A Reader's Wise Advice

Dale from Woodstock, Georgia, has just commented on my October, 20, 2007 article. Thanks for the good reminder, Dale, that I should have mentioned that I was writing about Woodstock (Illinois) High School. There is more than one Woodstock in the U.S.A. Does anyone know how many Woodstocks there are?

The original article was at http://woodstockadvocate.com/2007/10/woodstock-high-school-parent.html

Her well-written comment is worth publishing here, as a reminder for all of us parents. Thanks, Dale! Here it is:

"There's more than one Woodstock in the nation - it'd be helpful, if you're going to gripe about Woodstock High, to specify which one you're upset with."

"As to the complaints, well . . . My daughter goes to Woodstock High here in Georgia, and she's 16, and obstinacy has never been a problem with her. She's polite and respectful, doing great in school, and her mom and I are terribly proud of her.

"Our secret? We don't get involved in power struggles with her. We're her parents, for goodness' sake - there's no need for us to prove we have either the power or the authority to enforce our will. So we don't fight with her about the inconsequential things, and when we disagree, we don't raise our voices.

"The kids' fashions and taste in music and entertainment is sometimes disappointing, but my generation certainly upset my mom's generation as well - now the Beatles and the Rolling Stones are considered classical music!

"Don't sweat the small stuff - let your children know you love them and always will, and that you're always there for them. It'll be all too soon before you see them rarely, and you'll wish you could get back that time you wasted screaming and yelling at each other, doing something more productive, more loving, with that time . . ."