The Laziest Generation

[Bobby C]

I once heard George Jetson complain about this, but
tonight was the first time I ever heard a real person
take the same attitude:

I was called into the living room to settle a dispute
over who had to share the PlayStation with whom.

I ruled that since Jamie had started a one-person
game, and wasn't too far into it yet, he should hit
the re-start button, and reconfigure the game into
multi-player mode so that his sisters could share.

At this point, an argument broke out over who was
going to get up and walk three steps to hit that
re-start button, which is on the console but not the
remote.

What prompted me to sit down and do all this typing
was the final line of this discussion, said by Jamie:

"Why do *I* always have to be the one to press the button???"

[Minnow]

Love the George Jetson reference, and your example Bobby. I remember being paged from another room more than once "MOM!!?!", only to be asked "Can you pass me the remote?" which was, of course, just barely out of reach. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

[Bobby C]

"That Mr Spacely is a slave driver! I had to hit the button three times today!"

--Actual George Jetson line

[SteveH]

You ruled? Why can't they work that out for themselves. Are they 3 years old? You have not taught them sharing and fairness perhaps?

I assure you kids are not lazier now than ever.

----------------

more than once you went to get the remote.

no wonder your kids are lazy.

Sheesh!

Steve

[Bobby C]

My kids are 9, 7, and 6. They are the most mature kids I have ever seen at that age. I never imagined my kids would make me as proud as they currently do.

If you know any families where kids that age act like adults all the time, please send me an address and an invitation. I'd like to see that.

I'm going to take a wild guess here: You don't have any kids, do you?

[Minnow]

Steve, I sometimes responded to the "MOM?!?!" rather than holler back. I didn't play step'n fetch it though. I will admit one of my toughest challenges as a parent was being an effective enforcer.. if I had it to do over again, there's lots of things I would do differently. Luckily my girls turned out ok despite me. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[Juice]

They still use buttons on things besides shirts? WOW.

[SteveH]

I have two kids 14 and 12. Boy and a girl.

Both are honour students. Both seem well adjust with nice friends. I know the friends and make it a point to know the parents of the friends.

I believe you do not rule over kids but rather prepare them for life.

It is a parents responsibility to raise their kids so that eventually kids can move out and be on their own. This is a big job and starts right from the get go.

Kids by nine seven and even six do not need Dad to decide how to play a game unless they ask him for advice.

It is the word lazy that I have a problem with even in jest when it come to kids. What parent would put their kid in this category.

If a kid is lazy it is because the parents do stuff for them that they should do for themselves including settling their arguments for them.

Teach them fairness and they will be fair. Teach them how to make decisions and they will make their own choices. With luck and good advise from you they will make good choices.

When a kid (unless incapacitated in some way) asks you to get the remote for them the answer is if you want the channel changed you will have to do it yourself.

All that said, with kids you never really know what you will get but most likely you will get kids like yourself.

Steve

[Bobby C]

Laziest Generation, Part 2:

My still imperfect kids couldn't agree on what tv program to watch. The 9-year-old approached me:

HER: Can I watch tv in your room?
ME: Why don't you watch tv in your own room?
HER: (pouting) My tv only gets 76 channels!

Fortunately for me, there are enough busy-body people in this world willing to tell me how I should parent my kids, so I was able to take care of this.

[AnotherBadBeat]

Good Stuff Bobby , thanks for sharing .... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[Juice]

76 channels? How many channels do they have for kids nowadays?