Kids These Days
It seems that for generations, the phrase ‘kids these days’ has been used by adults to describe ‘unruly’, ‘wild’, ‘disobedient’, ‘disrespectful’ youth. From those teeny boppers, to rock-n-rollers, to pants-sagging ‘thugs’, adults-myself included- are quick to question what’s wrong with ‘kids these days’. In the past few days though I’m starting to wonder exactly where the problem starts.
You see, kids don’t create the world they live in. They don’t produce the music that we don’t like them to listen to but give them access to. They don’t buy the $100+ cell phones that we buy for them to Skype, Snapchat, Kik, etc. on, sometimes inappropriately. They don’t buy clothes for themselves with phrases like ‘Juicy’ printed across the rear. They don’t set unrealistic expectations for their social, emotional, and academic levels. And they most definitely don’t decide it’s ok to watch Empire, Scandal, or any of the other ADULT shows we allow them to watch.
Recently I’ve found myself doing a bit of this with my son. I was forgetting that although he’s academically advanced for his age (which is a tad bit ridiculous to say because he’s THREE!), he’s not socially and emotionally advanced. I was expecting him to behave in a way he wasn’t ready for, and getting frustrated and well mad, when he didn’t. And it’s not to say that some of the things he does are ok; but some of it is what three year olds do. But we do that to children quite often. We expect more and expose them to more than they can handle.
So I guess what I’m saying is that maybe what’s wrong with kids these days, is us.
Until next time…