[misc.handicap] Parents

Ann.Stalnaker@p0.f14.n385.z1.fidonet.org (Ann Stalnaker) (03/15/91)

Index Number: 13973

[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

 > Tim, please don't lay ALL the blame on parents.  Yes, if
 > the parents don't care and don't do anything, then correct,
 > they will do more harm than any educational system, theory
 > or even all the prejudice society can heap on a person
 > altogether...but if it is for (in good faith) following
 > the wrong lead then I feel at least their love and support
 > should be held in some account.

I agree with you, Fran - also, sometimes parents really do know
what is best for their child and also the child's capabilities
which is why many of them set high goals for the child.  You know
as well as I do (we are parents) that children often don't want
to do things that are good for them.  We've lived in a permissive
society for too long (that is changing though) and a lot of
parents/teachers for a while were trying to make the child happy
but it didn't work.  We have to have discipline in education.

I also feel the reason a lot of child do so well, even though
they don't always admit it, is due to the support of their
parents.  However, we, the parents, do make mistakes - but
I feel the majority of us do what we think is in the best
interest for our child.

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James.Womack@f14.n300.z1.fidonet.org (James Womack) (03/23/91)

Index Number: 14140

[This is from the Silent Talk Conference]

Tim, excuse me for butting in here. I think what you are saying is
that parents have basically failed to meet the most rudimentary needs
of their deaf children. As a result, many deaf children grow up paying
a rather heavy price for this. If I may do so, I 'd like to siggest
that for most parents, it is a result of ignorance. With all the conflicting
information given to them by "experts" many don't know what the heck
to do. Of course there are those parents who just don't seem to have
an ounce of common sense when they are present with facts on what is
best for the child, but on the whole, many just don't know what they
need to do. It is here that the Deaf Community must focus a lot of
effort. We must educate the parents about the needs of the deaf child
because the doctors, audiologists and the schools sure are not doing
the job to the best benefit of the child.

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