Raising Considerate Children in a Me-FIrst World

 

1 Overpraising 

The problem.  Researchers have noted a disturbing trend: Many young adults are entering the workforce with a marked sense of entitlement-an attitude in which they expect success, even if they have little or nothing to earn it.  Some just assume that they will be promoted quickly, even without mastering their trade. Others are convinced that they are special and deserve to be treated that way-and then they become dejected when they realize that the world does not share their view.

What is behind it. Sometimes a sense of entitlement can be traced back to how a person was raised.  For example, some parents have been unduly influenced by the self-esteem movement thaty has become popular in recent decades. Its tenets  seem plausible:  If a little praise is good for kids, a lot of praise is better. On the other hand, the thinking was that showing any type of disapproal  will only discourage a child. And in a world on a misstion to build esteem, That was considered the epitome of irresponsible parenting.  Children must never be made to feel bad about themselves-or so parents were told.  

Many fathers and mothers thus began lavishing a constant flow of praise upon their children, even when those children did nothing particularly praiseworthy.  Each accomplishment,no matter how small, was celebrated; each indiscretion, no matter how large, was overlooked. Those parents believed that the secret to building self-esteem was to ignor the bad and praise everything else.  Making children feel good about themselves became more important than teaching them to accomplish things  that they could actually feel good about.

Next time: Raising Considerate  Children in a Me-First World - Contiue

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