Spoiled Kids= Violent Teens
CHICAGO - Almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life, and even more abuse alcohol or drugs, researchers reported Monday in the most extensive study of its kind.
The disorders include problems such as obsessive or compulsive tendencies and anti-social behavior that can sometimes lead to violence.
Yup. They have a disorder alright.
I took the liberty of coining the phrase Spoiled Brat Syndrome., affectionately known round these parts as “S.B.S.”
Parents are both working full time, negecting their kids or leaving them with “nannies” from the time they are born.
Not only do they spoil them with toys and gadgets to compensate for “not really being there:, but by failing to set any reasonable limits, not requiring chores and making sure to smooth out all frustrations to keep those kids “happy 24/7.”
Heaven help us if children actually experience life’s normal frustrations eh.
Let us do the math shall we.
Helpless and irresponsible kids may just manifest problems such as obsessive or compulsive tendencies and anti-social behavior that can sometimes lead to violence.
Doesn’t take Dr. Spock to figure that out.
Then again, it’s largely due to him that parents stopped nuturing their own young, but I digress.
The cold hard fact is that excess and overindulgence undermines a child’s confidence and certainly - his or her competence.
Children are given more freedom and license than most adults should even have.
Rules are considered a dirty word in the post modern era. They are neither established nor enforced.
Firm boundaries are non existent.
Observe young adults:
They strut around, with their pants near their ankles, walking in front of vehicles travelling 47 mph with some overblown “sense of entitlement.”
Delaying gratification is simply not in their vocabulary..that is, if they even have one that doesn’t include the “F” bomb.
Taking personal responsibility? Ha. Try again.
They demand to be the center of attention.
Yet, tragically, most lack basic life or even self-care skills.
Tell me something wouldya? How do parents expect their children to develop skills for dealing with disappointment or frustration, when they spend their entire childhoods protecting them from even the slightest discomfort?
Kids from these homes do not even learn how to think.
They are not expected to contribute to the welfare of their family in any manner, and assume they can break rules that apply to everyone else in society.
Because..”Whatever.”
Society’s response:
Medicate them.
Pssst. Allow me to let y’all in on a lil secret.
I cornered the market on the secret remedy for SBS.
Um…It’s called “parenting.”
Not indulging teens with my friends at Rosemary’s Thoughts, The Pink Flamingo - Wordpress, Political Byline, third world county, Faultline USA, 123beta, Walls of the City, The World According to Carl, DragonLady’s World, Pirate’s Cove, Leaning Straight Up, Cao’s Blog, Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker, L.O.M.A., Democrat=Socialist, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:09 pm
You have me bowing at the alter of your wisdom!!!! Good post.
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:51 pm
EXCELLENT post. we need more dialogue about this cause it’s really shredding our society to pieces.
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:20 pm
I volunteer/teach music and a class on patriotism to preschoolers..When you call some of the childrens’ names (most of them) (if they’re not listening or are hitting some other child, etc.,) they look at you as if they have NEVER heard their name said harshly. The slightest raise in voice, the kids are paralyzed with not fright but curiosity..” What could I have pOSSIBLY done to have evoked this response?” It’s unreal!
SAY “NO”, parents…they don’t need more FRIENDS,…they need PARENTS.
Listen to Angel..she always gets it RIGHT!!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:27 pm
sorry i’ve been so scarce - moving has had me all tied up with busy-ness.
you are so right, angel - dead on accurate - per usual. i watch my sisters give their kids whatever they want whenever they want. my sisters have worked overtime to undermine me with my children trying to convince my kids that i’m a terrible mom because i actually have rules and expectations. and i don’t allow video games in my house and limit access to televisions, phones and computers.
oh the horror of it all. they want to be liked by their kids, i want my kids to be functioning adults. so far i think i’m winning. well if the end game is to get them to be functioning adults i’m winning - i think my nieces and nephews like thier parents better - but if someone were giving me everything my heart desired, i’d like them better too!
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Kids have gotten wise to the fact that if Mommy and Daddy don’t give in to their every whim, they will call the authorities. When mine tried that stunt, I handed them the phone, wrote down the number and said call. Try pulling your crap in a foster home. They didn’t rule the roost, we did.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:27 am
This problem has been in the making for several generations. The WWII generation was so busy recovering from the depression, they raised a bunch of bums. The next generation raised a bunch of brats. The next generation is raising…who knows what!
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:04 am
I read in yesterday’s WaPo an article entitled “Media Bombardment Is Linked To Ill Effects During Childhood.” I’ve no doubt that such a factor also plays in with regard to today’s incorrigible youth.
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:36 am
It’s a brilliant message that Angel, move out get a job….
In today’s society everyone wants to be their child’s friend, everything is alright too, no one is concerned with the mixed messages kids are getting about sex, drugs and alcohol. Everything and anything is alright apparently, and we wonder why it’s all going to hell in a hand basket.
