BOYSOFMINE

I am amazed that so many think that what I do is babysit. Yes the tigers are a rambuncous group but my boys learn. Kids are amazing little machines. They soak up anything you are willing to teach them. It all comes down to how much effort you put into it. My den's projects are funded totally out of my pocket (except for derby cars, those are provided by the pack, no I am not wealthy. I scrape and save everything to do this. We do not charge den fees. When needed the parents chip in with whatever is needed. The siblings are not a hardship. The Tiger den is and should be a family meeting. I would rather have a couple of extra siblings than lose a couple of boys. Besides the siblings (those that are boys) are excited and ready to become a tiger as soon as they are allowed to join. Maybe it's just me but we went from only having 2 boys in tigers 2 years ago to having 9 then this year 12. I must be doing something right. I am not trying to irritate anyone, just putting in my 2 cents.

I didn't mean to hit anyone's nerve and to each their own please. I have been a stay at home mom for 8 years. I went back to work this year 2 hours a day so that my husband could complete his paramedic training and study on his off days. Now that the house is empty of the kids I babysat I would give anything to be at home but if you knew how little firefighters are paid for the first 5 years my working is a neccessity until training is complete. This also allows us to be a family in all senses of the word and our scout group is the same way. Most of us don't have cable or any of the extras. Heck I drive an older 15 passenger van. now that all the car seats are gone the scouts fill it up. The gas prices are killing me! But have bus will travel! Please know that we each give of ourselves to our groups and that each of us are unique. Scouting is what I think is keeping families together and each den is as diverse as the families that fill it. I am quite sure that we can be all proud of what we do for our scouts as I sure that I am proud to be married to a humble but special hero, my firefighter. Boysofmine

By the way, I have 6 tigers that have completed their Light of Christ, Yeah Tigers!( I did not teach it) We also have the largest group of boys going into the boy scouts again this year. boysofmine

I supose we are fortunate. We are all from the same small catholic school and parish and all have known each other since our kids were in preschool together. As I said parents and siblings are with the scouts at all meetings and we run our meetings in a family format. I look at these meetings as a chance for us to enhance our family time and that the core values are taught to the family not just the scouts. Sometimes our meetings are loud but we have a great time together. I am also lucky in that this year I am also the teachers aide for our 1st and 2nd grade classes so I get to know the kids that much better. It does take quite a bit of time for me to prepare for meetings but it is worth it. In regards to the educational aspect of preschool and kindergarden. Maybe we are not as far ahead as other countries but in this country preschool and all day kindergardens exist for two reasons. 1. for working parents who need daycare. 2. and most importantly to teach our children.Kids these days need to know much more than we ever did. Did you have computer classes in kindergarden... Proficiency testing is a major undertaking in the educational system in the US.I do not agree with it but we have no other choice. So by including all ages (siblings) and all families I believe that scouting is giving us something that the 21st century is taking away, family time. My boys are not spending their time overscheduled with extra curicular activities, but I know that time is coming, so for now if I have parents that want to include the younger children in the family I will do my best to accomodate them. All things are taught based on age so why not teach 4 and 5 year olds as we do the 6 and 7.I have found them to be just as abled as the 6 and 7 and in many cases just as eager to be included and learn. Okay I will get off my soap box now. Anyone willing to babysit my 4 year old so I can teach core family values just to the tigers call me.LOL! boysofmine

No, I will follow the guidelines but I will find a different way to do a craft, meeting etc. For instance when it comes to making a scrapbook page he just makes a different one then the others for an event in his life. I find it easier to allow the boys to be creative rather than forcing them to be exact.Last week we followed the strike up the band, I brought in things from my recycle bin, papers, markers, wood, copper pipe, dryer vent hose and let them make their own instruments after we talked about he very first instrument a man might make. In December this year we deviated and spent the month working on mangers from wood, clothes pins, felt, straw. They were amazing and the kids would not let the parents help them. Each was their own peice of art.It gets tuff sometimes but by using my notes from last year I just try to put a different spin on what we do.Sorry so long. boysofmine

I had so many siblings with my tiger group and since it is mandatory to have the families with the tigers we included the youngers. I gave them the name of chipmonks, t-shirts, hats and I made up booklets with the guidelines and etc, my tigers had and they not only did everything the tigers did they were just as good if not better. Out of those 4 boys and 2 girls (yeah girls) all 4 boys joined my tiger group this year and are much more involved and better behaved than the new tigers. I now have a den of 12 tigers, a little large but I have the most involoved parents you can imagine. We probably should have split the den but could not get another leader and we are lucky enough to use the school cafeteria for our meetings. Do not sell the younger boys short. Even my four year old son sits beautifully through all the meetings and makes everything my tigers doand understands just about everything we have taught the tigers. The only limits a child has are the ones we put on them. I would have loved to added the chipmonks again this year but since the families interested do not have older siblings our pack thought we should not push. I do have one sibling that is again included this year and he is awarded non scout beads and badges along with the tigers for all the hard work he puts into each meeting. Just my 2 cents.boysofmine

I think that is a terific idea! I will bring it up to the cubmaster this week. Then we all have to be on the same page, so to speak. Thanks! Boysofmine

Good so far. Our pack got off to a late start this year but it looks promising. We have 13 boys this year for tigers alone but I also have every parent there by the boys sides and a great group of parents. I think we will do great! Thanks for your help. We have tried to get the mom into the training program and she did sign up as assitant den leader so maybe if we keep "suggesting" she will go to the classes offered. Sometimes you just have to wait it out. I agree about the parent issue.

Thank you,I have always managed to keep control when needed except for when she would chime in. We have one boy that is ADHD but with training and treatment he turned out to be the best behaved. We have a large group and all the parents and siblings also attended each meeting. I agree that the parents are always going to be where you have the most problems. I will definitely follow your suggestions and see how things go this year. We have all finished our training and love what we do with the boys.

We have a parent assitant who wants to discipline all the boys by sending them home from a meeting when they play around or mess up, the problem is that her son is the problem but she fails to recognize this, to her it is always the other kids and even though she has said the rules would also make her son go home she constantly puts the blame elsewhere, she was my assitant den leader last year and it made life miserable for all involved. Even when her husband would literally have to chase their son around the room three or four times. She is now going to be my husbands assitant den leader and he is not looking forward to this. The other parents have all stated that if she was to be a den leader they would take their children elsewhere. What to do? boysofmine