A lot of kids have an almost arrogant sense of entitlement about them these days. I believe parents are at fault for most of this. Let me explain: If a teenager never works for anything, is never demanded to wait or save for anything…then they will never learn to be content with what they can afford. They will always ask for more because they’re not the ones that have to pay for it. With this in mind, here are a few ground rules that I will not change when it comes to being a father…because they worked on me:
My child will not get a cell phone until they can afford to pay the bill themselves. I will not co-sign a contract to help my son or daughter buy a cell phone because that would mean they couldn‘t afford it (see first sentence). I will not buy my son or daughter a car when they turn 16...or 18. I will not co-sign on a loan for my son or daughter’s car when they want to buy one. I will not pay their car insurance when they buy a car. This, in turn, means that they will have to get a job doing some kind of minimum-wage labor (Heavens, no!), earn money for themselves (Stop! Please! Not that!), and save their money to buy the car, clothes, or phone they desire (That‘s torture!). They will learn the true value of a day‘s wage, and they will learn what they can and cannot afford.
They will clean up their rooms. They will help take out the trash. They will help wash the dishes. They will help do laundry. They’ll help in the yard and garden. They will learn the value of work (not entitlement)…a notion which escapes multitudes of young people today. They will not be “too good” to do any job or task for someone else. They will learn to volunteer their time and talents for others, and not just use their abilities to advance their own lives.
How will they learn these things? I will have to be the example I need to be for them (and Lord help me to do it).
Trying hard to remember you doing chores as a teenager.
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