Why young adults feel so entitled

[PrincessPerky]

Personally, I think the entitlement issue goes back to 1980-81 when they changed the child labor laws. Not that some things didn't need to be changed, but it was utterly ridiculous to say children under age 12 could not work in the fields unless they were farmer's kids. You can't start teaching a kid a good work ethic at age 12. It needs to start much sooner than that.

I worked in the berry fields from the time I was four years old, and before that my mother (who had summers off as a teacher and worked with us girls) hauled me along behind her in a little red wagon while my sisters picked in the adjoining row. Okay, the first few years I didn't make very much money, but I was proud of what I made and I realized right then the effort required for the amount of money I earned. You can't teach that at 12, it is far too late..

I think that is an excellent point...while I doubt your mother made you work too hard, she let you have an oportunity to try, and that is a wonderful thing for kids.

Right now many people think I am too hard on my kids making them put their own clothes away..a sign of the times....kids need chores, kids need work, and kids need chances to prove themselves - and chances to fail.

I can cure your grade problem...home school I know just what my kids know...no I take that back, they often surprise me with things they learned without me..but on the minimum subjects, reading and math, I know most of what they can do (I sometimes get surprised there too!) Point is I guarantee they are striving for more and more, and loving it.

[getforfree]

My kids love to help me. They are 4 and 2, but they help me to put laundry in the washer, sweep and vacuum, pick up their toys, put their clothes back. My 4yr old swept the ashes from bbq grill and cleaned it up without anybody even asking him to do that. The kids just like to copy grown-ups.

If they find any thrush in the house or in the backyard, they take it to the trashcan. Whenever I go outside with them, I have to watch them and make sure they don't pick up thrush on the street or inside the store and trying to put it away. My oldest understands that he doesn't have to worry about picking up outside of our home, but my dd still tries to do that.

As of me, I have been working since I can remember myself. Working in our garden, babysitting my younger siblings, selling vegetables and flowers at the farmers market. I can say my grades suffered because of that in high school.

Kids can work as long as they still have enough time left to study and sleep. And as long as they don't fee pressured by their parents who demand chores being done, work completed and good grades at the same time.

And all kids deserve to have some free time for fun and play, or like I always wanted when I was a kid, to have some quiet time without anybody being around and screaming at me and making any noise at all.

Parents should be more responsible too. If you wanted to have 5 kids, make sure you can provide for all of them. They don't have to wear hand-me-downs and live in a small crowded house and feel neglected all the time. Because those children, when they grow up, they will have only 1 or 2 kids and spoil their kids with all the things they never had in their childhood.

[getforfree]

Sounds like you have a real chip on your shoulder about this. I do think seniors deserve some extra deference and respect if only becus they have made it this far and are now frail and vulnerable in a way that young people aren't. I think your views will change when you become a senior some day.

You know, it's really hard to be nice and respect people who are very selfish, rude, and demand things like you owe them something because they are old.