in kids that automatically have an attraction to the same sex as friends.”

To say, these programs will ensure that children receive the education about different family structures and the world around them going through the experiences they have throughout elementary school, to know that they are informed and have a base where their questions can be answered.

Schools are there to educate children- and sexuality, taught openly and in a way to ensure that children know about sex so they can make informed decisions in the future- is a vital part of education.

The second point is that this could bolster confusion from “unknowing minds” and that SexEd encourages the activities that they want to prevent. Rather, keeping children hidden from this will only establish a narrow point for future generations to find out about sexual activities and natural sexuality- thereby working against what the restriction of sexual topics and sexuality originally intended.

Elementary School Sexual Education will set a base for learning about sexuality- and answer questions for curious kids that have them, as when they do it is a marker for the natural progression of such curiosity.

When parents restrict their kids from such things because they feel they arent ready when they ask questions only leaves a gap in understanding and progression- and is such an underestimation of what a child can learn when they are curious- that brings a society down back to its past, when we need progression now more than ever.

The Most Commonly Neglected aspect of Childhood

One of the most commonly neglected aspects of childhood development is also one of the most controversial in America- which of course in our society with controversey and social attitudes, it’s not surprising.

It’s Sex- a biological development in Humans that is perfectly natural and that is often dismissed at a moral outrage, restricted, and tabooed.

Children often at a early age explore their bodies and those of others- even when they are too young to understand sex. Such occurances- such as “playing doctor” and other roleplaying games are a perfect window and time to tell when your child is ready. Don’t get mad at them, yell at them and “beat them for being filthy animals” and yell that at them- it only can shock them and leave a vital aspect of childhood development unaccomplished and a vital gap in education that can lead to misunderstandings as teens- teenage preganc. And sex due to lack of understanding.

Masturbation is another element that comes naturally- children wanting to learn what their bodies can do. It’s best to allow them to expand on it, but of course teach them that it’s best not for such things to be done publically- that’s another path- Remember that this development is natural, and not a time for restricting their curiosity, but for expanding their knowledge of sex and such actions as natural, and not for being totally ashamed of. It leads to low self-esteem that is proven to lead to problems in teenagerhood and adulthood, and once again, in sex later in life (As teenagers, as well) when their consent is morphed due to misunderstandings .

It’s vital, as I must stress to parents, that you use the medical evidence that says it’s natural for such actions to take place- and to seek guidance from such sources rather than the past that sees this nature as being “immoral and perverted”.

Individuality is a trait inherent in children. Destroying it can lead to a lack of interest in learning, as well as misunderstandings that can lead to probably the thing the parent hopes to prevent- earlier and unknowing sex.

When teenagers don’t know the inner workings of sex because society sees it as “an immoral perversion”, they lose confidence and end up trying it without the proper and vital knowledge about it.

Abstinence is not a good filler either, as the “Wait until marriage” also portrays a state of sin and restriction on such exploration with teen’s own bodies.

Teach them about it, inform them so they know, and you will find they won’t veer into such things at the whim like American society feels they do now, and pumping more of the failed restrictions and worsening the problems.

Also, avenues for help in medical needs (contraceptives or counseling) is another thing that needs to not be denied- not to tell kids that they can do what they want without consequences, but to give people an avenue of help when they need it, and at a cheap cost.

Education is the best prevention. Morality and Dogma is the worst.

Natural Curiosity and Learning: Dont Squash It

One of the best things for education is the desire to learn- and this is why one of a parent’s top goals should not be to squash any curiosity or wonder a child might have about things, but to encourage them towards it, and of course discuss it.

Each child/teen is their individual self- quashing their curiosity as parents because you feel what they are delving into is morally or otherwise wrong or was something that your parent’s did not allow is restrictive and can lead to a turnoff towards the natural progress of a child- a vital opportunity in that child’s life you happened to cause a disinterest in.

The same goes for teenagers, probably at the height of curiosity and investigative learning- if you restrict them, they will only go towards more radical methods to find out about things, and continually squashing their natural learning habits will only bring more turnoffs towards learning, and more resentment.

