Seniors

Enough already. At Dana Hills High School, we try to make our senior's last year a special one. We have gone way to far.

We have Senior Social, Senior Brunch, Senior Dessert, Senior Movie Night, Knotts Berry Farm, Senior Awards, Senior Ditch Day, Senior Send-Offs, Senior Last Will and Testaments, and yesterday, we had the first ever Senior Assembly. Phew. Thank goodness we added an event.

Are you kidding me? Enough of the nonsense.

Maybe 20 years ago graduating from high school was a big deal. Now? Now, saying you have your high school diploma is akin to saying you don't have a college degree. Graduating high school is nice. But we are making this into some grand level of success that few humans ever attain. Oh to taste from the cup that was held by a high school grad. Give me a break.

This generation scares me. It isn't their fault. It is their parents fault. This generation is the "play date" generation. From birth, they have been the center of the family. They grow up being chauffered to every event they want to be at, every practice for every bad soccer team they played for, and every friend's house for "play time". By being the center of the family, these kids believe they always get what they want. Parents are there to do things for them.

I am sick of hearing "My kids are my life." By paying them all the attention, children never have to strive to be great to be noticed. They don't have to do anything great to be called great. They never have to achieve something that screams to the world, "Look at me!!!" Nope. We tell them how wonderful they are every minute of every day. They grow up thinking the world is built for them.

The result? This generation isn't leaving home. They are staying at mommy's house into their 20's and 30's. This generation isn't holding down jobs. This generation isn't as qualified academically. This generation is waiting to be given something instead of going out there and taking it. This generation can't see that hard work pays off and you have to be better than the next guy. (This is the generation that played soccer without keeping score so no one would feel bad. This is the generation in which everyone gets a trophy. Everyone)

I believe in praise when it is deserved. Congratulations on graduating high school. Now go do something. As a society, we need to understand that false praise; praise that comes before excellence, ultimately hurts the kids.