How many of you have heard this line, too often on American Idol? "I really want this, Simon!" As if the fact that they have the musicality of a stuck pig, has nothing to do with being an American Idol. Its all about the fact that they WANT it. I am increasingly dismayed by the sense of entitlement that I see in our children and young people today. As a nanny, I am around all sorts of parents and children every day. I have been amazed at the parenting (or non-parenting) that I experience around these children. I actually watched a mom break down in tears after begging her child to come down from the play ground and being ignored for fifteen minutes. I finally, politely, asked her if she wanted me to go and get him and she stared at me with shock and replied, "I guess I could go and get him." She grabbed him and brought him down and they went out the door. It was like she had never even thought of the fact that she could control his behavior. Seeing the total over-indulgence that happens with these children, it doesn't take a big mental leap, to understand why people who can't carry a tune in a bushel basket think that they deserve to be on American Idol. They are told every day that every thing they do is WONDERFUL. No one loses, everyone wins, right? Wrong. Eventually in life, these kids, who are in total unreality of who and what they are, will run into a Simon. Someone who doesn't pull any punches, and suddenly they are in shock and are totally devastated at the reality that broadsides them. I used to babysit a boy who behaved terribly, when he was old enough to go to school, he would come home depressed because he didn't have any friends. No one wanted to play with him because he was such a brat. And he couldn't understand why, since no one had ever taught him what proper behavior was. Was it really a five year old's fault? Not in my opinion. What a disservice his parents did to him. I say its about time we got control of our children again. Teach them that there is a right way and a wrong way, help them with their weakness, but don't lie to them about their abilities. Bring them up with compassion for others instead of a sense of entitlement that tells them they deserve whatever they want just because they want it! I was thrilled with a line in the movie Incredibles, where Dash is complaining about not being able to do things because he was "special", to which his mom replies, "Everyone's special, Dash, " to which he mutters back, "which is just another way of saying, no one is special!" I love it, get with it people, lets bring some old fashioned reality back to our children! I never liked not being able to sing, but guess what, I knew I couldn't and you can believe that I would never have tried out for American Idol. Does this mean if your kid isn't good at something that you shouldn't encourage him to get better? Of course not! It is always good to teach children (and adults) that is is good to strive to do better at the things that we aren't as good at. Just don't convince them that they are going to be president some day if they have the IQ of a squirrel! Its really about the kids and what is best for them, and sometimes that means accepting hard truths to escape embarrassment later from a much harsher critic or situation. Thanks for putting up with my rant, good luck to all you parents out there!
