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In the last few years I have noticed how differently children are treated today, compared to when I grew up. Nobody wants their children's feelings to be hurt, everybody has to be the best at everything, everybody has to be rewarded no matter what, and parents don't give children responsibilities.
When I was in grade school we were awarded for outstanding work, got trophies for first through third place, and if we got a bad grade you had to suck it up and study harder. Now it's a completely different story. Every child is told they are the best at everything, everybody gets a trophy, and if the child gets a bad grade the parent calls the teacher.
Nobody wants their child to feel bad about themselves. That's understandable, but if a child never gets any negative feedback they will never learn from their mistakes and they will begin to think they can do no wrong. They will grow up to feel like they are privileged and the best at everything; everything will revolve around them because that's how they grew up.
It's not just schools and sports teams that are at fault for babying children; parents are just as bad. What happened to chores, getting a job, and consequences for your actions?
I had professors tell me they had student's parents call them up because the student was failing their class. I'm sorry but if you're failing a college course that's your fault. Study more, maybe try partying a little less, or ask for help; don't call your mommy or daddy.
Having a child do housework or getting a job is only going to better their future work ethic. Of course a child or teenager may get upset when asked to do something other than become a couch potato, but it will pay off in the end. I have worked since I was around 13 so it really irritates me that parents say their children can't have jobs because they need to focus on their school work. I had a great academic track record, if anything, having a job pushed me harder to manage my time and study hard. It kills me that people graduate college today without a drop of work experience. They definitely are not going to land a job that way.
Life for children, not all children, but many, has become centered on praise. Gone are the days of telling a child no, only rewarding the actual winner, and teaching children useful life skills. I'm not too sure future bosses are going to like when these now full grown adults come stomping into the work place making demands and calling mommy every time they get reprimanded.
People wonder why there's so much credit card debt from the younger generation, nobody wants to work, and obesity continues to grow. It's because they haven't been taught how to manage money, mommy always did that; they never had to work a day in their life; and they don't know where food comes from or how to cook it.
I heard a statistic a few months ago that over fifty percent of people ages 18-39 are still financially dependent on their parents. I understand needing help getting on your feet for a few years out of high school or after losing a job but this seems extreme to me. Parents should get to focus on their retirement savings, not supporting grown children. People who have been praised all their life and been given no responsibility are going to sink the economy all over again when this young generation grows up. Please cut the cord and stop babying them.