What Our Kids are Learning

I'm amazed at how unprepared our young people are to deal with the real world. It wasn't so very long ago that when someone graduated from high school, they were not only anxious to be independent, they were ready to be independent. And if some sort of event took place before graduation, they could roll up their sleeves, dig in their heels and grow up quickly. We've all read about young teenage boys whose father died when they were in school and these young teens became the bread winner. Young women that became mothers before they got out of high school not only cleaned their own room, but learned to clean a house and take care of a baby. So, with more education, especially in regard to more "family oriented" classes, why are they so unprepared. As a baby boomer, I'm thinking the parenting as something to do with it. It seems the boomers never did attain their right of passage as a generation, and I think we just kept our kids younger than us, which has turned out to be not so beneficial for anyone under 65. Now that I think about it, only those over 65 have been adults since they graduated high school, got married, had a baby, or went in the service, which ever came first. I've watched a generation of boys that grew up so unmotivated, they didn't care if they got a driver's license, but they expect their freedom. And I've watched a generation of girls grow up that really think their parents will provide for life, but they will make their own decisions. And the latest stats I've read, now that the President says everyone is a child on their parents health insurance plans til they are 26, these same young people are going to college, of course, on student loans, and I read that 37% will move back home after college to pay the debt down,because the concept of living at home or an aunt's or grandparents and attending community college is unthinkable. Wow! In two generations, we've gone from people being independent adults at 18 to dependent kids in their cluttered rooms, telling their parents what new toy they want next at 25+. Our kids seem to have learned debt and responsibility do not go hand in hand. And apparently, higher learning serves to cement that concept. I guess, if we boomers couldn't do any better that this, we have it coming.
Train up a child in the way he should go . . .