Every generation since the ancient Egyptians have looked upon the next generation with scorn. I try to step back from this as much as possible. I turn a blind eye on school shootings, drug use, tattoos, piercings and the stuff that has been going on for eons and say that the news is just better now but this stuff has always continued. What I'm going to talk about is how entitled today's youths are. This is not going to be about Obama or the economy or anything like that. It's going to be about kids and their parents.
Last weekend I spent some time with a family of four kids. I also grew up with a family of four kids, and the similarities between the two are striking. In both families, 7 of the 8 children feel that even after they've graduated college and gotten a degree, their parents should still pay for everything. If the father complains that he doesn't want to support them and pay all the bills, the kids isolate the mother and vehemently attack their father and try to convince their own mother to divorce their father. I'm shocked by this reckless, vehement behavior. I completely understand trying to separate from your parents and live your own life but I always believed that to mean becomining financially independant as well. These kids want a lifetime of financial dependance but still demand their parents not treat them like little kids. If you're going to act like a little kid and refuse to save your money for paying your bills and instead waste it on Ipads, bars, clubs etc. etc. then I see no reason why you shouldn't be treated like a little kid because that's precisely what they do.
I stayed mostly quiet doing this 2-day tirade that was sparked because the father was upset that his son informed their father that he needed to pay his cell phone bill while he sent him pictures of him partying in Europe. When I did speak I said, "Look, do what I did, get a job, get financially independant so that way when your parents try to control your life you can tell them to fuck off. My parents have no control on where I go and what I do simply because I'm the one paying for it" this was answered with, "Wow, somebody has mommy and daddy issues"
This is coming from the same person who has constantly told me that her younger brother is the favorite of the family. Oddly, the same kid that sparked this entire conversation because the father got pissed that he had to pay for his cell phone bill. This father is paying for all his kid's housings, cell phones, and bills. The youngest of the four is 26 years old. Complaining about your parents is one thing, but trying to convince your mom to divorce your dad because he voices his frustration in having to pay for all your bills so that you can stay at home and play computer games/X-box/online poker/watch TV etc. etc" is just plain asinine. then may favorite insult comes up "Dad is so selfish!"
In these situations I think the dad is too selfless. I think it would be best for the father to cut his children off. Force them to get a job and make something of themselves. You want to move out, than pay for your own place. No, I'm not paying your bills, if you can't afford rent, you should have thought about that before you bought the new Iphone 5 or whatever the latest contraption is. I believe in the virtue of selfishness but I wouldn't call complaining that you have to continually support your kids well into their 30s for every expense as selfish. The problem is kids use their parents unconditional love against their parents. They use it as a weapon "you won't cut me off because you love me." this is dangerous. Parents should and usually will sacrifice their well being for their children. These kids know this so they try to bring their parents to bankruptcy so that they can party and live a slothful life. This is why I think unconditional love is dangerous.
Here's a simple message to kids out there, if you hate being babied by your parents, become financially independant, if you can't cut it, then don't bitch at them for being frustrated. The only blame for your incompetance, despite what society tells you, is you!
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