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plummet wrote:

william_rx7 wrote:Involving kids (both good and bad kids) in our sport is a crucial part of being a positive part of the community.

Guys in this situation you're viewed as a leader. Use your leadership and create a powerful "teachable" moment.

Kids love to have a 'job' to do, and love to be part of the action. That's why they were trying to help land your kite. Parents love to see their kids involved in learning something new by a 'responsible' adult.

Here's an alternate plan
1) Ask the parent if the kids would like to help out.
2) Explain their role and yours and how to be "safe". You're landing the kite, but you need them after it's on the ground. Line them as "helpers" safely behind you (draw a line in the sand) as "look-outs" and "board caddies".
3) Land your kite, then call them to run over after you make it to the kite and have it secured. Make it a race. Have them help "flip the kite" (do an extra flip to "check-out" everything) and weigh the kite down with sand (most kids are natural diggers).
4) Involve them in "flipping the kite" and the "deflate", young kids get a laugh out of the loud deflate blast. Call it a kite "fart" and you'll crack-up any kid between 5 and 10 years old

It's easy to "blame" others, and you're right the kids should be better behaved. However it's up to leaders to help show kids the right things to do, and not just tell them to "get of the way".

Now to the OP, I've done this successfully with 2 or 3 kids at a time. 8 sounds like a pretty wild bunch, but this has worked well for me a couple times with 2 or 3 kids at a time. 8 is likely too many, you might thin out the helpers by asking "who wants to help? I need 3 helpers."

Look this won't work every time, but it can create a way more positive experience for everyone involved.

Love to see some more positive suggestions and other ideas.

Great idea William and the best reply yet.

Kamikuza wrote:

Westozzy wrote:Crappy teachers...nope.

Crappy parents.

Billie I was being sarcastic. Things couldn't be worse.

I see the result of crappy parents and the school system having their hands tied behind their backs due to polices derived around such a modern approach.

If you don't believe me, come and spend some time in a high school and you will see the teachers are doing their best under less than ideal conditions. If not, shut the f*** up cause you have no idea what you are talking about.

Crappy teachers - yep.
It's like the Ministry of Works and those fat lazy bastards who lean on shovels all day. You can't fire their stupid asses cos the unions will trip balls. (This is the US I'm talking about eh, as that was the graph that was posted.)

Crappy parents - yep.
Studies have shown that:
- kids who perform better in schools are those who verbally interact more at home.
- kids who are properly fed do better in school
- kids who come from homes that value education do better in schools.
- etc.
Parents need to cop a lot of the blame BUT the education system can still be fucked up as well, and YES teachers can be crappy.

"Hitting" kids . . . as a kid who was hit, it had minimal effect on me either for good or ill. Having to do shit like "community service" was a far more effective punishment.

Oddly enough, I was a student once so I see no need to shut the f*** up as I have as much experience as anyone else here. Also, I work in schools too - from elementary to high school and I bet my school system is more fucked up than yours nar nar nar

Westozzy wrote:Ha ha nice reply man. No kidding I had just caught the top of my index finger between a tomahawk axe, a piece of wood, the chopping block and a good old heave ho from above my head. Bleeding like a stuck pig.

Yeh true about the US but we are doing our best to follow you into the capatilistic rabbit hole.

I work in the private sector now and we fire teachers all the time. Gap between this and state education is increasingly rapidly which is not good. Think the non english speaking western nations have got it right. Pay big tax bills but quality of health and education are at a premium.

Kamikuza wrote:
ANYWAY . . . damned kids and retarded parents.

plummet wrote:

Kamikuza wrote:
ANYWAY . . . damned kids and retarded parents.

Its not the kids fault. its the retarded parents.

Had i been in charge of that group I would have policed the situation much better and set limits for the kids to follow. It doesn't matter what the item is on the beach. Kite, SUP, surfboard, motorbike, yacht, hell somebody elses spade and bucket. You do not use and abuse other peoples gear without prior permission. It is a lesson that parents must teach their kids or they simply do not know.

POACHER wrote:If someone is jumping on my $2,000 kite, they are getting roundhoused............regardless of age or size.

I do not discriminate. Dog, child, elderly, female, mentally challenged, handicapped or even family member. Don't mess with my gear please. That's not asking too much.

plummet wrote:

Kamikuza wrote:
ANYWAY . . . damned kids and retarded parents.

Its not the kids fault. its the retarded parents.

Had i been in charge of that group I would have policed the situation much better and set limits for the kids to follow. It doesn't matter what the item is on the beach. Kite, SUP, surfboard, motorbike, yacht, hell somebody elses spade and bucket. You do not use and abuse other peoples gear without prior permission. It is a lesson that parents must teach their kids or they simply do not know.