Because It's All About Me

I just read the best article. I'm sure you will be surprised to learn that this generation of American children has a greater sense of entitlement than all the generations before them. I know, shocking, right? I cannot tell you the number of times I have to hear the "f" word (fair) out of parents lips, as in "it's not fair to make them clean up after themselves when they are here to have fun." Um, yes, it is. It totally is. It is always fair for people to clean up after themselves. And I'm going to get all crazy here and say that it is actually also quite fair to ask them to clean up after other people. It's called service. And they should be contributing members of society.

I went camping last weekend at a beautiful national park nearby, and I was disgusted with the amount of trash I encountered as I strolled through the beautiful forest that lead to a lovely river on the border of the campground. Some boys had a party by the river the night before, judging from the hooting and firecrackers we heard the night before. And the next day I saw that they had left their beer cans and other detritus scattered by the banks of the river, and half burned in the fire pit. I really am just thankful that they didn't burn down the beautiful forest. That kind of behavior is a perfect example of what happens to children who feel entitled when they grow to be adults. They keep people awake, practically burn down the forest, possibly traumatize the bears in the area, and leave the forest all ooky as a farewell gift.

So, due to my vast knowledge as a parent, I'm giving you the following tips:
1. Make your kids do chores. You are not their maid. They are a member of the household, and the only way they are going to learn to keep a house is by keeping a house. You don't want your kid to be the smelly kid* when they grow up, do you?
2. Teach your kids to leave a place nicer than they found it. My mom always had us throw away our popcorn bag instead of leaving if for the theatre workers to pick up. This is a good thing to teach kids. A bad thing to teach them is that the ground is their garbage can. I cannot tell you how many times I've witnessed a kid standing next to their parent casually drop a candy wrapper on the ground instead of walking the 5 or so feet to a nearby garbage can.
3. Kids are not entitled to your money. I lived most of my life without allowance, and somehow I didn't die.
4. Stop yelling so much. If you say everything in a shout they will think that is normal behavior. And then they will grow up to be adults who yell at people and are surprised that others think they are over reacting. You don't want to raise a crazy kid any more than you want to raise a smelly one, do you?


*I am referring, of course, to Big Daddy, with Adam Sandler.