As you know I don’t have kids but I just HAD to comment. It amazes me at what kids today think is OWED them. What ever happened to preparing your children to be responsible adults? I have a friend who from the time her son was born has said, “I am not raising a child, I’m raising someone to be a responsible, giving, generous addition to our society”. What a concept!! But you know what he knows how to handle disappointment. He understands that life isn’t always fair. He understands that he isn’t always going to get what he wants. And he is only 11.

Kids need to be prepared to face the hard cruel world, which no one can say that at times the world isn’t hard. However, without the tools to do so, such as knowing how to handle stress, disappointment, doing things they necessarily don’t want to do, they are going to be miserable adults.

I work with a few of them now. They’ve hit their 20’s, have their first ‘real’ job and they do nothing but complain. Why? Because they believe they are owed the job & the paycheck without having to do anything in return for it. It isn’t fair they can’t take 5 extra breaks a day to go smoke. It isn’t fair that they have to stay on the phones while Billy Bob is doing something else. It isn’t fair that Sally Sue has a bigger monitor than they do. I actually heard one new associate tell our clerk that she didn’t want a ‘used’ tape dispenser; she wanted a brand new one in the box. I bet mommy still does her laundry too!

I think everyone on the team should maybe get a team t-shirt, and the players who worked the hardest or showed the most improvement or who never complained–those kids should be recognized with a trophy or ribbon. It gives the other kids something to work for. But to merely show up and give nothing at all beyond her presence–why should that be rewarded?

If it isn’t earned, it isn’t appreciated.

I think it’s unfortunate in fact that you chose to brush off the end of the season celebration, and not show up at all. I believe that would have been a good opportunity for one final show of sportsmanship, don’t you?

I DO agree that today’s society is too caught up in being perfectly “PC” or fair to kids. Life IS hard and they will encounter let downs and disappointments along the way. I don’t believe we need to hand out awards at the end of every school year for things like “Most Cheerful” or “Good Helper”. I do get tired of those types of awards ceremonies, because they are so clearly unnecessary. I do wish things could go back to “the way they were” and kids were allowed to be disappointed from time to time, because we all know life comes with disappointments, alongside the achievements.

This may going off on a tangent, but people don’t want to work for anything these days, whether it be a passing grade, a trophy, a spot in the starting lineup, or to keep a roof over their head.

Karin, you know about the project I’ve recently undertaken. Four times in the past two weeks I’ve been approached by four different people looking for part time employment doing odd jobs, etc. All the while, within four blocks are at least three different businesses with signs outside advertising employment opportunities. These people don’t want to work–they basically want a handout. If they wanted to work they would seek a real job with a steady income.

And, how about the two men who trespassed and became lost in that abandoned coal mine earlier this week? They went into the mine to steal electrical cable and other scrap metal to sell for profit. In a newspaper article announcing their safe rescue, a relative of one of the men was quoted as saying the two of them were always doing anything they could to pay the bills and eat. Don’t get me wrong–I’m very glad the men were found alive and unharmed. But, I have to wonder, have they have ever condsidered getting a JOB? If nothing else, it’s a much safer alternative than what they did on their last (mis)adventure!

I didn’t mean to get on a soapbox, but you really struck a nerve with this one. Thanks for the forum and for letting me vent.

I also understand that there are those who are incapable of achieving the same things that others might, whether it is because of disabilities seen or unseen. What needs to be rewarded is the effort. Society as a whole has gotten lazy and effort isn’t necessary when they know they’ll be rewarded regardless. I’d much rather fail and know that I’ve given it my very best than to accept a reward I know I don’t deserve.