Discuss things, help educate your children. Do not restrict them from their world they find out about. When they ask questions, its natural, and is a sign they want to know.

Raising Children

Raising Children will always be difficult to do for parents and adults, as well as other caretakers. And first and foremost, detail should be given to individual cases, as applying certain ways of doing things to all children will ever work, as children each are unique in what they need.

The goal should always be ensuring they learn- knowledge to continue their lives as they chose, and to have the ability to choose. That brings us to the golden rule of parenting.

Do not apply inferiority to children in an attempt to discipline them. Disciplining Children is necessary in cases, but it is not an excuse for considering anyone inferior or superior. Discipline should not be your way of telling the child that you are profoundly superior in every way, and that they are inferior, and it should not be a way to relieve a parent’s stress.

The goal of parenting should not be to instill harsh discipline- it should be to use balanced discipline,learning,exploration and openness specific to each child with the goal of leading them to an open,fulfilling life they want to live.

Spanking or otherwise beating children is a very harsh form of punishment, and it often in several cases has been proven to link to the opposite of what parents should want their children to learn to happen- It leads to the continuation of physical violence as a way to gain what one wants. Children are open during their age, its a time for parents to educate them and open their minds to the world, rather than beating them with a hand or a paddle and just teaching them to perpetuate it down through generations and generations.

When parents apply these goals, the “cases” they get actually will lead to a much more sound parent-child relationship.

Forcing them to learn to a certain degree only stomps on any attempt for the child to develop a vital sense of wanting to learn with the many things the world has to offer- leading them down a path of open-mindedness and achievement rather than narrow-mindedness and nonexistent progress.

Children questioning authority is natural- and  a part of progress of the mind that can help them build up ideas to the future. Meet their questions with inquisitive and thoughtful answers.

And in any case, the decisions in a Child’s life should include the child when they are ready to take on that responsibility. Dont leave them as inferior to an adult’s decision- let their minds be open and include them, so they may actually be able to discuss on an equal level- if you let them. Parents, reform your attitudes if neccessary.

Its hard, and at times it can make you want to snap. But thats no reason to let loose- its your children’s future you risk.

Catholic Church Sex Scandals: Secrecy Tells All

The awkwardness and seemingly defensive stance that has been taken by the Catholic Church and the Vatican towards the child sexual abuse scandal only speaks more of how the administration feels.

An explanation can combine several aspects of how the Church operates and operated: For centuries, it had an authoritative, unquestioned stance in people’s lives, so it would be quite easy in Church Policy to hide these scandals. Rule of any society? It develops as it was founded and initiated, and change can take considerable time to change.

The Catholic Church also had immunity of national laws- The Vatican was in essence even more of a center authority in Church proceedings.

The top “consequence” of reports of abuse has been relocation of suspected preists- Also matched throughout the Church’s history as a way of supposedly giving a preist strategic disadvantge as a punishment.

This apathy and trend shows how much the Catholic Church has been influenced by it’s former doctrines and past, and how little it had changed in concept, if a lot in scale.

It stands that national law now is supreme in the nations of it’s doing- Religious figures no longer have a seat of superiority and a free ticket from question. The Catholic Church has shown their strong motivation too keep these past and authoritative hold on the populations, and through cases like this, their inner workings just become a showcase, as a smaller example that leaves one to wonder about the expanse,extent and history of such cases, as well as their severity, if this one is not enough for the Catholic Church to realize it now has consequences of it’s actions like everyone else.

Reform is needed

If we simply continue “as works”, who are we to say “what works” will continue to “work”?

The ways of the past have included several things- not all of them wonderfully reminiscent of the proposed “Good Ol’ Days”

The “Good Ol’ Days were notably filled with discrimination and continuing perceived inferiority of persons, as well as a less evolved sense of globalization that we see today.

The reforms that weve made were made for a reason, and they were made for the future. If we sink back like humankind has allowed ourselves to in the past, what is to become of our future.

The fact is, we need everyone’s input. Returning back to these days would be an impediment of this, and reinstating the policies of it would be contradictory to the political science and policy reforms that have come up to have a better system.