George McGurn

May 31, 2000

This is a very silly story.

It was only the first week of school vacation and Mom and Dad were beside themselves about the behavior of their two children. The kids were surly. They were rude. They were insulting. And those smart mouth remarks. It was just too much.

And then Dad brought in the advertisement he found in the paper. It read, "BOOT CAMP FOR KIDS. ARE YOUR KIDS RUDE? DO THEY GIVE YOU BACK TALK? ARE THEY SURLY AT HOME? SEND THEM TO OUR BOOT CAMP FOR SOME STRICT DISCIPLINE—AND WE GUARANTEE THAT AFTER A SUMMER WITH US THEY WILL BE POLITE. THEY WILL BE RESPECTFUL. AND THEY WILL BE VERY, VERY COOPERATIVE."

Mom and Dad couldn’t believe it. It sounded like they were talking about their kids. They got right on the phone and signed up both kids for a summer at Boot Camp.

After their boys had spent a month at Boot Camp Mom and Dad attended parent’s week end where they watched their kids participate in some of the camp’s activities. They were just amazed at what they saw. They saw their two kids dressed in neat, clean uniforms. Their heads were neatly shaved. And they kept saying "yes sir" to the adults in charge. The parents couldn’t believe it. No baggy clothes. No dirty faces. And no rude talk.

And the drill sergeants. Boy, were they tough. They put their face right into the faces of the kids and screamed. And you could see that the kids were really afraid of them. If any kid did something wrong the drill sergeant screamed in their face and then made them get down on the floor and do push- ups.

When it was time for lunch Mom and Dad were escorted into the camp cafeteria by two very polite students and seated for their meal. When the parents looked around they couldn’t believe their eyes. Two hundred kids were seated at tables of four. Two hundred kids were sitting straight in their chairs. Two hundred kids were eating quietly and politely.

And the kids were eating "by the numbers." They raised their forks according to a set tempo. And they chewed their food in unison. You could tell that they had to chew so many times before they could all swallow at the same time.

Mom thought this was heaven. No spilled milk. No giggling. No complaining about the food. No pushing and shoving. No arguing. No insulting. Nothing but peace and quiet in the cafeteria.

Before the parents left for home they participated in the inspection of the student dormitories. And when they stopped at their children’s room they were amazed again. They saw their two kids standing at attention in clean uniforms presenting their room for inspection. The beds were made with hospital corners and with no creases in the blankets. The floor was clean. And everything was in its place. Mom was in heaven again.

After four more grueling weeks of Boot Camp the kids had completed their training and had graduated with honors. And now it was time to go home.

The kids had completely changed. And they showed the same respect, and cooperation they had learned at Boot Camp to their parents. At first the parents were so happy. But then they began to see things in their kids that scared them. The kids were quiet. But they didn’t seem happy. The kids cooperated but they didn’t seem to have their old enthusiasm. And when they were asked their opinion about something they seemed lost.

What had happened to their old sense of humor? Where was their old creativity? Where was their spunk? And what happened to their spirit? There kids really didn’t seem to act like kids at all. They seemed more like robots. And they both seemed so tired. Now Mom and Dad were really concerned. Did they do what was right for their children?

This story is not as far fetched as you might think. I have worked with a lot of parents who were ready to send their kids to a place like the Boot Camp. And that Boot Camp image seems to keep popping up in the media. There is something about a huge drill sergeant screaming into the face of a frightened kid that seems to appeal to parents.

Part of every parent would like to get their children to obey instantly and without question. But then they also want their children to be independent and think for themselves. Parents want their children to listen to them. But they also want them to be creative and learn to do things on their own.

And I guess that effective parents are aware of getting a balance with their kids. Sometimes kids need to listen to their parents and do it just like their parents tell them. And sometimes kids need to be creative and figure out how to do things for themselves. And when kids get a balance of both of these experiences at home, they are on their way to becoming successful adults.