You say spoiled! I say rotten!

New England weather is temperamental on its best days. The forecast generally changes every 15 minutes and weekend plans have, as of late, been spent indoors dodging a sudden thunderstorm. Summer has managed to elude us…so far.

A few weekends ago, my summer plans of garden planting and an outdoor barbecue were pushed aside when the skies opened up and day became night in a matter of seconds. I plunked myself on the couch and played remote control bingo with the television. I somehow managed to land on a show called “My Super Sweet Sixteen” and was instantly transfixed. It was like a train wreck. I could not pry myself away and I sat on the couch, mouth agape, staring in horror at what flashed across the television screen.

If you are unfamiliar with this show, it is a reality show that depicts incredibly lavish “Sweet Sixteen” parties. These parties are planned by insanely spoiled teenagers and are paid for by their incredibly wealthy parents.

Oh!

My!

God!

There are no words!

This is one of the most self-indulgent horror shows I have ever seen. And sadly, it does not just exist in T.V.-land. Unfortunately, this has become a common theme in society today. The teenagers on this show throw temper tantrums if a car is not promised and delivered for their birthday gift. The sense of entitlement on this show and with teenagers in general is beyond belief!

Even in the work force I have come across recent college grads who expect the world handed to them on a silver platter. Having spent their lives being “taken care of” and never having suffered consequences for their actions, these “new to the work force” recruits seem to expect a six-figure pay day and a corner office within a year of being hired! Hard work doesn’t count for them because “mommy and daddy” said they are “special and should get what they want!”

Somehow, we have spawned a nation of “gimme gimme gimme” and the lesson of “working for what you want” has become obsolete. We coddle our children to the point that they are unable to do for themselves and they expect “mommy” and “daddy” to take care of things. These parents, under the guise of being a “good parent”, bully teachers into rescinding well-deserved bad grades and cater to their child’s every whim and desire. There are no life lessons in mistakes anymore because mistakes are never made. “No,” these parents say. “Not my child!” They con themselves into believing that by denying bad behavior and rewarding all behavior, a future leader is born. Sadly, with today’s administration as an example, this thought process is true!

Somehow, childhood is now spent in a protective anti-bacterial bubble of overindulgence. I am all for attachment-parenting….but c’mon!

What ever happened to the after-school job? The scraped knees instead of protective playsuits? Playing outside instead of on the latest and greatest gaming console?

What ever happened to the word “no”?

No, I am not a parent and I do not have any immediate plans to become one. However, I deal with the results of these “spoils” on a daily basis. We all do! Something has got to change! These children/teenagers have become nothing but narcissistic, technology-driven, wasteful, money-driven brats who believe they deserve everything and anything.

As I sat on the couch watching the end of “My Super Sweet Sixteen”, I could only muster one final thought:

No way! Not my kid!