Are Kids Worse Than They Used To Be?

[Bella]

Do you think children's behavior is worse than it was when we were growing up? I hear that complaint a lot, and while I can see where people are coming from, I'm not sure it isn't just a change in our own perspective.

[Venger]

Depends on the child. My child is very well behaved as I have raised him very much in the same way my parents raised me. I have had parent\teacher conferences with other parents regarding their child's behavior regarding how they act toward my kid. One of the comments that we got was "why is it every time there is a situation like this my kid is blamed?" Well first guess would be it is your child causing the conflicts. I find younger parents these days are less likely to blame their children for discipline issues and blame the teachers for "picking" on their student. There is little accountability and or responsibility for children these day. Children are not your friend or your "bestie" and being the cool Mom or Dad is just doing them more harm than good. A parents job is to raise a productive responsible member of our society and many are failing. I have told my son many times " you don't have to like me and you may even hate me at times but, when the time comes you will thank me."
Ray

[Chreees]

I think some factors play into kids being worse these days. Technology, mainly Internet and cell phones. Another thought is the difference in discipline. Can't even spank your kids these days or you may be arrested for abuse. I dunno about you guys, but spanking worked for me; Timeouts or "go to your room" merely pissed me off. I'm still not sure if I'll spank my kids or not. There's definitely a certain age range for which it is more effective. Anyway, I think kids are probably the same or slightly worse as they used to be. Times change, but overall things remain the same. Just depends on who you're around is how you perceive it.

[Bella]

Well, I'm just starting down the discipline road, so I often don't know what I'm doing, but I don't think we can blame less spanking. As long as there is consistent discipline, it doesn't have to be physical.

[vendetta_revived]

Kids will be kids. My grandparent's thought that the kids from my dad's generation were worse than them, and my parents think that the kids from my generation are worse than theirs.

Kids today have phones when they are barely 12 whereas I got my first when I was 18, and I bought it with my own money and somewhere I think they take it for granted.

My parents didn't have the internet while growing up that I did and somewhere they thought that I took it for granted.

My grandparents didn't have the freedom that my parents did while growing up (We were under british rule at the time) and may be they thought something on the similar lines.

[u][b]it's called generation gap.[/b][/u]

[Cp44]

I'm just going to say it. Most parents today are bitches, I rarely see any parent take responsibility of their kids actions especially in public. For example:

I use to work at a mall for 7 years and I saw a lot of out of control kids. This one child about 8-10 yrs old was screaming his ass off about something and said "shut up mom, I hate you". Another time this little girl said fuck you to her parents. I've seen kids just flat out lay on the ground kicking and screaming in the mall, start fights with other people and just acting like idiots.

The part I really got mad about is that the parents did NOTHING or pretend like it was NOTHING.

This one time I was driving in my neighborhood coming home from work and I saw this little kid literally riding his bike in circles on the street. I mean circles as in his handle bars cocked sideways and peddling in the STREET!! I saw him and slowed down (I was driving about 15mph) even more, then his father yelled at me to slow down like a douche but didn't tell his kid to get out of the road. Of course my anger got the best of me and I stopped the car, reversed and basically cursed him out. Then I peeled out while flipping him the bird and left haha.

A month later same fucking kid same fucking father, the kid was kicking his soccer ball into the street and running to retrieve it. So I slowed then the dad mean mugged me, which I did the same in return, drove a little more then stopped my car. His bitch ass took his son and walked back in the house.

I don't know about you guys but I was taught to never play in the streets.

You know when I was growing up and if I did any of those things I'd probably wouldn't be here today haha. My dad was an old fashion old school Chinese dude and my mom is in b/ old and new but I still got my ass handed to me by her lol. I DO NOT CONDONE CHILD ABUSE. But I do believe that kids need to get whooped enough to realize what they've done and will not do it again. I was made sure I would never do anything idiotic out in public again. Sometimes I want to slap the shit out of the kids I see causing problems but I can't. I blame it on the yuppy parents of today.

[Chreees]

I totally agree with you, Aaron. Spot on.

[Venger]

There is a fine line between discipline and abuse. I never spanked my son in anger. I always gave him the choice of continuing the behavior and getting a spank or behaving. I would never let him scream in a restaurant or public place I would always take him to the mens room or out to the car and let him know his behavior was unacceptable. If he continued I said ok you have chosen the spanking do you want it now or when we get home. Being the trooper her was he always took his lickings right then and there (he didn't want it hanging over his head) this is when he was a toddler and as he got older spankings turned into loss of privileges.
No video games,no tv no toys that sort of things. The best advice I can give any new parent is be consistent,don't give second chances and always follow through with whatever punishment you have threatened with. Tough love is still love. Love them enough to let them hate you from time to time. Don't be afraid to be the bad guy. Someday they will thank you. Promise.

