Comments on: Three cheers for teen labor http://www.yourish.com/2006/04/26/1146 Cutting straight to the point Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:14:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Meryl Yourish http://www.yourish.com/2006/04/26/1146/comment-page-1#comment-4774 Meryl Yourish Wed, 26 Apr 2006 15:03:36 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/2006/04/26/1146#comment-4774 I've actually thought about trying to get the kids together, but I haven't really come up with much of a plan. I do know that the neighborhood kids seem to like me, partly because I always treat children with respect, unless they are disrespecting me. And partly because they think I'm a cop. Neighborhood Watch = Police to them. That is something I am not going to make any pains to correct, what with their respecting my Jeep and apartment as a result. I dunno. Maybe I'll try to figure something out for this summer. There's no lack of kids around then. I’ve actually thought about trying to get the kids together, but I haven’t really come up with much of a plan.

I do know that the neighborhood kids seem to like me, partly because I always treat children with respect, unless they are disrespecting me. And partly because they think I’m a cop. Neighborhood Watch = Police to them. That is something I am not going to make any pains to correct, what with their respecting my Jeep and apartment as a result.

I dunno. Maybe I’ll try to figure something out for this summer. There’s no lack of kids around then.

]]> By: dymphna http://www.yourish.com/2006/04/26/1146/comment-page-1#comment-4771 dymphna Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:24:40 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/2006/04/26/1146#comment-4771 You are absolutely right about teen labor. But the most important consequence is the sense of involvement and of feeling useful it gives to teenagers, surely the most superfluous of beings at times. That's why Scouts were/are so important for a sense of competence. When a boy finishes his Eagle Scout project (it is something that must help the community and must involve pulling together other people), he has a sense of himself that all the useless "self-esteem" junque won't give him. Are these kids an integral part of your Neighborhood Watch? Might they be incorporated? And yes, they are cheap, if inept, labor. My grandson is coming over in the next few weeks to help me with the heavier gardening and outside odds and ends. I try to include interesting things boys like -- like setting things on fire (we can burn brush where I live) or chopping weeds with noisy machines. Involve the kids and you'll reduce the crime, even in ghetto-ized communities. In fact, they'll never be as idealistic as they are as teenagers -- use that while you can! One even gets to enjoy them in the process They also love to raise money for projects. BTW, all that unused, seething adolescent acting out in France is great, untapped energy -- radioactive, perhaps, but the right leaders could tap it for the common good. There is a book from a few years ago, whose title I cannot now recall (though my son loved it)about a priest in one of the worst gang areas in LA who rounded up, slowly, the gang members and had them help him clean up the neighborhood. He served at their funerals, he gave them places to sleep, he helped start employment places, he helped with getting tattoo removal, he gave them hope...all on a shoestring. Sorry to go on so long. You hit a subject close to my heart... Another thing: teach some competency to a kid (music, carpentry, computers, minor car repairs, ANYTHING useful) and you give him a self. Kids like this are less likely to wander into drugs. You are absolutely right about teen labor. But the most important consequence is the sense of involvement and of feeling useful it gives to teenagers, surely the most superfluous of beings at times.

That’s why Scouts were/are so important for a sense of competence. When a boy finishes his Eagle Scout project (it is something that must help the community and must involve pulling together other people), he has a sense of himself that all the useless “self-esteem” junque won’t give him.

Are these kids an integral part of your Neighborhood Watch? Might they be incorporated?

And yes, they are cheap, if inept, labor. My grandson is coming over in the next few weeks to help me with the heavier gardening and outside odds and ends. I try to include interesting things boys like — like setting things on fire (we can burn brush where I live) or chopping weeds with noisy machines.

Involve the kids and you’ll reduce the crime, even in ghetto-ized communities. In fact, they’ll never be as idealistic as they are as teenagers — use that while you can! One even gets to enjoy them in the process

They also love to raise money for projects.

BTW, all that unused, seething adolescent acting out in France is great, untapped energy — radioactive, perhaps, but the right leaders could tap it for the common good. There is a book from a few years ago, whose title I cannot now recall (though my son loved it)about a priest in one of the worst gang areas in LA who rounded up, slowly, the gang members and had them help him clean up the neighborhood. He served at their funerals, he gave them places to sleep, he helped start employment places, he helped with getting tattoo removal, he gave them hope…all on a shoestring.

Sorry to go on so long. You hit a subject close to my heart…

Another thing: teach some competency to a kid (music, carpentry, computers, minor car repairs, ANYTHING useful) and you give him a self. Kids like this are less likely to wander into drugs.

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