“I remember when I was 14, I was told my generation was entitled. Didn’t know the labor of a hard day’s work. This was while I was studying and working in checkout back in 1999. ‘Entitled to what?,’ I used to think, feeling guilty but not understanding.
I’ve heard it so much, ‘Entitled.’
Now I am no longer that generation. Magically I’ve upgraded to the ‘someone who looks like they can be confided in about the younger generation being entitled.’ I am an elder now, if you will (albeit still a millennial).
On Saturday night, I went to a party.
I witnessed some adults sitting in corners, rolling their eyes at the younger kids, pointing at their outfits, judging, disapproving, losing patience. ‘Their parents must be so proud.’ ‘Who is raising kids like this these days? iPhones and miniskirts.’
I always mention how important a village is for raising kids, of any age. But a village is also really important for raising parents. We are all a part of it. As soon as one of the villagers talk like this, they are metaphorically burning down that village with their torches of judgement. They are burning down the community we need.
When you take away the confidence of a parent, you shatter the parent’s ability to raise a child. It applies for everything – giving kids iPads, giving kids McDonald’s, anything, as soon as a parent is judged, a building crumbles. And nothing good comes out of it…
And with this younger generation, I didn’t see entitlement. Not an ounce.
What I saw was a bunch of kids, teens; young adults, being amazing. Encouraging each other.
Talking about mental health to each other, checking each other to make sure they were safe.
Playing with the younger children, making sure they were okay. I witnessed so much love. A bunch of friends who cared about each other. Who were polite, who had respect.
Some of them even made besties with my kids because they just thought the children at the party were the most amazing blessings in the world.
Entitlement means, believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment and every time someone talks down to a child, a teenager or a parent about what they don’t deserve or what they’re not entitled, what that says to me is that they think they’re better and that the generations of kids or parents below them aren’t worthy.
So, if you’ve raised kids from the mid 1990’s to 2000’s – Thank you. You’ve done an amazing job. You’ve raised compassionate children who care about our world, our mental health and about each other. I am glad to see that this is our future leaders. A few people could learn from their kindness and allow a little in their world by just observing behaviors beyond ‘Clothes or iPads,’ like I did, and they’ll see something amazing.
And to beautiful Eve, who danced the night away with my son without getting annoyed once, I mean it when I say – one day you’ll conquer the world. You are beautiful.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Laura Mazza, where it originally appeared. Follow Laura on Instagram here. Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best love stories here.
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