Today versus twelve years ago I was 16, yes just a young teen that had no idea what I was doing! Though I know I was having the time of my life. Three sport athlete: cross country ski team, swim team, and golf team, bused tables at Old Broadway (an upscale restaurant at the time) every weekend, babysat A LOT, and nannied all summer while playing summer Junior PGA golf tournaments all while practicing golf all summer and waking up at 5:30 biking to swim club swimming for two hours and biking home. All while maintaining a very solid SOCIAL LIFE and paying a lot of my own bills, oh I mean buying my own clothes and paying for gas.
I have come to the realization times have changed and parents now make excuses for their kids being too busy, too tired, and pampering their every move. Now I fully agree with giving your kids rewards if they are deserved, but what happened to working for them? Kids now a days think only about themselves and not enough about the people that surround them and care about them. After chatting with my Dad today who teaches high school kids drivers training it really made me think about what direction our society is going?
I did get a car when I was 16, but it was not MINE, it was my parents. I had to take such good care of that little red Cavalier. I never asked for money except if it was for necessities, my parents were very generous with us kids growing up and we had a lot to be thankful for. At the age of 16 I took out my first loan in the amount of $1,500 for brand new Callaway golf clubs. I paid every penny back on time to the bank. I was so protective of my golf clubs more than any other object I had ever bought or been given. How many teenagers have gone to the bank to get a loan to buy their own sporting equipment? Probably not many!
We took many fun vacations and got to do a lot of great adventures. But here is the key, I was thankful and knew how hard my parents worked to allow for this. Today kids don't have a clue, they don't think about these types of things.
One example I can think of is school shopping time. My parents gave me $200 to do all of my school shopping. Are you kidding $200, that sure does not get you far. Oh don't worry I never said a word because I had bused tables and babysat all summer to buy what ever my heart desired. Do you think this still happens? I doubt it, it baffles me when I see 16 year old with a $200 pair of True Religion jeans on. Don't get me wrong, I love these jeans, bought my husband a pair, (makes his butt look great!). Anyhow do you think that 16 year old really knows what it takes to make $200 to buy these great jeans? I highly doubt it, but as a parent that always has the best interest in their child would say, "They deserved them." Now my question would be, "What did they do to deserve them?"
Here is the ultimate question I have, "What will these 16 year olds be doing in 12 years?" Living with their parents, driving their parents cars, will they have a job, will they have student loans....I don't know. My thought of the day is how far is to far and how long do you keep your little papoose in a bubble before you let them float away and let them work for themselves and think for themselves before it is to late? Why do you think so many kids return back home after college, they can't figure out how to make it in this world because they have never been knocked out of the nest.
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