Protecting the Free-Range Kid

[DrYouth]

You know the difference between European class and American class.

And I know they had silver spoon kids back then with their hovering nannies and butlers, but that wasn't the norm in the middle.

Even poor kids don't have to do anything these days.
Poor people have crappy dishwashers, microwaveable food and out of date gaming systems.
It's easiest for parents to let them sit all day on the Xbox...
Too much trouble to nag them to do chores.

[Okeefenokee]

What do you think engenders entitlement?

If no one gives you responsibility, you never learn to take it.
You firmly believe the responsibility is theirs.
That's entitlement.

Yeah, I can dig that. Man, we go round and round in this house over dropping the ball on responsibilities. I guess that's the whole premise behind chores, or it was supposed to be. Turned into a racket to get drug money, though. Dad never gave me allowance. I just had all this shit I had to do, end of story. My friends, though, would go to their moms and offer to sweep the garage or rake some leaves for a few bucks whenever they needed money for dope.

[DrYouth]

Turned into a racket to get drug money, though.

For who?

[Smitty-48]

You know the difference between European class and American class.

And I know they had silver spoon kids back then with their hovering nannies and butlers, but that wasn't the norm in the middle.

Kids don't have to do anything these days.
Dishwashers, microwaveable food...
It's easiest for parents to let them sit all day on the Xbox...
Too much trouble to nag them to do chores.

You have to raise them to do their duty from the cradle up, can't mollycoddle them out of the gate, then suddenly turn around and try to impose discipline on them when they start getting on your nerves, have to lay the routine down on them, long before they get to their snot nosed punk phase, which most parents do not, cept maybe the Asians.

[Okeefenokee]

Turned into a racket to get drug money, though.

For who?

For my friends. They'd go offer to do some work for their moms whenever they needed money for pot. Fucking housewives were oblivious to the strangeness of the kids who they could never get to do anything suddenly offering their services. Completely funded their drug habits. Between seeing that and seeing them lose their fucking shit like a crazy person over and over, I reassessed my feelings on being raised by a single father.

[DrYouth]

For my friends. They'd go offer to do some work for their moms whenever they needed money for pot. Fucking housewives were oblivious to the strangeness of the kids who they could never get to do anything suddenly offering their services. Completely funded their drug habits. Between seeing that and seeing them lose their fucking shit like a crazy person over and over, I reassessed my feelings on being raised by a single father.

I don't believe in paying my kids for chores.
My kids get allowance that they can lose or blow... ($20/month)...
And if they fail their responsibilities they won't get it.
Chores are expected and uncompensated... part of pitching in to the household.

If they want more money - they can get jobs.

[Smitty-48]

For my friends. They'd go offer to do some work for their moms whenever they needed money for pot. Fucking housewives were oblivious to the strangeness of the kids who they could never get to do anything suddenly offering their services. Completely funded their drug habits. Between seeing that and seeing them lose their fucking shit like a crazy person over and over, I reassessed my feelings on being raised by a single father.

I don't believe in paying my kids for chores.
My kids get allowance that they can lose or blow... ($20/month)...
And if they fail their responsibilities they won't get it.
Chores are expected and uncompensated... part of pitching in to the household.

If they want more money - they can get jobs.

20 bucks/month? Pfft, your kids is easily bought, the better move would be terroristic emotional blackmail, either you cough up a hunge a week, or no telling what crazy shit we might do, don't test us motherfucker, just hand over the cash if you want to sleep at night.

[Okeefenokee]

I don't do allowance. I was gonna cut their internet, but the computers still have other shit on them, so I just yanked both their PCs instead. They know the TV's next.

[DrYouth]

20 bucks/month? Pfft, your kids is easily bought, the better move would be terroristic emotional blackmail, either you cough up a hunge a week, or no telling what crazy shit we might do, don't test us motherfucker, just hand over the cash if you want to sleep at night.

It must be tempting with a youth shrink for a dad...

Imagine the blackmail potential!

[Smitty-48]

20 bucks/month? Pfft, your kids is easily bought, the better move would be terroristic emotional blackmail, either you cough up a hunge a week, or no telling what crazy shit we might do, don't test us motherfucker, just hand over the cash if you want to sleep at night.

It must be tempting with a youth shrink for a dad...

Imagine the blackmail potential!

You don't stand a fuckin' prayer if they ever figure this shit out, I never used this technique on me ol' pappy, but my brothers did, and they took him for a ride like Bonnie and Clyde.