[Stuie]

Heck yeah, some of you kids worry me.

[Epoch]

[quote name='Stuie' timestamp='1316106114' post='524009']
Heck yeah, some of you kids worry me.
[/quote]


We're such troublemakers!

My opinions here (because I'm certainly not an expert), follow as such: Yes, society is different now, and kids' behaviors have changed, perhaps for the worse. But I hardly fear it's the end of society like some think. These sorts of things go through phases, where society will be fairly straight-laced and modest for a while, and times when the opposite will be true and people are raised with more leniency.

I predict this generation will turn out a lot like the "hippies" did, they'll have their fun and after it wears off, they'll learn to sober up and be responsible.

[evilded777]

No kids of my own... but I know some special ones.

One in particular has had an awfully difficult life, and has managed to come out of it as one of the best people I know. And I wouldn't vote his parents as parents of the year... one's a recovering alcoholic who is just barely getting her shit together now that her son is 18, and his adoptive father (his birth father abandoned him at birth and has had no interest in him since) is a self-absorbed, cruel, pig-headed bastard.

Its not kids in general, but the perceived majority: perhaps.

[joytron]

Two words: Sponge Bob

[Hassouni]

[quote name='joytron' timestamp='1316108542' post='524017']
Two words: Sponge Bob
[/quote]

This

[atalanta]

Gawd, I hope they don't turn out like the hippies did! They grew up, realized how "irresponsible" they were and are now writing the laws that are restricting our freedoms.

But, on topic, I don't think kids are any worse. Just different. They've always been "immortal", they've always pushed boundaries, they've always wanted everything NOW. The biggest difference, IMO, is the missing "HOW" [whap] "MANY" [whap] "TIMES" [whap] "DO" [whap] "I" [whap] "HAVE" [whap] "TO" [whap] "TELL" [whap] "YOU" [whap] (you get the idea). There is a difference between a spanking and child abuse and sometimes, IMO, you sometimes need to punctuate.

[Satou]

[quote name='Venger' timestamp='1316093164' post='523974']
Depends on the child. My child is very well behaved as I have raised him very much in the same way my parents raised me. I have had parent\teacher conferences with other parents regarding their child's behavior regarding how they act toward my kid. One of the comments that we got was "why is it every time there is a situation like this my kid is blamed?" Well first guess would be it is your child causing the conflicts. I find younger parents these days are less likely to blame their children for discipline issues and blame the teachers for "picking" on their student. There is little accountability and or responsibility for children these day. Children are not your friend or your "bestie" and being the cool Mom or Dad is just doing them more harm than good. A parents job is to raise a productive responsible member of our society and many are failing. I have told my son many times " you don't have to like me and you may even hate me at times but, when the time comes you will thank me."
Ray
[/quote]


[quote name='Chreees' timestamp='1316094297' post='523977']
I think some factors play into kids being worse these days. Technology, mainly Internet and cell phones. Another thought is the difference in discipline. Can't even spank your kids these days or you may be arrested for abuse. I dunno about you guys, but spanking worked for me; Timeouts or "go to your room" merely pissed me off. I'm still not sure if I'll spank my kids or not. There's definitely a certain age range for which it is more effective. Anyway, I think kids are probably the same or slightly worse as they used to be. Times change, but overall things remain the same. Just depends on who you're around is how you perceive it.
[/quote]



I have to agree with both of these posts However
We give too much power to the children in this day and age - such as the ability to call child services and lie about being abused. And some or many parents are afraid to cross that imaginary line between discipline and abuse because they don't know if it is going to be negative on their child and in social situations. Especially having to discipline them in public situations such as being at the grocery store or the mall. Which is infuriating because most parents look the other way when it does happen or shrug at it. All while their child is having the screaming fits, talking nasty and etc.

I know for a fact that if I ever pulled anything like a temper tantrum in a store my mom would warn me and if I didn't listen haul me out of the store. and her mom would have just wacked her right there and then if she did that when she was young.




As well I feel like children take a lot of things for granted that we had to work hard for when we were their age and a little bit older. And it feels like parents just hand their children everything they want - whether or not they pitch a fit.

[DrSmokes]

I blame it on the parents being terrible parents. Parents no longer want to raise their kids any more. They would rather ship them off to day care or pass them off to the grandparents (all the time...I understand the occasional "I need to get out" situation). As others have said, kids aren't being disciplined the way I was brought up. I got spankings, I got the belt, I got an ear full at times, and I also lost a lot of privileges (usually curfew...I didn't really have much growing up until I got into my 2nd year of college...that's when I got my first cell phone).

Parents need to be held accountable for their children's behaviors. Sometimes I wish their was a "report system" where I can just "point and shoot" a scanner "thing" to have it upload to a database of people who should get fined for stupidity or lack of parenting out in public (also thought about having it for bad drivers as well lol). Never going to happen but let me live in my fantasy world!!

