Re: The Intimate 5th/6th Graders
Err....lets get off the personal attacks here.
I have seen a fair number of very decent kids in 12-18 age bracket. Polite, friendly and performing excellent in their schools in academics and sports. I think, it has to do a lot with the atmosphere you maintain the home and the values you instill in your kids. Mind you, even siblings can turn out in very different ways, so there is definitely a factor of individual character.
As parents our responsibility and our hope should be to expose our kids to only age-appropriate contents (TV, music, vidoes etc) and patiently, constantly and consistently tell them what we feel is good and bad. At some point, they will be on their own making their own decisions, and you would hope you have given them enough knowledge and confidence to make the right decisions for themselves and those around them.