Our future is in their hands?!

        I just finished high school last year and my dad works at an elementary and middle school so I have spent a lot of time around "kids." I want to know what is happening to them.

        Half of them are cussing all over the place. These are words I barely knew when I was their age and they use them constantly. Some of the words they are using I still don't know. I also see younger and younger kids having/ talking about sex. Some of them are having it as early as 14 years old or even younger. I don't know if it's just my personality but shouldn't that be done at a much later age? I know there are kids like this in my generation and previous ones but it's almost like every single one of them is like this. I fear for my children to grow up around people like this if it continues in their generation.

       Another point I'd like to make is that kids don't try anymore. My brother is a sophomore in high school and he sees himself graduating with half the class he started with. These kids just don't care! I don't want to point fingers at anybody in particular, but I do feel that the parents and teachers hold a large amount of the blame. In many schools, the teachers let students get away with things too much. They give them "one more chance" all the way up until the graduate. I know that laws have but a cut in teachers' power but come on! They still need to demand the respect they disserve. My dad walks into the room and the students don't blink without his consent. When he walks out they go back to screaming and not paying attention. I'm not saying he's perfect but my dad and only a few other teachers have the right idea.

       Onto the parents… I have seen kids get in trouble for bad mouthing a teacher in the middle of class for saying an answer was in correct and when the parent comes in to talk to the Dean or Principle they defend their child. I mean can they really be serious. They have 20+ witnesses and they still think it's the teachers fault? Another thing parents have been doing is letting their child skip school to get work done or even doing it for them. It's the child’s problem, not their's.

        I say teach the children of the future that when they do something wrong they get punished, that they don't always get what they want, and especially to respect their elders. They say that the children are our future. Well if that's true I fear for us all. Please tell me what you think because I'm at a loss.