Oct 2 2014 discusion questions

Please consider the following questions. We will be talking about them in class tomorrow. See you then!

1)    Husbands should earn the most money in a family.
- Do the men in the family usually make more money in your home country?
- How would you feel if you (if your a woman) or your wife (if you are a man) made the most money?
- Is money a topic that is discussed by families?
- Is being a stay-at-home dad acceptable in your home country?


2) Doing a job you like is more important than earning a lot of money.
- Would you rather enjoy your job, or make a lot of money?
- When you are considering what classes to take in school, do you think about enjoying your future job, or making a lot of money? What are your parents expectations?
- Would you rather be in a relationship with someone who enjoys their job, or someone who makes a lot of money?

Wed, Sept 24 Discussion Article

Please read the article below and consider this question: Should parent bribe their children to behave properly?

See you in class!

Matthew

Some parents promise a child dessert if they finish their Brussels sprouts. Some parents purchase a video game if a child does well on a test. These shouldn't be called treats or rewards. Promises of desserts, toys, or favours are bribes, especially when they are given for everyday, appropriate behaviour.

Parenting experts agree that rewards are important. But some parents have gone too far. They pay their children to brush their teeth, go to sleep early, or even score a few goals at a soccer tournament! This may achieve results in the short term. But in the long term, children can become adults with an unrealistic viewpoint of the world. They think, "What are you going to give me?"

The modern world is partly to blame. There are many more material goods than before. In addition, both parents must now work and be parents full-time. It's easier to bribe a child than to have a power struggle. However, with each bribe, children demand more and more.

Of course, it's perfectly all right to reward children from time to time. The action should equal the reward, though.

Wed Sept 17 2014 Discussion Video!

-       Please have a look at the video. Maybe you'll need to watch it more than one time.

-       What is your first impression of this food?

-       Why do you think people are willing to eat this?

-       Do you think this food is expensive?

-       I would try it, so I have to ask, would you try it?

-       In Canada, there are a few foods that I will not eat, are there any foods you won’t eat in your country?

http://www.reuters.com/video/2014/09/14/mexico-dishes-up-creepy-crawly-fare?videoId=343257229&videoChannel=4

See you in class!

Matthew

Sept 10 2014 Discussion Topic

-       Please think about how athletes use their images and reputations to advertise many products and consider the following questions.

-        

-       1. Should athletes use their images and reputations to endorse (give their name to) products?

-       2. Should athletes only endorse products that they use also?

-       3. Do you think people buy things because of athlete or famous people endorsements?

-       4. What are some famous athletes or famous people that you know of who have endorsed products by being in a commercial?

Sept 3 2014 Discussion Topic

Many parents have habits that they do not want their children to have. For example, many parents really love chocolate, smoke, or drink. Also, many parents dislike things that they want their children to like. For example, parents hate tomatoes, peas, apples, or oatmeal.

My questions are this:

Is it better for parents to be open and honest about their bad habits and dislikes, or should they lie to their children (hide the chocolate, eat the tomatoes when in front of their children, etc).

Do you think that the lies will be discovered at some time and hurt the children (mistrust, etc), or do you think that these lies are harmless?

Did your parents lie to you? How do you know and what did you do when you found out?

Would you lie to your children?

Are these kinds of lies different from others?