[Arcane]

[quote name='Venger' timestamp='1316093164' post='523974']
I find younger parents these days are less likely to blame their children for discipline issues and blame the teachers for "picking" on their student. There is little accountability and or responsibility for children these day.[/quote]
[quote name='Cp44' timestamp='1316100293' post='523994']
I'm just going to say it. Most parents today are bitches, I rarely see any parent take responsibility of their kids actions especially in public. [/quote]
This.

[quote name='Bella' timestamp='1316091573' post='523969']
Do you think children's behavior is worse than it was when we were growing up? [/quote]
I don't think the children are worse...I think the parents are worse.


[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pAHEcYnaAE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pAHEcYnaAE[/url]

[king_lunchb0x]

at my crummy job is see pain in the ass kids and parents who don't give 2 shits about what they do. Catch so many just taking candy and start opening it. Parents not even trying to stop them..act as if nothing is wrong. I mostly see what seems to be young parents 16-23 or so. They are the ones that are making their kids worse. They swear, steal, and dress like a ghetto hoochie while the kid is covered in filth head to toe. I could probably write a page or two on this topic. But to make it short and sweet, Parents now didn't really want to be parents. At least it seems that way. Being to young doesn't help either Edited September 15, 2011 by king_lunchb0x

[Hellz]

Honestly, Nothing says BEHAVE like a 2x4 upside the head.

[Bella]

[quote name='joytron' timestamp='1316108542' post='524017']
Two words: Sponge Bob
[/quote]

LOL oh sure. Watch an episode of Sponge Bob. Then go watch an episode of Looney Tunes, which is what I grew up on. Tell me which one is worse, and I'll give you a hint: it isn't Sponge Bob.

[Stuie]

[quote name='Arcane' timestamp='1316125574' post='524074']
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pAHEcYnaAE[/media]
[/quote]

That was freaking hilarious!!!!!!!!

I never got away with crap like that. I spent 6 hours up a tree trying to prevent getting the whooping that was waiting for me.

[kvtaco17]

[quote name='Stuie' timestamp='1316106114' post='524009']
Heck yeah, some of you kids worry me.
[/quote]

shut ur mouth DAD!

... or I'LL RUN UP THE PHONE BILL AGAIN!

[Stuie]

[quote name='kvtaco17' timestamp='1316152070' post='524096']
[quote name='Stuie' timestamp='1316106114' post='524009']
Heck yeah, some of you kids worry me.
[/quote]

shut ur mouth DAD!

... or I'LL RUN UP THE PHONE BILL AGAIN!
[/quote]

No Problem...where's that sack of oranges...

[Rani]

About 5 years ago, I got a call from the police department. They wanted to have a conversation with my grown son about the fact that a gun of mine (stored with trigger removed so non-functioning) had been used in a robbery. The kid who got caught said he'd gotten it from my son who'd gotten it out of the gun safe. The detective and I worked together to put the fear of God into my 22 year old idiot who was trying to play tough guy for his friends. By the time the detective was done with him, he was determined to get a new set of friends and never again take anything out of my gun safe. The detective was the easy part. When he got to me, I happened to be sitting on the bed leaning against the headboard. He was standing in the doorway and listening head hanging, while I ripped him up one side and down the other. He finally lost his temper, slammed his hand against the wall in frustration and headed to walk out the door. Without moving an inch off the bed I raised my voice just a little and said...."You go out that door, you're fucking dead." He came back and stood there for round two. Last year, I was telling the story to his wife who was laughing her ass off. She asked him why he came back for round two. His words? "Because she would have fucking killed me." She laughed some more and he shook his head and admitted he never, ever wanted to have another conversation with me like that ever again.

Now my son knows I wouldn't ever actually kill him, just make him wish I had. But the point is he has a reasonable fear and respect for me that he knows crossing certain lines will have consequences he'd rather not have to face. Kids today seem to be raised with no consequences. Don't spank your kids, don't do this to them, don't do that to them, call social services if they're disciplined..... Hell the first time I was handed a knife as a kid and told to go cut my own switch from the tree to be punished with, I figured out right then and there I didn't want to have to do that again. Until there are consequences, they're not going to respect either their parents or the society in which they're being raised.

I personally think we should be raising our children exactly as wolves do. When they're tiny and helpless there is no discipline, they're loved and cared for. As they grow into puppyhood, there's a growl to remind them there are rules. When they become juveniles, that growl comes with a nip and a snap. When they're grown, breaking a pack rule will get their ass whipped. The result is that every wolf is a loving, protective and contributing member of it's pack and family. We need to be more like wolves when it comes to raising our kids. Lots of discipline and lots of love and acceptance.

[Cp44]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg6jyCi716U