A good friend of mine asked this morning: Perry, this is not a reflection on the classes you are teaching, but how does a child get to be 18 and not know how to cook? My response: Xxxx, No offense taken, brother, this is a perfectly legitimate question. Many of these kids started out with addicts, dealers, gang-members, etc., for parents, who were often still children themselves. Some growing up on the street, or living in cars or cheap flop-house motels. For some, this is multi-generational. Once in the system they then have bounced from foster-home to foster home where many arent given any responsibilities or chores, often out of a misguided sense of sympathy or pity, sometimes simply out of a lack of interest. Add to that the fact that so many families dont cook any longer, so even the kids who have an interest might not land in a home where theres anyone to teach them. -Perry (PS - I want to make it VERY clear that my statements are not meant to be a reflection on the many, many wonderful foster-care parents out there, MOST of whom take their responsibilities very seriously, and go all-in to change these kids lives for the better. I have the privilege to know several of these families personally, as friends. THAT said...the kids that are coming to us in THIS program, are often in that unfortunate minority that isnt as interested or capable of doing so.)
Posted on: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 14:28:50 +0000