“The kids these days”?

I grew up hearing the phrase “aajkal ke bachchey…” (kids these days…). Our parents said it whenever we did something that they were not allowed to do when they were our age. They couldn’t talk back to their elders – they got whacked if they did. They didn’t talk so much. They listened to their parents. And so on…

I hear the same refrain now, about the new generation – our kids. The “new generation” is fast, they are arrogant, more mature/obnoxious etc. Each generation of parents thinks their kids’ generation is getting off easier in discipline matters than they ever did. And I cringe at the phrase “kids today…” I mean – really? Is it only the kids of today’s generation? How did they learn all the things, behaviors and attitudes that we moan about, if not from us directly or indirectly? We either teach them these behaviors or permit them to behave this way. I once wrote “Kids might not always behave the way their parents want them to, but they will ALWAYS behave the way they are allowed to.” I still maintain that this is absolutely true.

I read this article today and have been thinking about this since then. The article does make some good points about how to relate and communicate with one’s kids. But it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that our kids today are “maturing” faster than we did as kids. Who laughs and claps when Gudiya dances to “beedi jalaye le”? Who laughs when the two year old Chhotu uses a cuss word that he picked up from his grandfather who uttered it while driving through the city’s maniac traffic? Who, instead of immediately explaining the rules to their kid about something he/she did wrong, turns around and says with a smile “kya karoon? sunta hi nahi hai!” (ALL real life examples)

Yes, not yelling or hitting are good parenting goals. But discipline and firm action is often mistaken for mean-ness on the parents’ part (been accused of that plenty of times) Being a “nice” parent is often confused with being a good parent. Discipline has its own (important) place even in the most loving parent-child relationship. A parent who doesn’t discipline their child when needed, is doing their child a huge disservice because when that child goes out in the real world he/she is going to have a hard time fitting in with the rules of the world he/she will have to live in. “No” is a healthy word for kids to hear.

Having been a parent for 12+ years, I have learnt enough never to say never. I know I can never say, with surety, what my children or I might or might not do. But I have also learnt that most of the times our children’s behavior stems from and depends upon our parenting style. So before we say “kids these days…” we should take a long, hard look at our own behavior and parenting and try to find out if it is the “parents these days…” instead.

Guest Blogger Cee Kay is a mother of two girls, a networking professional, a cooking enthusiast and a resident of Norwalk, CT (USA), trying to peel herself off of her old doormat mode and transforming herself into a confident and outspoken woman.She is getting there now – or so she believes.

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