How We Are Failing The Younger Generations

Day after day I hear complaints from older generations that the new generation is disrespectful or just a waste of space and time. Well that may or may not be true, but let’s be honest, who’s fault is it?

It’s ours!

Because us, adults, failed the younger generation. We were responsible for making them into respectable human beings and we failed. Every day when we were trying to be their friends instead of their parents! That’s a fail! When we decided it was too much for their little hearts to lose in a game, so we always let them win or we didn’t keep score, but instead we gave them “participation” trophies for playing, that’s a fail! When we decided it was easier to hand them our cell phone when they got upset to shut them up instead of finding out what was wrong, that’s a fail! When we put them in front of the TV instead of give them a book, that’s a fail!

I mean every time we, as the adults decided to buy them toys or electronics instead of sending them outside to play. Or sitting down and reading with them and teaching them, that is when we failed them.

You see, it’s not their fault they grew up to be this type of human being, it’s our fault. We didn’t take the time to teach them or play catch with them or go fishing or camping or just sit and talk. We did this! As elders, it is our responsibility to show them how to become respectful adults. And if we aren’t one ourselves then how can we expect them to be?

More often than not I run into disrespectful people who are always blaming someone else for their problems. It’s almost like no one takes responsibility for their own misfortune. And the same goes for the older generations not taking responsibility for the younger generation being the way they are. They didn’t raise themselves, well at least not all of them. And more often than not, the ones who did raise themselves are the respectful, hard working adults that would bend over backwards for their neighbor. Why, because they have struggled! And they have met those entitled little brats who got everything handed to them.

Now don’t get me wrong this is not all cases, of course theirs cases where the parents were tough, hardworking people who taught their kids right and did everything right and their kids still turned out ungrateful little brats. Or maybe they did everything right and only one of their kids turned out right. But those are rare occasions.

The reality is, we are failing our children day in and day out by all of our “modern” parenting skills. If you look back over the generations to see where something went wrong, you’d see for sure that it started when our parenting practices changed.  

I know for a fact I was never friends with my parents, and my parents were not friends with their parents. And when we played sports, it was to win. If we went out there just to play, we sat the bench. You had to shoot for the stars, otherwise, you’d get nothing. Nothing was handed to me. I got a babysitting job when I was 10 to help pay for more school clothes and have been working ever since.

It wasn’t until my son was almost nine months old that I quit my job to be a SAHM. But even then, I help with teaching him everything! He does not get electronics when he has a tantrum in the store, he gets a non-electronic toy or rattle, or if it’s too bad, we go out to the car until he pulls himself together. He gets an hour, two tops of tv, but only learning shows and at no point will he play a sport that gives “participation” trophies. He will be taught to say “yes sir” and “no mam” and please and thank you. And if he receives a gift from someone, he will be sending a thank you card because that shows gratitude.

If he gets hurt, he will know it’s okay to cry, but to not let it change who he is. He will work for everything, by doing chores around the house, by doing extra stuff to earn money and by getting a job to pay for his first car. There will be no handouts for college unless it comes from the government or school of choice in the form of scholarships. And when he turns 18, he will either go to college or get a job and move out.

If he ever chooses to be disrespectful towards any adult, he will get popped in the mouth and sent to his room, I do not care how old he gets. He will learn to use his imagination and play out in the yard. He will be taught all the basics the way I was taught because that way worked. And at no point will he think of me as a friend, confidante yes, one he can come to for anything yes, but a friend, no!

This is how we make the next generations better human beings if you ask me.

We need to follow these five simple rules.

1. Don’t try to be our kids’ friends.
2. Don’t allow them to play for “participation” trophies.
3. Limit the electronics, give them the love of books.
4. Let them play, outside!
5. And most important, give them your time, not what you can buy them.