Zachary drew this picture yesterday, using the Paint program on the computer. I have never been able to draw ANYTHING with Paint, but Zachary enjoys using it. Zachary is in first grade and he is encouraged to attempt to phonetically spell words, even if he is unsure of the correct spelling. I love reading some of my kids work that has creative spelling.
According to Zachary, this is his version of a "Yuoe Dood" (Yo Dude) car. What is a Yo Dude, you ask? In this usage, "Yo" is an adjective, describing a type of "Dude". I'm pretty sure Yo Dude, used this way, is an original term coined by either Dylan or Zachary... nobody really remembers who used it first. I'm also pretty sure it is exclusively used only by my family, but we have been using it for years, since it was first coined.
Yo Dude is a lifestyle or attitudinal term, and carries a distinctly negative connotation, but it is not rooted in prejudice. This is why I like the term so much. It was my very young children's reaction to a lifestyle characterized by disrespect and apathy, as evidenced by many children, youth, and young adults in America today (in my opinion). It has nothing whatsoever to do with race or socioeconomic status. Yo Dudes can be either sex, any race, rich or poor. It's not about any of that... it's about the attitude. I am trying to raise upstanding, respectful children, so the fact that they see this lifestyle as negative, while managing to maintain a "colored-blind" status, is a very positive thing, I think. I, therefore, love the term, "Yo Dude". I interviewed my kids and asked them, "what defines a Yo Dude?" Here is their answer:
According to Zachary, this is his version of a "Yuoe Dood" (Yo Dude) car. What is a Yo Dude, you ask? In this usage, "Yo" is an adjective, describing a type of "Dude". I'm pretty sure Yo Dude, used this way, is an original term coined by either Dylan or Zachary... nobody really remembers who used it first. I'm also pretty sure it is exclusively used only by my family, but we have been using it for years, since it was first coined.
Yo Dude is a lifestyle or attitudinal term, and carries a distinctly negative connotation, but it is not rooted in prejudice. This is why I like the term so much. It was my very young children's reaction to a lifestyle characterized by disrespect and apathy, as evidenced by many children, youth, and young adults in America today (in my opinion). It has nothing whatsoever to do with race or socioeconomic status. Yo Dudes can be either sex, any race, rich or poor. It's not about any of that... it's about the attitude. I am trying to raise upstanding, respectful children, so the fact that they see this lifestyle as negative, while managing to maintain a "colored-blind" status, is a very positive thing, I think. I, therefore, love the term, "Yo Dude". I interviewed my kids and asked them, "what defines a Yo Dude?" Here is their answer:
Zachary and Dylan: "A Yo Dude is someone who cusses, litters, plays on the little kids playground, writes graffiti, spits gum or sticks it on stuff, is disrespectful, steals, and ignores 'no trespassing' signs."
This is probably not an exhaustive definition, but you get the idea!
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