If you are breathing right now you undoubtedly notice a difference in the way you acted as a child and younger person and the way kids and young people today act. A friend of mine posted this article yesterday on Facebook:
Generation Whine: Why I’m relieved not to be a Millennial
And people used to make of my generation: Generation X. We look like hard-working overachievers compared to how the article presents young workers today. I was going to say that we seem to be adjusting well to middle life, but after looking around me and after reading the following article by John Rosemond, we may be adjusting well ourselves (which, now that I think about it, I actually would argue against) but we’re not doing any favors to our children.
If today’s young workforce is having issues fitting into adulthood what in the world are we doing to the generation behind it? There seems to be a huge paradigm shift happening in American culture whose effects run through not only pop culture, entertainment, and socializing, but also to the workroom and bedroom and classroom. We’re dumping the concept of others first and replacing it with the narcissistic idea that our personal worlds should revolve around ourselves. And this translates to child rearing with the idea that if our children are unhappy then somehow we are parenting wrong and we fear we look bad to other parents. We’re teaching our children to put themselves first as well. I will readily admit I do not think this societal change is a good one, for individuals or America as a whole.
I was going to list an example or two, but I have so many. I actually should try to find examples of people who aren’t living for themselves and who aren’t raising their children to live for themselves. And we all tend towards the new parenting style because we have organizations like the NAEYC who we’ve given power to by believing everything they tell us and relinquishing our own power to instinctively know what’s right for our children.
I could go on and on. Parents, use your instinct and judgment. Please think about how your parenting style is affecting your children. Not their temporal happiness and “self esteem”, but their character that is being developed to help shape the adults they become.
Not So SAHM 
Great post, Notsosahm.
Encouragement and Unconditional love for your kids – absolutely a must. But, clear expectations and accountability are the other side of that coin that must be held or kids fail to understand how they fit in to a broader society.
I think that every generation sees the one after it as hopeless, or at least it seems that way. I am worried about my generation…but I also see some good trends among us. I think for the most part we either parented by ourselves, by the TV, or by well-meaning parents who taught us that we can be whatever we wanted. Considering it, it’s a wonder we function at all…
That said, I think it is VERY hard to parent in this day and age…so many messages coming from every which way.
I always wanted children and now, in many ways, I’m glad I didn’t have them!
Watching my friends struggle with their rules vs. the world and children who own iPhones before the umbilical cord is cut and gee, it won’t be ME that will be the teenaged parent … WOW! Challenges I truly don’t know I could overcome.
But parents need to teach children to be respectful, responsible and empathetic.
The news story about the little boy who asked for donations to the Ronald McDonald House in lieu of presents for his birthday (6 or7?) melted my heart. It’s good to know that some parents are still doing it right …
I want children. It is very difficult, but not impossible.
Ooooo Amen! I love this … and I’m so frustrated myself, but you knew that already. I’m doing my best to ensure the wee ones know they are absolutely NOT the center of the universe.