Teens and materialism

[Guest guest]

Interesting questions to ask your teens, lol.

 

http://news./s/nm/20070116/us_nm/life_materialism_dc

 

Cyndi

[Guest guest]

Interesting questions to ask your teens, lol.

 

http://news./s/nm/20070116/us_nm/life_materialism_dc

 

Cyndi

*****************

Interesting reading Cyndi.

I agree for the most part. But it also depends on the kid and how they are

wired. I try to instill a sense of gratitude in my 3 kids equally. But my

teenage daughter by far seems to have this sense of entitlement and

materialism in spades. Her older brother is happy with most

anything.....daughter must have the newest and latest. That could also be a

female thing too...lol

Besides parental attitudes and exposure to marketing(tv/print ads, etc.)I

also think that peer pressure has a big influence on their materialism too.

She hangs out with girls that are 'into' stuff and their parents from what I

can gleen cater to their daughters whims.....or that could just be my

daughter exaggerating in order to get more stuff outta me!lol

 

Especially in this current 'it's all about me' culture, parents have to work

much harder to make their kids sensitive to others' needs. Making them do

some kind of volunteer work or even making them do chores for the family

w/out pay helps I think. It might not seem to make an impression now but

over time.....when they get to a point, I HOPE it will kick something loose.

;-)

 

The thing that drives me nuts is the lack of etiquette among anyone under

30. I'm not Emily Post and don't expect young adults or teens to be, but

obviously alot of parents aren't teaching their kids ANY social manners

nowadays.

Rudeness is the rule of the day.

My SIL(brother's wife)has 2 kids from her previous marriage...both are now

in their 20's. When they got married & /or had a baby I sent gifts-even

though I hardly know them. We live 4 states away and by the time my brother

married their mom, they were already out of high school. Anyway, I have

NEVER gotten any kind of thank you note, email or phone call from either of

them for my gifts. My mother would have taken off my head if I hadn't

acknowledged a gift for a wedding or baby shower!lolol

I know this is a small thing but it's an indication of what kids aren't

being taught today.

 

Over the years, I can't count the number of times my kids' friends have

either called me on the phone or showed up at our door and invited

themselves over-not in cahoots with my kid but on their own.....not just for

the day but invited themselves over for sleepovers!lol And I'm not talking

about 3 yr olds, more like 8 yr old or older.

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I was taught from an early age that you don't

invite yourself over someone's house....you wait for an invitation or you

take the initiative and invite them over your house.

 

Oh heck, it's not just kids....my hubby's sister invites herself over our

house all the time. The best was the time she called and said, " I'll be at

your house next thursday for a week long visit. " She had gone and bought a

non-refundable plane ticket BEFORE she had even mentioned a trip out to stay

with us! She never ASKS if she can visit anyway, but at least she tells us

before booking a flight when she's coming. I couldn't believe it!

 

I don't know.....maybe I'm unrealistic or an old fogey.

sluggy

[Guest guest]

Sluggy, this is my pet peeve for a long time. Young (and not so young) people have no manners and this is their parent's fault.

This and total lack of respect of their elders. It starts at home and continues in school. This world of ours is getting to be a hard place to live.

 

Barbara

 

 

 

She never ASKS if she can visit anyway, but at least she tells us before booking a flight when she's coming. I couldn't believe it!I don't know.....maybe I'm unrealistic or an old fogey.sluggy