Author: CourtneyO

Another Nail in the Coffin

July 29, 2013Comments Off on Another Nail in the CoffinBlog

My step-son received a model car for his birthday and this weekend he decided to build it and paint it.  He was so excited to work with his Dad on this special project.  We made a list of the things we needed for the model (glue, paint, etc) and I set off to Walmart to pick everything up.

I had to pass by the large selection of X-Box,  Play Station, and Wii games to get to the toy section so that I could locate the models and the glue.  Not finding anything there, I proceeded to the craft section thinking that model glue would be there.  No luck.

I tracked down an employee who had no idea and found a lady who seemed to be responsible for the toy section.  With sadness in her voice, she reported to me that Walmart didn’t carry model glue.   My first thought was that they stopped carrying the glue because people were probably sniffing it or something dangerous like that.  I jokingly asked her if that was the reason and her answer was that Walmart actually didn’t need to carry glue because they don’t carry models.  I sat there with my jaw dropped realizing that one of the biggest retailers in America has stopped carrying model cars, airplanes, etc.  She assured me that a few locations still did but that they are not an item that was moving off of the shelves.

A child building a model with his siblings or parents is such an important tradition for all involved.  It is quality time where a child is using his hand/eye coordination and creative skills to build something he can keep forever.  The memories of building it with Mom or Dad stay forever.

I’m sad I had to pass by all of the video games in Walmart to locate the empty shelf where models once were.  There are no memories built from sticking your kids in front of violent video games.  It’s just an inappropriate babysitter replacing quality family time.  I hope for a day when parents will unite and even remember how important things like model building were.  If we don’t, it’s just another nail in the coffin for American families and our society as a whole.

Discipline REDEFINED: Why We’re Here

June 23, 2012Comments Off on Discipline REDEFINED: Why We’re HereBlog

Discipline REDEFINED (recently renamed Uncommon Sense) was created to provide logical and helpful solutions to parents that are interested in raising children that can and will contribute to their families, their schools, their communities, and their world.

We are excited to tackle difficult and simple issues that parents face every day and provide a forum where parents can discuss their failures and successes along the way.  Parenting today is more complicated than it has ever been as we face the reality that our country has been devastated by a lack of responsibility and a lack of discipline.  We can make a difference but it is going to take the work of all of us to undo the lack of discipline that we have allowed in our children.  We have to be willing to eliminate the sense of entitlement that our children have and learn that saying “No” is an important part of life and of leadership.

We are here to stop the death of America.  The rebirth we are all seeking begins in our homes which will ultimately spill out into individual classrooms, schools, the workplace, the community, and our country.  We need to be reminded that children need to learn and feel the ups and downs that we will all have to deal with in life.  We have been afraid to let our children fail or fall.  We must grasp onto the lessons in life that will guide them – self-respect, healthy competition, shame and embarrassment, disappointment, patience, etiquette, and respect for leaders.  Imagine what this will look like if we are willing to step back and correct the problems we have allowed to seep in to our own homes.

If you want to become a leader in your home and really enjoy rather than tolerate the people that your children are becoming, then you are in the right place.   We look forward to hearing from you.

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