DS needs to choose a novel for 10 page paper

[Anonymous]

8:41 OP here, you are very naive if you think this post isn't real. As another poster pointed out many parents go to far more extensive lengths to help their children out. I am at least a few parents in his 12th grade class will be paying someone at least $500 to write this paper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:8:00, you really are missing the mark here, I am not going to write it for him I want to help him out narrowing down a potential topic. Furthermore, you know nothing about him and his strengths lie more in math, science and entrepreneurship.

No OP. You are missing the mark by getting so defensive at the criticism. I'm not 8:00 but when I read grade 12 in your follow up I almost spit out my coffee. There is nothing wrong with letting him struggle with the topic selection early on in the assignment. That's good for him and will help him broaden his skill set to think more abstractly next year. He needs to exercise his mental muscles in areas he doesn't excel. If he's having trouble getting started then he should be soliciting topic ideas, and using his natural gift for entrepreneurship to find clever ways to do so. As a parent, you will be helping him by encouraging him in that way, rather than giving him the crutch of a short list of ideas.

I will grant you that scholastic pressures are higher and more rigorous for today's generation, but your parenting style suggests you haven't allowed your child to adapt along the way. It's not a 'bully for you' situation that the people saying you need to back off have simply gotten lucky with gifted and self motivated children. Rather, they likely let their kids struggle earlier, which led to a more well rounded and adapted kid now. It's not too late for you to practice the same with yours as well.

If a little introspection doesn't ring true, and you really believe that his life will truly be 'ruined' by this assignment if you don't start it for him (that's what you are doing... don't kid yourself), then suggest the Steve Jobs bio. That should nicely parallel an average kid who's strengths are math, science and entrepreneurship. Jeebus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8:00, you really are missing the mark here, I am not going to write it for him I want to help him out narrowing down a potential topic. Furthermore, you know nothing about him and his strengths lie more in math, science and entrepreneurship.

No OP. You are missing the mark by getting so defensive at the criticism. I'm not 8:00 but when I read grade 12 in your follow up I almost spit out my coffee. There is nothing wrong with letting him struggle with the topic selection early on in the assignment. That's good for him and will help him broaden his skill set to think more abstractly next year. He needs to exercise his mental muscles in areas he doesn't excel. If he's having trouble getting started then he should be soliciting topic ideas, and using his natural gift for entrepreneurship to find clever ways to do so. As a parent, you will be helping him by encouraging him in that way, rather than giving him the crutch of a short list of ideas.

I will grant you that scholastic pressures are higher and more rigorous for today's generation, but your parenting style suggests you haven't allowed your child to adapt along the way. It's not a 'bully for you' situation that the people saying you need to back off have simply gotten lucky with gifted and self motivated children. Rather, they likely let their kids struggle earlier, which led to a more well rounded and adapted kid now. It's not too late for you to practice the same with yours as well.

If a little introspection doesn't ring true, and you really believe that his life will truly be 'ruined' by this assignment if you don't start it for him (that's what you are doing... don't kid yourself), then suggest the Steve Jobs bio. That should nicely parallel an average kid who's strengths are math, science and entrepreneurship. Jeebus.

This is all sound advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:8:41 OP here, you are very naive if you think this post isn't real. As another poster pointed out many parents go to far more extensive lengths to help their children out. I am at least a few parents in his 12th grade class will be paying someone at least $500 to write this paper.

LOL, yes, WE are the naive ones here.

[Anonymous]

OP here, I get it I do more for my kids than you do but I am also pointing out that I do far less than a lot of parents these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could also try the Outsiders.

A little young for 12th Grade...

[Anonymous]

Look for a English Comp 101 syllabus online and pull a title from there.

[Anonymous]

"If a little introspection doesn't ring true, and you really believe that his life will truly be 'ruined' by this assignment if you don't start it for him (that's what you are doing... don't kid yourself), then suggest the Steve Jobs bio"

Um, OP says novel in the title of the thread.

[Anonymous]

Send DS to the library this evening. Have him pick out five books off this list:
http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/

and read them. Then have him pick the one he thinks would be the best paper and write the paper.

Then both of you go back to the library and read several more of these books. Because if neither you nor your son can think of a book to compare his life to, then you both need to read more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um, OP says novel in the title of the thread.

