[overflow] Re: GHHS

[mbottorff@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Michelle & Boyd Bottorff)]

> It seems unlikely that these kids were getting any positive
> influences at home to counteract the poisonous ones at school.

Being the opinionated, know-it-all person that I am, I am convinced that
this is what "society is doing wrong" and the schools themselves are
really very much beside the point.

Of course when I start expounding on how parents should go about
providing positive influences I tend to get short shrift from anyone who
isn't already doing most of the things I avocate, so I generally tend
not to bother.

> 
> I was listening to a local radio show where they were discussing an
> "anti-bullying" program in the local schools.  A good idea, but they have
> room to improve- their advice to kids being bullied was "make friends- you
> won't be picked on if you are part of a group".  Gee, is that all you have
> to do?

I dunno, it might well be the only thing you have to do.
If making friends was easy for EVERYONE we might not have any bullies.

Er, how DO you go about making friends with people who are only
interested in stuff you aren't interested in, though?

My mother says I make friends like a man, and that I'm supposed to be
interested in the people themselves, and not care whether we have
anything in common.  But I can't even conjure up an interest in the
day-to-day trivia of my own family, let alone that of the people to whom
I am only connect by merit of happening to own a house next to theirs.

My mother-in-law just recently scolded me, "and I found out from [person
x who goes to out church] that Boyd (my husband) is president of the
Sunday School" and I said "Er... you WANTED to know that?"  Nearly every
active member in our church is given some kind of responsibility, I'm a
nursery leader, for example, and unless someone becomes something really
major, like a Bishop, I don't know why I need to know, thus it doesn't
occur to me that they would want to know, so I don't tell them and they
get offended.  

> 
> It does argue that there is room to teach interpersonal skills in schools
> however.   Some basic psych stuff is covered in social studies now. 

And is knowlege of basic psych actually useful in making friends?

Michelle Bottorff
Lady Lavender


-- 
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