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:01 am
Spot on analysis. I have two girls, 14 and 18, and let me tell you, it’s not easy raising kids today. They have friends that are dumped anywhere by either divorced or apathetic parents. Often my daughters accuse us of being mean because we don’t roll over and go along with whatever idiotic arrangement some parents allow. It’s OK by us. Mr. Cube and I aren’t their friends, we’re their parents.
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:55 am
My step daughter is right up there with the “wants”
She “accidently” dropped her 3 month old phone in water really close to Christmas so she could get the newest model!
Cube’ s comments are right on target
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
[...] One Bit, Right Voices: AP: Atheists continue to win friends, influence people, Woman Honor Thyself: Spoiled Kids= Violent Teens, Right Truth: “‘Fascist’ from the Left for me, ‘Infidel’ from the [...]
December 3rd, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Loss For Words…
Last Wednesday I wrote an article about the goings-on in Africa and what it could mean to our national security. I also made a claim that we should be more vigilant about our ports, because I was afraid the next attack would be coming from the sea…
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Even when parents don’t spoil their kids they can still turn out wrong. Our culture has a lot to do with it. Schools don’t exactly encourage discipline, yet they throw kids out for the tiniest of nits. Criminals are praised — “free Mumia! he’s an artist not a murderer!” Pop-culture and the “arts” degrade us and teach us to think of ourselves rather than others… it’s all sick.
Even when the culture was far different and in general held to a higher standard of morality good parents could still have disappointing kids. John Adams had a son that became so dissolute that he disowned him. Somehow I don’t think that his son suffered from spoiled brat syndrome.
But… a lot of parents in our culture do tend to neglect their children. With horrible results. Great post Angel, and I love the “teenagers” sign near the end.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I can’t find the article but as I remember there was recently a report on high numbers of youth cheating,lying etc. and being very much ok with it. The topper was that the same kids answered they thought they were better than many of their peers. America’s future ? Let’s hope not
December 3rd, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Once again you don’t disappoint, I’m going to get my 12 year daughter to read…Thanks Angel…
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:20 pm
1 in 5 young Americans have lax parents who can’t be bothered with discipline is more like it.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Good post. With “personal freedom” comes responsibility. The two go hand in hand, which is lost on most folks nowadays.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:55 pm
Children help stop child abuse: obey your parents.
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:02 pm
i remember when the teens at one of our churches wanted me to be their “leader” and i told them emphatically that the only way i liked teens was over-easy with a side of bacon and hashbrowns! now that we have two in the house, they’re not so bad scrambled…
December 4th, 2008 at 1:59 am
While I may agree with you in principle I don’t in practice.
There is another way to raise kids and many of us are doing it, it’s called unschooling and mindful parenting.
What is really ruining kids is public school and the parents not taking an active role. Public school is the worst socialist program yet. The entitlement mentality gets me going….
Some would be shocked to know that my kids have never been schooled and we don’t have rules and punishments and all that mainstream crap.
We live and learn and love and respect.
It is possible, it happens all over, but it isn’t the norm, it isn’t mainstream and you won’t hear about it on the news.
Keep up the work Angel!
December 4th, 2008 at 3:02 am
Personality disorder = spoiled rotten brat with lazy parents. There’s only one prescription drug for that, and it’s a swift yet loving swat and some severe consequences for their actions.
December 4th, 2008 at 9:50 am
When I was teaching I saw more of the “spoiled brat” crew than I want to remember. Some of them snapped out of it when they got out on their own, some of them wound up in jail.
December 4th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I think that you’re complaint about parents working and kids being left with Nannies is unfair and off-based. Supporting a family may be a little different than when you were raising your kids as most families need two incomes in order to survive. In addition many women don’t have the benefit of their work day ending at 2:30 as their chosen profession doesn’t allow it (or need to work full time to make ends meet) in order to be home by the time their kids come home from school. Not to mention the current economic crisis that many families find themselves in the midst of.
Try to keep that in mind-
MORE IMPORTANT- what type of love and attention they give their kids when they ARE home.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
We were on the same wavelength regarding subject material, but we posted slightly different takes on it. I like yours because I think you’re exactly right. We know who was screwed up psychologically first… the parents, of course! Perhaps they are the ones who should be “studied”.
December 4th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
I just say Hi’s comment (the one above mine) and I understand about both parents needing to work, but wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if people wouldn’t have children until they can actually afford for one parent to stay home and give them the time that they need? We know that will never happen though, don’t we? Suggestion: Instead of teaching kindergartners about sex, perhaps the schools should start teaching kids what it really takes to raise a child, and I mean more than just giving them a doll to carry around that wets and cries a lot!
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:52 pm