WHAT is wrong with kids today????

[Kannan Fodder]

Yup, we get that at my store too. Had a girl flounce into the store as I was ringing a long line of customers, cut to the front of the line, and loudly announce "I need 10 large crickets and my mom said i could hold a ferret." She then folded her arms and stared at me with her best "snap to it beeyotch" glare. I just smiled at her and informed her, "Your mother needs to be present before we can let you hold any animal. Company policy." She huffed at me and stormed out the door.

 

[wesleydnunder]

"What is wrong..?"

In a word...'parents'.

Mark

 

[Rbishop]

Parents may have a big share of why they developed into what there are, as is the family unit. Or even the lack of those. But until that child stands up and accepts responsibility even if it's just being held accountable by outside sources, they will act like that no matter the involvement of parents. Children today realize they are protected and little that parents can do in most cases or teachers for that matter.

 

[wesleydnunder]

Parents may have a big share of why they developed into what there are, as is the family unit. Or even the lack of those. But until that child stands up and accepts responsibility even if it's just being held accountable by outside sources, they will act like that no matter the involvement of parents. Children today realize they are protected and little that parents can do in most cases or teachers for that matter.

Agreed. Once a child makes up his/her mind to be a snot, there's sometimes little that can be done. The parents I'm citing are the ones who want to be "friends" with their children; don't want to be disciplinarians and authority figures. Like the "affluenza" mom who first excuses her son's behavior then encourages it by helping him avoid responsibility for his actions. Then there are the parents who want nothing to do with raising kids, because they have yet to grow up themselves and accept responsibility for what they do. There are more stumbling blocks in the way of today's parents than there were when we grew up. Our parents could indulge in pretty much anything short of murder to get their points across to us.

Mark

 

[rufioman]

Kids+today's technology=no respect for anything or anyone. It's only going to get worse. I was on-track to become a junior high school teacher, and quit out in student teaching because I had 44 kids in a small classroom that only looked at their phones. /rant.

 

[Kannan Fodder]

My sister teaches middle school science. She frequently vents to me about the frustration she faces daily from lack of active administration to parents who have coddled their children to the point that the kids have IEPs (individual education plans) that actually excuse them from any and all school work while stipulating that said child WILL get a passing grade. (Some of these kids do not have a disability other than parental induced laziness.) Some of the kids in her classes are only sent to school for "socialization", and are allowed to completely disrupt the entire class with belligerent behavior and violent outbursts on a daily basis. And teachers are constantly threatened with administrative discipline for not exactly following every child's IEP, whether or not the teacher is even aware an IEP exists.

I don't remember any of this when I was in jr high, and I also remember being held accountable for my own actions and getting my assignments done on time. There were no infinite "do overs" until I got the grade I wanted. (My sister has students regularly asking if they can hand in late assignments or retake tests to bring up their grades AFTER final grades are posted and the semester has ended.) I also remember jr high as preparing us for high school, and high school prepared us to join the "real world" of adult responsibility.

I actually had someone ask me the other day if I had kids, and when I replied "Nope", I was told "You don't know what you're missing."

 

[nerdyrcdriver]

Rant warning:

As a 20 year old student (junior in college) with a 16 year old brother I know all of this too well. I frequently meet up with old (high school) teachers to see what is going on and this is basically what they have to deal with every day. There are people like that at college too, but the responsible people or the teachers will straight up tell them to get the heck out or sit down and shut up.

My brother's generation is absolutely terrible. Schools should be allowed to have devices that block cell signals during class hours. But instead they give them free wifi and expect them to do work rather than screwing around online. The switch to college is going to be a huge leap for them.

I sometimes volunteer (you know, to prove that I can work for my scholarship) talking to new/potential students. This year they just couldn't deal with the lack of structure. I had to explain to them that when they make their class schedule they have to plan it out so they have time for lunch or dinner in between classes. They just didn't get that there isn't a set lunch time. And their is no maid service to clean your dorm room, unless you have some friends that are absolutely desperate for cash.

And who the heck is teaching these kids to drive? Learn to pay attention for 5 minutes, and if there is a grandma that is lost and going 35 in a 40 riding the back of my car isn't gonna do anything for you. I'm ready to machine a big nasty spike and put it in my hitch. Back off or loose your radiator. The only problem with that is that it really only sticks it to their parents having to deal with car repair/replacement and insurance. I doubt the kid would learn anything.

 

[Que]

It was the same at PetSmart the rule was you had to be 18 to purchase an animal without a parent present. It had been around for a while, the policy books I was given had it stated in them and were copy writed as the year 2000. However, for regular customers that had been in with parents before and since we were located in a shopping center we often just let it slide, but it was great to pull it out with a group of obnoxious teenagers. Especially when they were wanting to hold the snakes and I would take them over, unlock the cage, pull the snake out and then just as I was handing it to them say "oh wait, how old are you? Oh you have to be 18 or have a parent present to handle the animals. Sorry. *overly fake cheesy smile and put the snake away*"
Ya. . . I got accused of being a "vindictive you know what," but sometimes it was necessary to remind them they didn't get whatever they wanted.

The last Petsmert I went in seemed to be taking care of the fish just as badly as a 5 year old would. They had dozens of Betas in tiny tubs and many of them were dead or dying. I left the store SMH.

 

[Tifftastic]

The last Petsmert I went in seemed to be taking care of the fish just as badly as a 5 year old would. They had dozens of Betas in tiny tubs and many of them were dead or dying. I left the store SMH.

Retail is not the best and everywhere's different. I've seen many a LFS do the same unfortunately

 

[Aquaticfrog32]

It really depends on the child.......in my opinion......at least..................................................................................