It starts with the parents. Kids are so "bad" these days because the parents expect the burden of raising the child to be anyone's responsibility, except their own. Now, if you are a parent, don't jump at me...it's a generalization. I'm sure YOU ALL are good parents...at least I hope

[edit on 28-10-2009 by Aggie Man]

Me and my husband have always made our work schedule work AROUND our children as opposed to our children around the schedule.

I guess it helps that I own my own business and he's a doctor with his own practice, but then again it's all a matter of time and effort for your children.

I do see the increase in no parenting parents who seem to think the TV is the best remedy when they are gone, or the leave them with the 13 year old accross the street until they get home from whatever event they were at.

It's sad when you think about it. It's as if these people think that their lives cannot include the children in every aspect, when in reality you can.

For example, we were going to a exclusive dinner party for physicians in our province and found out at the last minute that we could not get a sitter, so we brought the kids with us.

To our surprise all of the other doctor's children were also present at the occasion. So not only was a good time for us, but it was also a great time for our children.

Parenting is like education, you only get what you put into it.

~Keeper

I must weigh in on this topic. I own a small music school and store in a pretty affluent area near Pittsburgh, PA. I see a lot of kids come through my shop each week. This is an area where the two parent household is pretty common. It is upper middle class suburbanite heaven. Usually Mom stays home, dad is moderately to very successful in whatever he does and kids are spoiled.

I see a lot of kids who are products of their parents materialistic and social competitiveness. These kids have absolutely no free time or free will. they are shuffled from activity to activity most of the time because their parents want them to be in it, not by their own choice.

I have also noticed that these kids all have labels associated with them. Mostly ADHD or behavior problems.

When I spend some time with these kids, most tell me that they are tired, feel overwhelmed or love to take lessons cause I listen to them when they talk. Which at first I took as a compliment, but now just find sad. One kid even told me that I talk to him more in his half hour lesson than his dad does to him all month.

I think these kids lack attention span because they are subject to their parents hyperactive social lives. They act out for attention which they are not receiving at home and are not just given the opportunity to explore their own pursuits.

More importantly they just don't get to e a kid.

These kids are very dysfunctional in my opinion. They never learn responsibility, focus, creativity, discipline, respect and some other key building blocks for becoming a normal adult. Most carry these B.S. labels which are assigned to them whenever they have issues with anything as an excuse for how they are.

I blame the parents for this.

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
Me and my husband have always made our work schedule work AROUND our children as opposed to our children around the schedule.

I guess it helps that I own my own business and he's a doctor with his own practice, but then again it's all a matter of time and effort for your children.

I do see the increase in no parenting parents who seem to think the TV is the best remedy when they are gone, or the leave them with the 13 year old accross the street until they get home from whatever event they were at.

It's sad when you think about it. It's as if these people think that their lives cannot include the children in every aspect, when in reality you can.

For example, we were going to a exclusive dinner party for physicians in our province and found out at the last minute that we could not get a sitter, so we brought the kids with us.

To our surprise all of the other doctor's children were also present at the occasion. So not only was a good time for us, but it was also a great time for our children.

Parenting is like education, you only get what you put into it.

~Keeper

That is exactly the difference i mean about good vs bad parenting, as you say, many dont seem to think they can have a life with their children included, but they are sadly mistaken..i recall when i was pregnant being told by others how life would change, how we would have to change everything we were into and enjoyed, but what they didnt realize is that none of that has to change, simply modify a bit to include the children..
I am sure it does help owning ones own businesses, but even without being able to do that, it can be done.. its like so many parents (using the term loosely for some) get stuck in the trap of materialism instead of affection, tv baby sitters instead of enjoying activities together, and the list goes on.. But it has to be being taught, even if the populace isnt aware, through predictive programming..as an above member mentioned, the television and movie families portrait a lot of this.. kids arent being taught values any longer, but greed and selfishness..
I thank you for your post, all of your replies, it certainly has given me hope there are still 'real' parents around today who know these problems and can then avoid them..It just makes things more difficult when properly raised children are living in a village or community full of kids who are not raised at all.. the main thing i have had to explain to mine is rules.. their friends may not have them, but i darn well do! The violence alone i see in many of them (we live on a street of mainly boys) scares me to no end..

Well, I know all about the youth of today, being part of them, and out of the hundreds of kids/late teens I've met in my life I'd say about an eighth of them have been trustworthy and alright to know. Most of them are like it because their parents can't be bothered to bring them up or they think it's all down to other people (teachers) to make sure they grow up right.

I've always thought that they were just idiots, which is partly true for the majority and wholly true for some, but nowadays I tend to wonder how they live at home, though most of them spend their time standing around street corners and benches. I grew up with my Dad and I've had an absolutely brilliant upbringing.

I'm at the sixth form of my old secondary school, and we get kids spraying fire extinguishers around, setting off fireworks in the corridors, stabbing each other with various things and occassionally injuring teachers before running around in the busy road outside and throwing things at cars. It's endless, but I wonder whether they'd be doing it if they were being brought up right. Still, I think a lot of it is all down to the kids themselves, cause some of them come from loving families and such, but yet they're still gits. Yesterday whilst getting some art work done a firework went off outside and totally shattered a couple of the windows in that room, which was a pretty nasty shock. Who did it? A group of kids in the car park. Kids aren't always to blame, but they certainly cause a lot of trouble. Parents need to pay more attention to their kids and show them more love; whilst kids need to let them in and take notice of what they're flipping told.

Sorry if I veered off topic anywhere along the line, just had to have a rant...

Ramadwarf on fireworks and parenting

It's the lack of parenting, and the great number of single parent families. But even a single parent can get the job done. Talk to your kids. Tell them to rules and the consequences for breaking them, then dole out the punishment when need be.

Don't try to be your kid's friend, they have plenty of them their own age. I managed to raise two boys to adulthood, AND IT DAMN NEAR KILLED ME. There were periods of weeks, sometimes months where one or the other wouldn't speak to me, but oh well. They finally got the idea that people weren't paying huge property taxes just so they could go to school and be head jack*** everyday. They both at one time or another said they hated me, but a good soapy rag put a stop to that. I told them they could think any way they wanted about me but they better keep it to themselves. They are both around 30 now, and neither has ever been in jail, and both bring home at least twice what I do, and I have worked at the same job for 23 years! If you could read the things they write in mother day cards now, well, you would be a definite proponent of spare the rod spoil the child.

I told them for years that the hardest job ever in life, was to raise a baby to be a responsible adult. And guess what, neither of them have any kids and I don't think they will, which suits me fine.




[edit on 29-10-2009 by Bombeni]

People have been lamenting how bad youth is for along time. Even as far back as the days of Plato and Socrates, probably even before that. When this batch of disrespectful and bad kids gets older, they will also lament on how bad youth has gotten.

It's just an amusing cycle.