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Older generations had plenty of rotten kids. I don't know why this myth persists that somehow ban behavior only appears in the current generation growing up.
I did too. Barefoot! And I cleaned the house when I got home and never got in trouble.
Wait, you had an actual house to clean? You didn't live in a tent? Wow, you were spoiled!
Seriously, I do think that there is some truth in what the OP is saying. Parenting philosophies have changed over time, and not always for the better. But it wasn't always better back in the Good Old Days either. On the one hand, I do think that it's more important to be your child's parent than to be his friend, contrary to what some of today's parents seem to think. But on the other hand, calling your parents "sir" and "ma'am" and the whole "children should be seen and not heard" thing is more stiff and formal than I would be comfortable with.
When I consider that 24-year-olds used to be squadron leaders and ship commanders back in World War II, and then think about how many of today's 24-year-olds are still living in Mommy's basement without a clue as to what they want to do with their lives, then yes, there's something wrong with how kids are being raised nowadays. But the casual cruelties of yesterday (racism, sexism, hazing, bullying, etc.) are typically seen as unacceptable by today's young 'uns, so I think that's a positive development.
Social trends, including child-rearing philosophies, tend to go on a pendulum, swinging too far one way or another. One can always hope for the pendulum to settle in a sensible position, and guide one's own kids towards that end.
I have to disagree. I can't speak for kids in the U.S. but for kids and teenagers in Germany. Kids and teenagers today are different from those 30 years ago, but certainly they aren't worse, I would even say that they behave better today than in the past. 30 years ago, when I was a kid, brawls for example were much more common than they are today. Littering the bus were also normal. It was also more common that older ones tease younger ones or frighten them away from the playground.
Today they are much more peacefully. They are more responsible-minded. On the playground teenagers take more care that they don't hurt younger ones by playing on more dangerous playground equipment. Teenagers are much more self-assured today and in hairy situations they keep calm. Most of them seems more prudent than many adults.
You mention kids in Europe and also underage drinking. The drinking age in Germany for public spaces is 16 (beer, wine) or 18 (hard stuff), there is no law that ban underage drinking in private spaces. It's quite common for teenagers to start drinking their first beers with 13 and hard liquor with 15. That's not a big issue here. They will learn the proper handling with alcohol (at least most of them ).
I have often heard that the parenting style in Germany is rather different from the one in the U.S. It's more liberal in Germany with a focus on independence and responsibility. Let them explore the playgrounds in the neighborhood without accompany them. They will figure out by them self which playground equipment they can master and which ones are to dangerous for their age. It's important that they feel the pain of a skinned knee after beeing spinned from those playground discs. They have to walk to school by their own without their parents. Let them play with timber, nails and a hammer without supervision. There is no better way to teach them responsibility. They will take care about each other not to hurt other kids with the hammer. Kids learn best by interacting with other kids. Parents should stay out of the affairs of their kids.
It's important that kids can go to the fun fair allone without their parents, so they can learn to manage their stay on the fun fair and learn to economize their budgets.
Every generation says the exact same thing about the next. Congratulations, you are now officially old.
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Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird
This.
Why little jimmy, when I was your age I walked 2 miles in the snow uphill both ways and no one coddled me in a fancy mini van.
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Originally Posted by JrzDefector
My friends mostly have wonderfully behaved children. I'm amazed and awed by their skills as parents. The few with badly behaved children are mostly that way because they're just not paying attention, and it's saddening. But my father raised me on stories of growing up in the Depression and WW2, and there was nothing to indicate that the children back then were any more virtuous. Quite the contrary.
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Originally Posted by almost3am
exactly what i thought.
My kids each got iPad mini's for Christmas, that was their only gift, but what they wanted.
BTW, I have met many crummy people in my life...I wonder where they came from since all parents used to be awesome.
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Originally Posted by SiegendesLicht
Every generation's parents want their children to have a better life than they had themselves. Hence all the coddling.
I'm out of reps for the day, folks, but had to give you all a +1 on your responses.
Is this in some kind of sarcastic font I can't detect?
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Originally Posted by westphal
I don't no whether there is such a saying or not, but its obviously true, it's just logical.
