MCPS parents, cut the cord!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Went for a run this morning, while all the 6th grade middle schoolers were waiting at the bus stop for their orientation day. Could not believe how many parents were with them. Really, they can get on the bus themselves. You do not need to walk them to the bus stop, and wait for the bus to arrive, in 6th grade!

So, OP, how many of these parents did you confront and let them know how you feel?

Or did you run home, check facebook and then come here to puff your indignant chest out anonymously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked my kid if he wanted me to walk with him - he said absolutely not. He was walking tall this morning with his backpack to go to school orientation. I was pretty proud.

You have a low bar.

[Anonymous]

I’m a sixth grade teacher. I think you should do whatever gets your kid on the bus. A lot of students never showed today. I guess some were on vacation, but I suspect many had anxiety based on what their friends told me.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, this is not even close to an example of helicoptering. This was the trial run day for the 6th graders, so neither kids nor parents knew exactly where the bus would stop, what time, etc. And yes, some parents like to take a celebratory picture. We stayed with our 6th grader at the stop on orientation day last year and then he walked to the stop alone the rest of the year, as I expect most of these kids will.

[Anonymous]

OP was a neglected child. As an adult he resents every parent who are loving and attentive towards their child(ren).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went for a run this morning, while all the 6th grade middle schoolers were waiting at the bus stop for their orientation day. Could not believe how many parents were with them. Really, they can get on the bus themselves. You do not need to walk them to the bus stop, and wait for the bus to arrive, in 6th grade!

You are upset that parents went to the bus stop with their sixth-graders on ORIENTATION DAY FOR STARTING AT A NEW SCHOOL.

Do you also post on the college forum with complaints that the parents dropped off their freshmen, even though the freshmen are perfectly capable of getting themselves to college?

New poster here. Err, I packed 2 suitcases, flew 3,000 miles, and got myself to my college without mommy and daddy's help. I was 18, fer chrissake, not 8.

[Anonymous]

Our bus stop is a big party complete with lots of dogs the first week of school. After the first week some parents stick around and there is a general agreement between everyone that if the bus fails to show up -which has happened several times- then the parents that are there will take the kids with parents who went on to work.

[Anonymous]

We just drove 4 hours to help DD to start her 1st real job. Sorry OP, you either dont have a kid or haven't speak to your child for years. Feel really sorry for you.

[Anonymous]

Why? My parents have not cut the cord for me and I am 50+ yrs old. They paid for my college, my wedding, helped me for months when my babies were born, helped me when I had to go back to school etc. I am very close to my parents and my siblings because we were raised by nurturing parents. We love our parents and in their old age we have all banded together to look after them. This is because my parents loved all of us and did not abandon us.


Why should I cut the cord with my children? I will continue to be involved in their lives and I will continue to have a close relationship with them. like I have with my own parents. I love my kids and want them to have as many advantages as they can have. They are learning independence but that does not mean that parents cannot teach them by example how to become better prepared in life. Doing a practice run for a new school for incoming ms and hs students was a great idea and having parents with them gives them more confidence. That is one of the reasons that MCPS has this orientation day. They want the students to have a practice run of their new routine in the new school, so that they can become comfortable and confident.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Went for a run this morning, while all the 6th grade middle schoolers were waiting at the bus stop for their orientation day. Could not believe how many parents were with them. Really, they can get on the bus themselves. You do not need to walk them to the bus stop, and wait for the bus to arrive, in 6th grade!

You are upset that parents went to the bus stop with their sixth-graders on ORIENTATION DAY FOR STARTING AT A NEW SCHOOL.

Do you also post on the college forum with complaints that the parents dropped off their freshmen, even though the freshmen are perfectly capable of getting themselves to college?

New poster here. Err, I packed 2 suitcases, flew 3,000 miles, and got myself to my college without mommy and daddy's help. I was 18, fer chrissake, not 8.

And so therefore everyone who doesn't do it that way is doing it wrong?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just drove 4 hours to help DD to start her 1st real job. Sorry OP, you either dont have a kid or haven't speak to your child for years. Feel really sorry for you.

Can you give more detail about this?

My DD was hired straight out of undergrad and I can’t imagine how we could have helped her start her new job. Her dad sent flowers and I sent a text in the morning “You got this!”, but I don’t know how our physical presence would have added anything.

We did help her move to the new city.

[Anonymous]

The bus never showed today for my kid. Glad I worked at home today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why? My parents have not cut the cord for me and I am 50+ yrs old. They paid for my college, my wedding, helped me for months when my babies were born, helped me when I had to go back to school etc. I am very close to my parents and my siblings because we were raised by nurturing parents. We love our parents and in their old age we have all banded together to look after them. This is because my parents loved all of us and did not abandon us.


Why should I cut the cord with my children? I will continue to be involved in their lives and I will continue to have a close relationship with them. like I have with my own parents. I love my kids and want them to have as many advantages as they can have. They are learning independence but that does not mean that parents cannot teach them by example how to become better prepared in life. Doing a practice run for a new school for incoming ms and hs students was a great idea and having parents with them gives them more confidence. That is one of the reasons that MCPS has this orientation day. They want the students to have a practice run of their new routine in the new school, so that they can become comfortable and confident.

You have mixed up paying for things and loving your family with helicoptering. Giving kids advantages is not the same as constructing their lives for them-do you not have faith in your children being able to do things themselves? That's actual sad for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why? My parents have not cut the cord for me and I am 50+ yrs old. They paid for my college, my wedding, helped me for months when my babies were born, helped me when I had to go back to school etc. I am very close to my parents and my siblings because we were raised by nurturing parents. We love our parents and in their old age we have all banded together to look after them. This is because my parents loved all of us and did not abandon us.


Why should I cut the cord with my children? I will continue to be involved in their lives and I will continue to have a close relationship with them. like I have with my own parents. I love my kids and want them to have as many advantages as they can have. They are learning independence but that does not mean that parents cannot teach them by example how to become better prepared in life. Doing a practice run for a new school for incoming ms and hs students was a great idea and having parents with them gives them more confidence. That is one of the reasons that MCPS has this orientation day. They want the students to have a practice run of their new routine in the new school, so that they can become comfortable and confident.

You have mixed up paying for things and loving your family with helicoptering. Giving kids advantages is not the same as constructing their lives for them-do you not have faith in your children being able to do things themselves? That's actual sad for them.

I wished my parents were there for me in 6th grade. They were too busy working all the time so I had to deal, but I am sure had my parents had the opportunity, they would have been there for me often.

I don't see anything wrong with wanting to be with your kids at certain turning points of their lives, if not just to marvel in the amazement of how grown they have become. I have my entire life to see my kids live independently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS is a diverse county.

In other (non-white) cultures, it is not commonly accepted that parents need to detach from their kids as they reach their teen years. Parents in Latin American cultures, or in some Asian cultures are very family oriented and believe that it’s somewhat sad to see kids doing things by themselves. It’s just nicer to have some family members around and some family support.

Get out of your white, American Bubble and realize that there are other ways to do things. That may work just as well (maybe better, since American teens have lots of issues).

Please don't blame this on a mythical white culture. Usually the argument is that parents are too involved. We all do things our own way. But yes, research shows that most kids in the US could use a little more parental involvement.