I hear it so often; “These kids all feel so entitled!”
They’re not.
What they are is well trained. Think about it-from the first day of kindergarten, every action has the expectation of a reward. I’m not talking a reward for doing outstanding work; I’m talking about a reward for a very minimum level of effort.
For Pete’s sake, we’ve invented “bumper bowling”, where a pad is placed in the gutter of a bowling lane so that no one has to suffer the indignity of a gutter ball. If one goes to the trouble of actually picking up the ball and flinging it in the direction of the pins, there should be a reward, right?
We’ve focused too many of our efforts removing obstacles rather than equipping our young people with coping skills for difficult situations.
By the time our kids reach high school and college, is it any wonder they feel they deserve a reward for every effort they put forth. If I spend the money and time to get a college degree, I get a job, right? That’s only fair! If I’m not assured of the job, why would I even apply? What a waste of effort!
It’s not too late. Our young people are starved to be responsible for their work and behavior, I promise. Just let them.