I’m seeing a trend, and it concerns me. It seems that children of today are ruder than they have been in generations past. Back in the days when everything was black and white, people treated each other with respect. My parents were raised to speak politely to their elders, to say “ma’am” and “sir,” to say “please” and “thank you.” I was raised this way as well, and I find myself fighting a battle to instill basic courtesy in my children. All around them are examples of rudeness and impatience. When we go to the store, we see children demanding things from their parents, and in very few cases, the parents require respect. For the most part, they seem to tolerate their children’s behavior.
As I spend time working with youth in my area, I notice that it seems to be a widespread problem. The children are acting entitled, as though the adults in their lives should be bending over backwards for them. They seem to feel that they should have all the gadgets and gizmos. They should eat out as much as they want, have the “right” clothes, and if they are told “no,” they just can’t believe it.
Why are today’s children acting this way? Why do they seem to think that manners are of no importance? Why do they feel so entitled?
When we as parents don’t require respect from our children, they don’t respect us. When we don’t tell them no, they feel entitled. When we don’t ask for chores, when we are lax with consequences, when we don’t hold up our end of the parenting bargain, we are creating children who don’t know their boundaries, and therefore, trample them like crazy.
As homeschooling parents, we have the opportunity to teach our children these principles 24/7. Parents of public-schooled children might have less time to spend on this, as their children are learning from their peers all day, and those peers might not have the best influence—but it can still be done. As parents remember that they are entitled to respect, they can use the time they have with their child to build respectful relationships.
I hope we can do something to stem this tide I see. I hope the parents of today will seek more earnestly to teach their children proper values of respect and kindness to counteract the things that are thrown at them by the world, and we can bring courtesy back where it belongs.
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Do Your Kids Need a Manners Makeover?
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