Parents with a lower educational background will of course bring up worse kids, tendentially. Lower income parents watch more TV, so will their kids. Instead of watching a few valuable child-oriented TV shows by public broadcasting stations they watch worse TV shows from private broadcasting stations. Kids from lower income families have more games consoles and they will play more such games. Low income families bring their kids much more often to school by car. Even enlightenment by the police can't stop their foolish behaviour. Better educated parents know that overprotecting will hurt the development of their childrens. Kids from badly educated parents spend more time at home instead of playing in the neighborhood. Low income parents go with their kids to McDonalds. Low income families dine more out of home instead o
f cooking with their kids at home. Low income families give their kids stupid names, that will hurt their job opportunities. Parents with a lower educational background often can't estimate dangers, so they will take the wrong decisions. Lower income families are often more untidy. Parents with a lower educational background have a worse fashion sense. They often dress their kids like little Paris Hiltons in dreadfull colors (pink, purple and even more pink).
I don't no whether there is such a saying or not, but its obviously true, it's just logical.
Parents with a lower educational background will of course bring up worse kids, tendentially. Lower income parents watch more TV, so will their kids. Instead of watching a few valuable child-oriented TV shows by public broadcasting stations they watch worse TV shows from private broadcasting stations. Kids from lower income families have more games consoles and they will play more such games. Low income families bring their kids much more often to school by car. Even enlightenment by the police can't stop their foolish behaviour. Better educated parents know that overprotecting will hurt the development of their childrens. Kids from badly educated parents spend more time at home instead of playing in the neighborhood. Low income parents go with their kids to McDonalds. Low income families dine more out of home instead of cooking with their kids at home. Low income families give their kids stupid names, that will hurt their job opportunities. Parents with a lower educational background often can't estimate dangers, so they will take the wrong decisions. Lower income families are often more untidy. Parents with a lower educational background have a worse fashion sense. They often dress their kids like little Paris Hiltons in dreadfull colors (pink, purple and even more pink).
What's wrong with pink and purple?? Perfectly good colors. Generally, it's the cut and style of clothing which makes it tasteful, or not so much so.
Do you have any idea how many little girls claim pink and/or purple as their favorite colors? Yes, some of it is market-driven - that notorious "pink aisle" in the toy section at all the big box stores illustrates this - but colors in themselves have little to do with inappropriateness of dress.
I've seen photos of Paris Hilton wearing a wide variety of styles over the year. She designs and sells ladies' handbags which are rather nice. So are some of her clothes, while others are not particularly tasteful.
I agree that little girls are not best clad in imitation adult clothing, and should wear age-appropriate garments. Maybe I live a more sheltered life, but I've seen very few little girls who resemble Paris Hilton lately. Now if you want to talk about girls in their early to mid-teens, you might have a point, as what's commercially available for this age group is often far too revealing, imho. Teens have a way of pushing parental buttons, so clothing can become a battleground, no question.
But let's leave pink and purple out of it. Gotta pick your battles for that ground, after all.
I don't no whether there is such a saying or not, but its obviously true, it's just logical.
Parents with a lower educational background will of course bring up worse kids, tendentially. Lower income parents watch more TV, so will their kids. Instead of watching a few valuable child-oriented TV shows by public broadcasting stations they watch worse TV shows from private broadcasting stations. Kids from lower income families have more games consoles and they will play more such games. Low income families bring their kids much more often to school by car. Even enlightenment by the police can't stop their foolish behaviour. Better educated parents know that overprotecting will hurt the development of their childrens. Kids from badly educated parents spend more time at home instead of playing in the neighborhood. Low income parents go with their kids to McDonalds. Low income families dine more out of home instead of cooking with their kids at home. Low income families give their kids stupid names, that will hurt their job opportunities. Parents with a lower educational background often can't estimate dangers, so they will take the wrong decisions. Lower income families are often more untidy. Parents with a lower educational background have a worse fashion sense. They often dress their kids like little Paris Hiltons in dreadfull colors (pink, purple and even more pink).
And how do the children of parents who "don't no", instead of "don't know", say "childrens" instead of the plural "children", and add an extra "l" to "dreadful" turn out? Pot, meet kettle.
We live in an upper middle class area. Parents rarely put their kids on the bus, they buy them cars, or drive them because the bus route takes a long time to complete.
As for the rest of this post? Pfft.
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