Publication Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2005
The way we were
The way we were
(August 17, 2005) Parents reflect on their high school experiences in stark contrast to their children's lives
by Alexandria Rocha
Another school year begins Monday, as do efforts to tackle stress.
Much of the discussion in the past year has centered on parents. Along with teachers and society at large, parents have shouldered a good part of the blame for obsessing over college admissions, overbooking their children's schedules and, as a result, robbing students of the "normal" teen experience.
Hoping to highlight the differences between today's taxing school culture and that of a few decades ago, the Palo Alto Weekly asked two sets of parents to share details about their experiences in high school and how it differs with their children's.
Erwin and Kathy Morton, whose son Garrett will be a freshman at Paly this year, grew up in New York and graduated from high school in the '60s. Ofer Bruhis and Tali Hardonag experienced high school in Israel in the '70s. Their daughter, Noa, will be a senior at Gunn.
We also asked their children to share their views on what many teachers and experts on adolescence consider a high-pressure lifestyle. From homework to stress to relaxation, the answers reveal significant similarities and differences between the two generations.
For example, the level of homework (for all but Kathy Morton) was certainly far less than the five or more hours that Palo Alto and Gunn high school students say they endure on a nightly basis. There was a lot more time for just "hanging out," and relaxing with friends.
However, the kids themselves don't consider the pressure to be out of the ordinary.
To shed greater light on both parental and teen views of stress, the Weekly has published the parents answers in a Q&A format and placed the teen stories in a separate sidebar. We hope the information provided will be of interest and use in the ongoing discussion of teen stress.
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