Me either.

From what I've understood thus far, children are supposedly healthier and better maintained than if left with their parents alone (assuming the biological parents are "bad"). Grandparents also get a solid sense of "I'm needed, my life is worthwhile because of it".

The latter I can understand. The first I'm still trying to wrap my head around. Granted, the situation I'm familiar with involves the child being transported between three people, so it's not an ordinary case. But still, if he were in his grandmother's sole care, he'd still be spoiled rotten, and I don't think he'll be prepared to face the real world when it comes time. Not if he's continued to be showered the way he is.

Would you believe he's getting a Wii, and the price is no object? It's sickening. We weren't given that kind of stuff when we were little. Mom never had the money. She doesn't have it now. She has more than she did when she was raising us, but not enough to throw out $400 or so to get the system, controllers, and a starting game. >/

Wow. x.x

Kim was raised by her grandmother, and I don't think it was necessarily the best thing. Better than being raised by her real parents I suppose (both were on drugs, and at least one was abusive).

Her grandmother though felt that she had done so poorly with her first set of children, that she completely changed her strategy with Kim. Instead of the overly strict she was originally, she was incredibly loose. It didn't matter to her what grades Kim got or what Kim wore.

All this is well and good except that I think Kim was smart enough to do well in school, but because no one cared whether she got good grades, she didn't bother putting forth any effort and did poorly.

I found what I was looking for. An article that says how studies have shown low-income grandparent families have grandchildren who tend to be behind in education and they act out in poor social ways. I think I'm good now. The other articles will hopefully be accepted.

I worry about my nephew sometimes. I remember that when he was "mine", all he wanted to do was read and be around me. I really wish I hadn't just given up when things got so bad, but he wasn't mine. I raised him before I was even out of high school, and it was like the effort was for naught when everyone was undoing the good I'd done.

I don't know how I feel about him now. Some days I think he has great potential, and then others I just think he's going to be destroyed. His mother will shoot down anything he does. Like with being the ring bearer, he was all excited about it and she had said something like, "He's just going to fall on his face."

He's going to be six years old this Wednesday, and I feel like his potential's being burned out before it's begun. My mother's too busy smothering and spoiling him to give him real encouragement. Nor should she have to. She doesn't have legal custody of him. But my sister's not supporting him emotionally either.

I'm at the point where I either need to get fully involved with him or let the chips go and wash my hands (again). I'm not sure which I should do. It's not about what's fair or not anymore. It's more so about what's right.

I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I've still come to no real conclusion.

I know he's learning in school, though. He'll spout off the most random things that makes me relieved in the sense that he's sharp-minded. I just feel had he stuck with always wanting to read (and having people READ to him), he'd already know how to like I did before Kindergarten.

God, what a ramble. I'm sorry. x_x

No worries.

I'm glad you found a good article. You can always use some of the articles that say good things as stating the competition's opinion, and then rebuting it.

I really hope things go well with Kellen. I don't feel like you can take responsibility for him though. You have to focus on your own life.

Thanks Chairen. ^^


xD You could also put that there's a result from being spoiled like that. Grandparents almost always overfeed the kids, resulting in a spoiled, chubby kid. Plus the Grandparents don't have the energy do play with the kids or teach them sports. Hell, when I was 13 my grandparents gave me fireworks for christmas and mixed me drinks at 9am. o_o

But they're extreeeeeemely cajun. xD

*Edit; That's got to be hard on you emotionally, but if YOU believe in him and you show that to him every chance you get, he'll be just fine. As long as someone truly cares for him (not through money or presents) and shows him that, he might not notice it now, but he will in time.

@Tea
Last Christmas I put a lot of effort and money into his gift because all he did was whine about how he wanted video games. Well, at the time he was very inept at any controller with multiple buttons, so I had my NES refurbished and spent hours cleaning out all of my old games.

Christmas came, he opened it and had this really bratty attitude of, "Video games?! Who the hell wants THOSE?!"

I took the present away from him. My family was appalled that I took it home, but I didn't care. I sold it later on down the road and got my money back. He didn't get a thing from me that Christmas and I'll be damned if he didn't know for weeks how displeased I was with his behavior.

I'm the only one who won't spoil him or shower him with monetary affection. But he respects me for it. I'm the only one he won't dare push buttons on, and it makes me feel some sense of accomplishment.

