When I was a kid, if I dared to ask for ANYTHING that cost ANYTHING I would get “the look”. (You know, the one that would send fear from your eyes all the way down to your toes knowing you pissed off the BOSS). My Mom would explain to me that if you asked for it you didn’t get it. I never understood this, but I obeyed. Now? I get it. I respect it. I APPRECIATE it.
We ate the school lunches that were packed for us each morning. And if we didn’t like what was in our sandwich, or the color of the banana that sat at the bottom of the brown bag… we went without. There was no lunch money given, and our parents certainly never brought Subway or Mcdonalds to the school. And when I took up the disgusting habit of smoking cigarettes in my awkward teen years, (slick, I know) I merely bummed smokes from friends or waited until I received hard earned allowance (dare I recall the many hours I spent vacuuming the lines just right on our shag carpet?) or money from Christmas or Birthdays to buy my $4 pack of disgusting cancer sticks. Money was NEVER available to me “just because”.
As Christmas would approach we would make our lists, not having a clue which item or two of the many we would actually receive. Not because my parents couldn’t afford to buy them all, but because they were intelligent, logical, old school thinking folks who knew better than to spoil their children. And how absolutely special was it when you actually got gifts?!!! Those days of heading back to school once the Christmas holidays ended, showing off the brand new items you got. And Birthdays! Birthdays were extraordinary because it was just a day for you… a day of cake, new toys, new clothes. Special.
Special seems to be missing now.
Kids are rarely without cash or a debit card on hand. We buy them clothes they don’t need, electronics that cost a fortune just because. And Christmas is a gong show! Ipod touch, ipad 2, wii… WHY??
What good are we doing for our kids by providing them with anything and everything they ask for? Why do we give in to the “but Susy has one” or the “i won’t ask for anything ever again I PROMISE”? Why do kids no longer fear (aka. RESPECT) their parents? Because we are failing them, that’s why.
Most kids these days have absolutely no concept of money or work ethic. They don’t understand what it’s like to work hard for anything. Money, material items, trips… it’s all provided by the loving parent who doesn’t understand the damage they are doing. We are raising a generation of lazy, expectant, clueless brats who have no respect for authority, their elders, money. Nothing.
If you are reading this cringing feeling guilt, it’s Ok. As long as you don’t hit the X up top and continue ruining your children and their future. Harsh I know right? It’s never too late to teach them how to work hard for something they want but don’t need. It’s never too late to educate them and show them by example how to be better little people. Kids should WANT to make their parents and teachers proud. They should be grateful when they receive a gift or a bit of money. Otherwise who will these monsters be when they’re older? What are we setting them up for? (Besides failure).
heather@sawracki.com
