It’s a conversation we’ve had countless times in our house. It doesn’t matter what it’s about–the newest technology, the latest fad, the most popular shoes- it’s treacherous ground to add it to our want list so we can be like everyone else.
These five dangerous words are turning homes upside down. When we give our children everything they want (because everyone else has it), it speeds up their childhood: We have six year olds addicted to technology, carrying around their own ipods and iphones without limitations; eleven year old sons playing bloody battles of Assassin’s Creed over the Internet with strangers instead of playing ball outside; And 13 year old daughters shopping at Victoria’s Secret, wearing angel wings across their bums, looking far older than they are.
But worse than losing a generation of children, this choice breeds a nasty virus. Because maybe if we keep giving them everything they want, they might just drive a new car intoxicated and kill four people and be diagnosed with affluenza.
The psychologist testifying for the 16 year old boy who did just that, defined affluenza as this: children who have a sense of entitlement, are irresponsible, and make excuses for poor behavior because parents have not set proper boundaries.
Why are we saying yes to our children too early, too soon and pulling in the boundaries? I’m not sure, but I think it starts here:
- We don’t understand the future implications of giving them everything they want right now
- We want them to have the life we didn’t
- We are afraid to tell our children no because we know there will be backlash or because we think they will feel loved if we say yes.
- We want them to fit in with their peers because it’s hard to be different.
- We feel it’s often easier just to give in
- We struggle with a bit of affluenza ourselves
SOURCE: Kristen Welch, We Are That Family
At 73 years of age and having lived through a good 60 years of learning "the hard way," I have come to the realization that the United States of America is on the way to its DARKEST HOUR.
Most of the people who read this and there will probably be not many because I am not a celebrity, or a person of power, wealth, or position will either disagree or agree but have no desire to do anything about it because it is perceived that this is not what society really wants... that is to say... make everyone earn their way through life and not just give everything to them...
20% of our population, I would suspect has everything that they ever wanted... while the other 80% is not even close to what they want and will continue struggling for the rest of their lives... unsuccessfully, I might add... and, will never get close to what the other 20% has and takes for granted most of the time.
I was given everything I ever wanted but REJECTED IT ALL after graduating from high school and my life has been one huge struggle ever since, oftentimes just keeping my head above water financially. For many years, I took no vacation because I did not have the money and several years more always took my lunch to work because I could not afford to eat out with everyone else.
Yes... it was a choice I made... and, I am not bitching... what I am trying to say is that living this way made be a better person that I was when everything had been given.
If I had wanted wealth and fame, I surely would have found a way to get it like everyone else who eventually got there... but, that is not the game in which I wanted to play for my life... and, I am much better off for it.
AMERICA has brainwashed us to think this way because being GREEDY helps grow the economy which in turn make the wealthy even more wealthy... and, relatively speaking does not really help us out at all... except the desire to want want will always be there...
ONE DAY, like I, you will see...
