Why is it that our kids tend to insiston learning life lessons the hard way? I know I was guilty at times of doing that exact thing when I was growing up. I thought I knew about life far better than my parents at the time. I was less likely to do this than probably the average kid, but never the less, there were times I insisted on learning lessons the hard way.
However, now that I am a parent, it seems that our kids today seem more determined than ever to learn life lessons the hard way more than ever. It's like we are even more dumb than we probably thought our parents were. Maybe this is truly how our parents felt, but I don't remember ever going as far as what our kids these days seem to go with us. It feels like our kids these days go an extra mile to make us feel like they truly do have all the answers and like we truly have no clue.
Now, I will be the first one to tell you that I am completley out of the loop with what is "cool" or "hip" these days. I don't know all the in style and latest trends. What I do know is what hard work and being patient for things in life takes.
I do know that taking pride in what you do have and putting in the work to eventually getting what your parents have today in the future is what it's all about.
We see younger "adults" coming into the work place expecting (and I really mean expecting) over $100,000 a year salary right out of college (and yes, most are actually getting that) and are ticked off or annoyed if it doesn't happen right out of the gate when it took or is still taking us 50+ years to get there, if we even do. Granted, we don't all have college degrees, but we also didn't have parents to help us pay for college or lived at home until we were in our 20's or 30's like kids do today. That just really wasn't acceptable or allowed (at least when we grew up).
I think for me, the most irritating part of all this is when we do try to guide or encourage our kids about life things or with their life situations and they seem to have all the answers it makes you feel like you don't know what to do next or they make you question yourself. Don't! Our kids today seem to be somewhat entitled or like they have a right to talk to us that way or worse, dismiss us as not being as informed as we are. That is not the truth. The truth is, the internet and the fact that they likely went to college and the world around them has made them think that they are far more advanced than we are. We may not have evolved like they think they have, but that does not make them right. It makes them think differently than us. Different, does not make them right and us wrong. It makes our ideas different.
If our kids want to learn life lessons the hard way, let them. It's hard for us as parents, but it won't kill them. It's hard to watch and they may experience pain with those decisions, but if they insist they know better, let them see that they don't. If it turns out well for them, then great. Chances are, it won't and you will be proven right. You won't have to say, I told you so, they will know. It's just not worth the struggle of always trying to convince or prove to them that you know a better way, because they are already convinced you don't. So let them soar and let them learn however they choose to learn and know that sometimes they will choose the hard way and that's okay. Sometimes that hard way builds lasting character and that will teach them to allow their children to learn their life lessons the hard way rather than always making things easier for them. Also, when they try to attempt to help their children avoid learning life lessons the hard way and they still choose the other, they will know exactly how you are feeling today.
