Excerpts 11from the 1994 Essay Contest (Care About Children Bk)Prioritize! Kids Are Worth It!"The decline of morals in this world is directly related to how much time the parents spend raising their children and teaching them the difference between right and wrong. By taking this time when children are young, you can help eliminate the chance of crime and violence later on in their lives." Allecia Finley, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois"When looking at the facts, the parents must not be doing their job because of the number of teenage pregnancies." Melissa Grassi, Marion High School, Marion, South Dakota"I believe too much blame is laid on the parents. I don't think a lot of parents know what goes on in the day-to-day lives of their children. Most parents are working too longÐand don't have much time for their children." Heather Hicks, Camden High School, Camden, Tennessee"A mother left her child alone in a house for three months. While we still do not have all the facts, we do know that nothing can justify this behavior. When a person brings a child into this world, their responsibility does not end when it is convenient. A perfect example of responsibility in this same case is that the thirteen year old child continued to go to school every day even though no one was there to 'make her go'. How did such a responsible child get raised by such an irresponsible parent?" Megan McGraw, Garnet Valley High School, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania"What good does the work at school accomplish if they enter the world of violence in the afternoon? What good does all the supervision in the day mean if they go to a world where there is no supervision, no parents and no structure?" Crystal Bearley, Kensington High School, Kensington, Kansas "Most people todayÐdon't care what their teens are doing at night or who they are with and I think that should change." Gunner Rotter, Centerville High School, Centerville, South Dakota "The local roller rink has signs posted that say 'not responsible for accidents.' Many parents, however, drop their children off to skate for hours at a time. Some of these children are no older than four or five. Is it any wonder so many children are abducted each year? Someone needs to be responsible for these children at all times. If the roller rink is not, why aren't their parents?" Abby Ann Dunn, Knoxville High School, Knoxville, Illinois"The family unit is very important. Many values and standards begin in the home with the family. Families should learn to communicate more thoroughly so teens will not take their anger out on other teens. Parent could take enough time to be a part of the teen's activities and know more about them. This would prevent many people that are too young for many video games and song lyrics from being a part of them." Melanie Homan, Demopolis High School, Demopolis, AlabamaValues or work ethic?"When I asked my uncle about what he thought was happening to values in the home, he said that it all stems from society making everything easier and more convenient. He believes that we are an undisciplined society with a degenerating work ethic." Ryan L. Moore, Carbondale High School, Carbondale, Illinois"With moms working outside of the home and fathers sometimes working two jobs, parents are too busy to teach their children values and morals. They just aren't around their children enough, so the teens look to a peer group they can feel secure in. Often this group is a gang." Jeremy Adams, Big Spring High School, Newville, PennsylvaniaThe Ingalls, The Waltons And The Cleavers Give Way To The Simpsons"Responsibility is an individual concept and an individual lifestyle, one taught by the most important institution this nation will ever know -- the family."Angela Fletcher, Broken Arrow High School, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma"Over the past three decades, families have evolved from, what I consider, the Walton Family generation. The roles of parents and children have changed as well as their attitudes and beliefs. The Waltons were a tightly knit family with a stern and sturdy father, a loving mother, five compatible children, a dinner table filled with discussion, a strong feeling of love, and the teaching of the difference between right and wrong. This is the way a family should function. Instead, we see, today, families like the Simpsons, a family loosely held together by a helpless father, a careless mother, and two mischievous children. We also see single-parent families with children having to live with the memories of divorce or with questions about their lost parent."Nicole Peduzzi, Big Spring High School, Newville, Pennsylvania"Lack of communication has to be one of the biggest problems within the family." Chris Jublin, Post Falls High School, Post Falls, Idaho"Guilt and the need for placement of blame is a common problem in divorce situations. 'The unspoken feelings in this area are the worst kind because even though parents may feel responsible, their children might still blame themselves for what happened in their families.' For example; when I was eight years old, my parents were finally divorced. They had been separated for many years before this occurred. Because of such a long separation period, I felt that I could have done something else to keep my family together. I never knew until later that the problems in my parents' marriage were much too serious to be overcome by anything that I might have said. The unspoken truths of our family problems led to a feeling of guilt that a child should not have to experience." Sherri Paulk, Lubbock-Cooper High School, Lubbock, Texas