Typing a vocalized pause really makes you look like a jerk. I'm well aware that the title says novel, but then OP followed up with information that the assignment is to relate a book to their life. Other posts have asked, and OP has not clarified, if the book can be non-fiction. I do not feel the least bit bad that my off the cuff suggestion to an otherwise silly inquiry might not meet 100% of the requirements for the assignment. I did that as a courtesy to OP so that I at least answered the question asked, even though I couldn't care less if the suggestion is taken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"It is a different day, people. 12th grade teachers can hold kids to ridiculous standards at times and "teacher professionalism" is a thing of the past in many schools. Some teachers will take out their petty grievance with your kid over a grade on an english paper and RUIN YOUR CHILD'S LIFE over it. This term's grades are vey important for college admission--I wouldn't let some potentially vindictive teacher ruin my kids future because of some petty grievance he or she might have with my kid or his family. Nowadays more personal info is out there for teachers to get hold of and ruminate over. You can't just leave it to chance and hope a teacher will be "fair" or supportive all the time anymore. People are crazy. You have to be very intolved in your kid's school work, even at this level, depending on the type of kid you've got. If your kid is this AWESOME self starter, bully for you, you've been lucky. Stop trying to kill off the competition by claiming someone else is helicoptering. We're all way more involved the parents used to be--times change."

Gibberish. Take tour meds.

Asshole: learn to spell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's a SENIOR and you're soliciting an anonymous message board for book suggestions? Well, that explains the noise I heard - it was your helicopter.

It is a different day, people. ou have to be very intolved in your kid's school work, even at this level, depending on the type of kid you've got. If your kid is this AWESOME self starter, bully for you, you've been lucky. Stop trying to kill off the competition by claiming someone else is helicoptering. We're all way more involved the parents used to be--times change.

Um...I have a son in college and the last time I was involved in his school work to this extent was 7th grade. Seriously. How is he supposed to learn any self-reliance if you cushion his every fall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, I get it I do more for my kids than you do but I am also pointing out that I do far less than a lot of parents these days.

To quote my mother: "So if everyone else jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge you'd do it too?"

Sheesh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8:00, you really are missing the mark here, I am not going to write it for him I want to help him out narrowing down a potential topic. Furthermore, you know nothing about him and his strengths lie more in math, science and entrepreneurship.
As for my comment about the food, following the logic of many of the PP how could you expect your kids to know how to feed themselves if you always do it for them. Unless of course you are just trying to help them out in a way but you know they can really do it themselves.

Again, so glad you are all perfect parents.

<snort>

Spin it any way you want - his strengths lie elsewhere, it's just the same as making dinner for him (Really, OP? Really?), whatever . . . the fact remains that you are not only actively involved in selecting report topics for a child who (presumably) will be in college in 9 months, but so involved that you decided to solicit anonymous opinions on the internet to help you suggest book topics to him. (As an aside, please tell me ne's not attending a university with a Great Books curriculum . . . although the books there are pre-selected, so I suppose it's be OK.) Moreover, your concern was apparently motivated by the potential stress it would cause YOU (not him, you) if he got a week out and decided he choose the wrong book. It's apparent you're the problem here, not him.

You are a self righteous, mean person. Are you a teacher? I hope and pray not. If so, you sound like the type that would screw a kid over during a critical semester, when clearly he's under enormous pressure to succeed. You sound like an exacting, punishing, little jerk who thinks she is better and more dedicated to her parenting, work, life, etc than everyone around her. People like you make the world a miserable place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8:00, you really are missing the mark here, I am not going to write it for him I want to help him out narrowing down a potential topic. Furthermore, you know nothing about him and his strengths lie more in math, science and entrepreneurship.
As for my comment about the food, following the logic of many of the PP how could you expect your kids to know how to feed themselves if you always do it for them. Unless of course you are just trying to help them out in a way but you know they can really do it themselves.

Again, so glad you are all perfect parents.

<snort>

Spin it any way you want - his strengths lie elsewhere, it's just the same as making dinner for him (Really, OP? Really?), whatever . . . the fact remains that you are not only actively involved in selecting report topics for a child who (presumably) will be in college in 9 months, but so involved that you decided to solicit anonymous opinions on the internet to help you suggest book topics to him. (As an aside, please tell me ne's not attending a university with a Great Books curriculum . . . although the books there are pre-selected, so I suppose it's be OK.) Moreover, your concern was apparently motivated by the potential stress it would cause YOU (not him, you) if he got a week out and decided he choose the wrong book. It's apparent you're the problem here, not him.

You are a self righteous, mean person. Are you a teacher? I hope and pray not. If so, you sound like the type that would screw a kid over during a critical semester, when clearly he's under enormous pressure to succeed. You sound like an exacting, punishing, little jerk who thinks she is better and more dedicated to her parenting, work, life, etc than everyone around her. People like you make the world a miserable place.

Okay, maybe this PP could have put it more delicately, but his/her point is valid. You need to let your child grow up and fight his own battles. I work as a counselor at a university. I see students all the time who absolutely fall apart when they hit college because they've never been taught to tackle obstacles on their own, without help from their families. I'm sure you mean well. OP. I'm a parent of teens myself. But TRUST ME, you are doing your son no favor by helping him so much with tasks which should be his own to resolve. That's the path to him becoming a strong, resilient adult.