Is 8th grade graduation really necessary? I hope I am not the only one who thinks this is ridiculous. This is not an accomplishment. Anyone can do it. All you have to do is show up and do some of the homework. Face fact, your parents helped or did a lot of your homework and projects for you. Why did they help you? Because kids today are lazy, spoiled and coddled to the extreme.
Celebrating 8th grade graduation is on par with receiving participation trophies in sports. We know your team stunk this year going 0 – 12 but here is a plastic trophy to put on your bookshelf and collect dust. Two thumbs up; way to go kid; congratulations on scoring 2 goals this year…against your own team.
Do I sound bitter; like a grumpy old man? Maybe a little grumpy, but I am just sick and tired of all this type of crap. It has to stop. The only lesson kids are learning is it doesn’t matter how good or bad you are at something you are still going to get rewarded. And this is entirely the wrong message to send. Do you know what happens when you are bad at your job? You get fired. Do you know what happens when you are bad at a sport you go out for in High School, College and the Pros? You don’t make the team.
If your kid isn’t athletically inclined then stop encouraging him to try harder. Focus their attention on something they might be good at like science, math, playing a musical instrument. And hey if all else fails just know the world still needs ditch diggers.
My irritability over this probably stems from last night’s 8th grade graduation ceremony that I was dragged kicking and screaming to. Two hours and 10 minutes long on a night where the temperature outside was 85 and humid and the temperature inside the un-air-conditioned auditorium was over 100. A full 1 hour and 5 minutes spent on 108 8th graders walking across the stage one at a time and pausing so a teacher can say something nice about each and every student. Seriously, every single student stopped while a teacher gave them some words of praise, appreciation and encouragement for their next great battle in life.
Oh for the love of all that is holy in the universe please just once tell the truth. Fifteen minutes into this I was ready to stand up and scream: “Tell the truth we all know that kid was the troublemaker and you hated having him in your class as much as all the other parents hated having to have their own child around him. We all know his future will be as a future inmate at Walpole Correctional.” Oh that would have been so sweet.
Was Middle School really that bad? I know it is socially awkward and hormones are raging for the first time in their lives. But seriously it wasn’t that hard. You didn’t have to do anything to get through it except show up every day. The kids actually got diplomas. Are we setting up future employers to start asking for 8th grade diplomas instead of High School diplomas or GED certificates?
Please. Pretty please with sugar on top; Stop this insanity.
