Have you noticed how kids today are more privileged than any previous generation, yet they seem to be more ungrateful and impatient? I believe it all comes down to instant gratification. The world revolves around the children now more than ever, and it's not always a good thing.
When my grandparents were kids, they worked....and not just taking out the trash or sweeping the front porch. My grandparents worked on the farm doing chores that the family depended on to survive. Instead of going through the drive-thru at McDonald's for dinner, they spent most of the afternoon working in the kitchen (my Granny and her sister started cooking dinner for the family regularly before they were 10 years old). They had no video games, swimming pools, or little league games, but they never complained that they were bored. When they had time for fun, they'd make their own toys instead of whining about the new toy the kid down the road got that they wanted.
As I watch my own children grow, I am realizing how blessed we are. And I'm trying to teach them what it means to wait patiently for something they need. That doesn't mean that I will put them to work in the fields doing manual labor, but I think our kids have a lot to learn about how we got to where we are today. So when we're out and about and I don't have a drink for them as they die of thirst while riding in an air-conditioned car, I'll tell them what my Granny used to tell me...."Swallow your spit!"
1 comment:
Haha! Classic.
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