What Happens When We Don’t Raise Kids to Become Adults

[Gefn]

My parents raised me right. The older I get, the more I'm amazed how well they raised my sister and I.

That said, I still believe in Santa and occasionally watch cartoons. (Sunday night, Simpsons, etc).

I still make wishes on stars and traffic lights. But I know these are just little things that make me happy, like eating ice cream on a hot day.

I guess is what I'm saying is you can be a responsible adult and still keep your childlike sense of wonder every now and then if it keeps you sane.

I still sleep with a teddy bear. Perhaps I wouldn't if I had a warm body with me, but I feel safe.

When I've peer counseled some of these snowflakes in college they've cried over the idea of learning how to drive or opening a bank account.

I can't relate to that. Yet, they are attending ivy and junior ivy schools.

Snowflakes belong on the ground so you can ski on them and lob snowballs at your friends, this generation I think is doomed.

I would have given everything to be a mom. Maybe it's for the best I didn't.

[mountaineer]

I guess is what I'm saying is you can be a responsible adult and still keep your childlike sense of wonder every now and then if it keeps you sane.  ...  When I've peer counseled some of these snowflakes in college they've cried over the idea of learning how to drive or opening a bank account.

Nothing wrong with keeping a childlike sense of wonder or occasionally splashing through a puddle or climbing a tree! I'm in favor, in fact.

The problem is the second thing you describe, people who, while physically adults, behave and think like toddlers. They're eternally Eric Cartman: I'll do what I want! Mommmmm, I don't wanna!  Mommmmm, I want cheezypoofs for breakfast!

The blame has to be laid on their parents. The helicopter mothers my husband had to deal with as a college administrator come to mind. These are the parents who try to keep their offspring children forever.

[EasyAce]

I thought here at TBC all the women are 10's, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.

I did an old-time-style radio comedy show here in Las Vegas for a year between 2009-2010. I usually opened
our closing segment with, "That's the news from Lake Woe-Is-Me, where the women are on steroids, the men
are good for nothing much better, and the children---are not above eating their parents."

[Wingnut]

I did an old-time-style radio comedy show here in Las Vegas for a year between 2009-2010. I usually opened
our closing segment with, "That's the news from Lake Woe-Is-Me, where the women are on steroids, the men
are good for nothing much better, and the children---are not above eating their parents."

I never knew we had so many TBR members who had a face for radio!

[EasyAce]

I never knew we had so many TBR members who had a face for radio!

I resemble that remark!

[Wingnut]

I resemble that remark!

Me you and Txradioguy too!

[truth_seeker]

The two things I told my kids :

1. We have plenty of money
2. You can't have any of it.

If you want to ruin your kids, give them money.

My grandfather was on his own from age 14. My father (his son) joined the Marines at age 17, and remained on his own.

I was a handful for my father. So when I reached 18, he said for me to get out, and try it on my own, since I thought I knew it all.

I crawled back in a few weeks, so he let me stay for a few weeks, but only with the understanding I was to leave soon.

Left shortly after that, after meeting a girl who I have called "wife" for 49 years. In the early weeks her Dad helped me find a decent job.

Engagement, marriage, baby, military conscription, GI bill, two degrees later, I have zero sympathy for the 20 and 30 something children of our society.

[Restored]

With this economy, though, who knows?

I'll tell you what my father told me in 1981. "The economy is fine. Entertain the idea that the problem is you."

[Night Hides Not]

My grandfather was on his own from age 14. My father (his son) joined the Marines at age 17, and remained on his own.

I was a handful for my father. So when I reached 18, he said for me to get out, and try it on my own, since I thought I knew it all.

I crawled back in a few weeks, so he let me stay for a few weeks, but only with the understanding I was to leave soon.

Left shortly after that, after meeting a girl who I have called "wife" for 49 years. In the early weeks her Dad helped me find a decent job.

Engagement, marriage, baby, military conscription, GI bill, two degrees later, I have zero sympathy for the 20 and 30 something children of our society.

Both of my older kids, now 30 and 28, complained to us during their freshman year of college that we weren't "supportive enough of their educational dreams." My daughter wanted to go to Oklahoma, and ended up at UNT in Denton. My son desired to matriculate at Florida State. I quashed that idea immediately, informing him his work in HS proved to me he wasn't ready for any 4 year institution.

Both received the same response from me, which was delivered in an even tone: "you're in the first semester of your freshman year of college. So far, you've already received more support from your parents than we did. In fact, your mother worked her way through college, paying all of her costs by herself. My parents paid nothing out of their pockets for my bachelors and masters degrees." I had a 4 year Army ROTC scholarship, and the GI Bill paid for much of my masters degree.

They never brought that topic up again...

[Restored]

It's funny when my son justifies his grades by mentioning that I flunked out of collefefe. I always counter with "Yeah but I later got a 3.5 GPA in Accounting while working full time".