Young Marines -- Is it A Good Program for Kids?

So as I have shared in previous blogs, my sons are having some struggles. My middle son deals with anger issues that I believe stem from living with an abusive father for 8 years of his life and having said abusive mans genes. My oldest son is just a little on the lazy side when it comes to school. So I have been turning over every stone trying to figure out the best ways to help my sons become productive members of society.

So far I have both boys in Taekwondo and in the Young Marines. I also have my middle son in counseling to help learn anger management. I think that learning self control is one of the most important skills a human can learn. Both taekwondo and the Young Marines are based on self-discipline and self-control.

There is a large body of people who think military type programs for kids are too harsh. This is what the Young Marines website says about their program:

The Young Marines is a youth education and service program
for boys and girls, ages 8 through completion of high school. 
The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral, and physical
development of its members. The program focuses on character
building, leadership, and promotes a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.
The Young Marines is the focal point for the U.S. Marine Corps'
youth Drug Demand Reduction efforts.

So far both boys have been in the program for four weeks. They attend every Saturday from 9 to 2 pm. The program starts out by having the kids go through a boot camp type recruit training that ends after 12 weeks with a very big graduation ceremony. I have already seen my boys self-esteem increase as they are able to overcome the physical and mental rigors of the program.

I think that this program will be a positive investment in my sons' futures. What do you think? Am I wrong? Is it to harsh? I am interested to hear your opinions. I will keep you updated on their progress in both programs and their behavior at home as well.

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Good Book About Boys

Image by ouyea... via Flickr

I have been reading this really interesting book by Michael Gurian called  A Fine Young Man. I recommend this book as a must read for anyone raising a son. Very eye opening to men and boys and why they struggle in todays society. Very good book.










The alphabetic synthesis passes the constituent behind the assuming ace.

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Entitlement

What is it about todays youth that makes them believe they deserve (...). When I was a kid I knew my parents worked and provided me with a home and the necessities and while I still desired material goods, I didn't feel like they were owed to me. It seems todays kid thinks that just for being alive they should be given all the toys, clothes, treats, etc. that they desire. We are seeing this behavior at the shelter with the teens a lot. Especially with food. There is a lot of junk food being donated and the kids don't have any issue with helping themselves to whatever they want. Even the clothing that is donated. The majority of the kids we have housed so far are not from impoverished homes and have many material goods. They still take as much as they can. We have had to start limiting all the goods so there will be some for the kids that are really in need.

Has our society become so consumed with consumption that todays youth have an unquenchable desire for stuff. Not only do they have the desire, they feel like it is owed to them. What I find quite amusing is that todays kids do less to deserve all of this stuff. Most don't do chores or work. I was babysitting from the time I was 12 and had a real job at 16. I also had to help around the house. None of my nieces or nephews had chores or worked as teens it seemed.

My kids have chores but still seem like they expect more than they should. They think they should get just as much as the adults who work and support them. Am I the only one who thinks there is a problem. What kind of adults is this generation going to become? Not hard-working. It seems like we are going to have a whole group of adults who expect a lot and don't want to work toward any of it.

Here is a funny link about entitlement: http://www.squidoo.com/entitlement

Just my thoughts...

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