Is it just me or is this the dumbest thing you've heard of. The Alabama parents of graduating high schoolers send their kids to a foreign country for a week to celibrate? UNSUPERVISED? Are you kidding me? These kids are not adults, and they are being treated like they are. I think there is way too much pressure on kids today to be adults. Too much sexualization, too much responsibility for things they have NO experience with. Being allowed to "vacation" for a week stay out all night drinking, drugs, and partying because they graduated from high school? GIVE ME A BREAK!

Kids are going to party, I don't have a real problem with that. But the parents don't have to encourage it, and it fact promote it! Let the kids get a job and discover working for their vacations.

 

It's OK,....Darwin's Theory will weed out some of the worst of them.

 

I totally agree. We had something like that for spring break in my highschool. we would go to a different country and have fun. BUT, we were always supervised, we had to check in every night, and they had every day planned out for us so they knew where we were every day.

 

I spent my whole senior year as an exchange student in a foreign country. Some people who were there definitely should not have been, but most of us were of a maturity level that we could be trusted with pretty much anything. That said, without knowing more about the kids that were going to Aruba from Alabama, I think it could be a legitimate reward if the kids were able to handle it. I suspect that based on the destination, these are probably spoiled rich brats that shouldn't be out in public at all unsupervised, let alone unleashed in another country. Of course, if they screw up, they will enjoy celebrating their graduation from high school in some foreign prison!

 

There were chaparones on that trip, but I always out manuvered my chaparones when I was comming up. I think that kids that are too sheltered run into the worst problems. The world is a dangerous place and our kids need to be prepared to deal with all the bad apples out there. I can speak because I have 2 kids and I don't shelter them from the realities of the world. Mind you I keep it age apropriate, but I make no bones about the fact that there are dangerous people out there and that they had better be able to deal with it.

Like it or not once your kids graduate they are adults. They can be hauled off to die for thier country, they can make legal contracts, they can do anything that you can do except drink which is totally stupid if you think about it. If you want your kids to be responsible adults you need to prepare them for it and then expect it from them when the time is right. That time is 18 folks. Like it or don't, if you don't prepare them then they will certianly get into trouble because they don't know any better. If you haven't prepared your 18 year old for the real world then you are a failure as a parent and you have done a great disservice to your child.

 

well said there Jason

 

What happened to the simple senior trip to Washington, DC for the weekend? Everyone toured together, ate dinner together, and afterwards were locked down in our hotel rooms for the evening.

 

I'll gaurandarntee you that if the kids had to pay for their own trip to Aruba only 1% would ahve gone.

 

Is that really the point? It's a gift...

How many gifts that you have gotten in your life would you have paid for yourself, even if you had the money?

 

NOt if our govenment has anything to do with it...

No child left behind remember, we have to keep alll the kids equal so no one's feelings are hurt...

 

Easy Beagle,
I think his point was that most kids these days have no clue about financial responsibility. Ya think these kids were from a "well to do" part of Alabama, or the other 85% of the state? This is a terrrible thing to have happen, I would go crazy wondering where my son or daughter was and if they were alive or hungry. I know teenagers who got the "gift" of substance abuse form their parents and step parents, and they didn't have to pay. They pay now of course, since most of what they know is sadness and hurt.
Kid's going to Aruba on a Senior trip is about the stupidest thing I have ever heard.

 

Get this, Some parents in California are petitioning for a shorter schoolday. Their poor babies have to get up too early, creating too much stress. They can't learn as much if they're pushed too hard.

 

This is my point; We are raising a bunch of mamsy pamsy kids that cannot fend for themselves. I cannot get kids to help bale hay for $10.00 an hour. "It's too much work, it's too hot!" They can stay inside an air conditioned house, play X Box, and get money free from mommy without working for it. We are headed for a real problems in this country when our kids don't understand the meaning and value of work and money.

 

If gas prices weren't so high, I'd come down for a little moonlighting.