@Cami
I know it's not my responsibility. I just wonder if things could be different if I had him over here for a couple nights a week. Right now I pick him up from school as you know, but when next semester starts I won't be doing that. I just wonder if maybe 1-2 days a week might be helpful for him, and it wouldn't kill me.

I didn't know he did that. o.o I knew that you were putting all that work into his gift, but I don't think you ever told me how he reacted to it. That's horrible

Well, it taught me a very important lesson. Never put money into that kid, ever. And I haven't since. His birthday was minimal, though it turns out what I got him is something he happened to mention wanting out of the blue, so that's good.

But yes, that's the single worst thing he's ever done to me. XD;

Speaking of video games, I want to play mario 3. <<,, Can we play Mario 3 when I visit? XD Not all weekend of course, but a little.

I just got done saying to Cole yesterday how much you love that game. I've no problem with it. xD We've played through it twice this week. (It was released on the Virtual Console.)

<<,, Well, then, I'm going to lose horribly, because I haven't played it in a couple of years. XD Not since my computer's memory was wiped during my junior year of college.

Remember that hardcore ROM we played where they altered all the levels? I don't know where that is anymore, but that was awful. >>;;

XD It was fun though.

You're going to be like, "Oh, and jump here for extra life, and do this to take all of Cami's lives, and I might as well click this button which will let me take all of her gold coins too."

Nah. xD I'll be good.

<<,, Which doesn't mean that you couldn't do it should you choose to.

Do you listen to The Academy is...? I think I sent you at least one of their cds.

Yep. I don't remember how I felt about it. I'll listen to it again later and let you know. XD It's been a while.

I luffle them. There's one line though from a song of theirs that's stuck in my head that goes, "When you said you were falling apart I thought you meant that you were falling apart."

I've been listening to instrumental music lately, though I think that's partially because I tend to put my headphones on when I do papers anymore, unless I'm alone. We have this huge apartment and yet my butt stays planted in the living room with the laptop on a TV tray for when I do homework (and pretty much anything else online). xD

I think I've been at the kitchen table once. Bah.

When you do term papers, do you tend to find the "Works Cited" page the most annoying? I find that once the title page and the bibliography is done, the rest is a breeze.

Not really. I always use easybib.com, so work cited pages are fairly simple.

I move my laptop a lot. XD It goes with me to school, it goes with me to the living room, it's on my desk, on my bed.

I've always wanted a laptop. <<,, I use it like it's portible.

o_o @Easybib. I think I have found my favorite website. Thank you. xD <3

XD. If I'd known you had trouble with Work Cited pages, I'd have given it to you earlier. I've used it at least since I was a sophomore in college. <3

It makes everything so... easy. o.o And handy. *still fawning over it*

XD

I'm gonna go grab a quick shower. I'll be back soon.

P.S. Check it out. I have over a thousand gold again. Whoot!

Edit: Oh, and one of my groupies just sent the TOC. I'll paste it here, and while I go get a shower, you can see if you think of any other things for Katie to be doing. XD <3

Wait, You Mean I Have to Live Here?
A young women’s guide to surviving on her own.
1. Apartment
a. Finding an apartment
b. Moving into your apartment
c. What does your apartment need
i. Kitchen supplies
ii. Bedroom
iii. Living room
iv. Bathroom
v. Tools
d. Setting up your apartment
i. How to put together computer
ii. How to put together sound system/tv
e. Cleaning
f. Dealing with your landlord
g. Dealing with your neighbors
h. Entertaining
i. Cooking
1. simple recipes
ii. Cleaning
iii. Decorating
2. How to Balance your life
a. Work
i. Interviewing tips
ii. Outfits
iii. Writing resume and cover letter
b. Friends
i. Making friends
ii. Co-workers
iii. Staying in touch
iv. House guests
c. When to go out when not to go out
d. Budget

See you in a bit.

Sorry I'm taking so long in responding. I'm actually writing the paper. The Bibliography is finished, and I thank you for that site again. I'll definitely keep that in mind for every paper I do from now on. Blee. XD

I don't think I have any other suggestions for Katie. That's a lot.

XD Okay.

I'm going to sneeze.

The funny thing is I sneezed twice after typying "sne" of the above "sneeze."