The "Sissifying" of America...

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  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,039 Member
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    I think the principal meant that everyone won because all the kids read a bunch of books. Sort of like on MFP -- al the folks who are taking control of their lives are winners. And like another poster said, the kids always know who did the best.

    I'm not saying that sissifying isn't happening. I'm just saying this isn't much of an example.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
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    I spent my childhood LOSING and I am none the worse for it. It pushed me to try harder. It pushed me to do my best. If you 'win' even when you lose... what's the point of giving it your all?

    I really hate this new 'everyone is a winner' attitude.

    No. We aren't all winners. And that makes the winning so much SWEETER when it DOES happen... because you lost so much and worked SO HARD to win!!!!
  • ThePhoenixRose
    ThePhoenixRose Posts: 1,985 Member
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    my husband is a college professor, and he *****es about this all the time. he has students who come to class totally unprepared and don't understand why they are not passing. he's had kids tell him, flat-out, that in high school, they came to class and didn't cause trouble, and they got decent grades. they never realized they'd have to actually study, turn in work, etc. in college. Can you imagine?!?!
  • momof8munchkins
    momof8munchkins Posts: 1,167 Member
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    AGREED! People are too busy pampering the little precious and making sure their days are only filled with unicorns and rainbows to teach them about real life.. All that accomplishes is a nation full of spoiled adults.
  • frogman4591
    frogman4591 Posts: 135
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    It is known as "The duming down of America"
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    my husband is a college professor, and he *****es about this all the time. he has students who come to class totally unprepared and don't understand why they are not passing. he's had kids tell him, flat-out, that in high school, they came to class and didn't cause trouble, and they got decent grades. they never realized they'd have to actually study, turn in work, etc. in college. Can you imagine?!?!

    EXACTLY the same thing I see teaching undergrads. I even see it periodically in graduate students which is really mind-boggling.
  • IARXPHD
    IARXPHD Posts: 14
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    The "Trophy for Breathing" generation is a NIGHTMARE to teach in college. Too many have such unearned ego that they think they know everything. And heaven forbid you ask them to work hard.
    Go to Hulu and look for the SNL Skit "You can do ANYTHING". Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
  • TK266
    TK266 Posts: 3,689 Member
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    it is not like this is a new problem. I saw the same thing when I was kid back in the 1970's. half the time I think statements like this fall in the the category of "kids today have it too easy, why when I was a kid ...." which for the most part is looking back though the rose colored glasses of nostalgia, IMHO.

    but that is OK, cuz now everyone can post how their childhood was much rougher then kids today to prove me wrong. :laugh:
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    I don't necessarily disagree with you OP, but what is the value of losing?
    Teaches the value of hard work and self-independence.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
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    COMPLETELY agree! my kids are 5 and 6 and when we first started playing board games there would be huge tantrums if they didnt win - theyve finally figured out (or got sick of me saying) life isnt fair, and you dont always win. if you dont like the outcome, try harder. havent had/noticed issues at school yet, but just one is in kindergarten - im sure itll come up some time lol
  • sjkcarter
    sjkcarter Posts: 417 Member
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    Totally agree. I don't have kids, but I work in the financial aid office at a community college and the student here have such a feeling of entitlement. But out higher up don't help either. If you have failed every class you have taken and are on suspension and our office denies your appeal based in the fact that you have not shown any effort or successful progress, all the student has to do is fuss and yell and treating to sue and that get whatever they want. What is the point to school if were teaching people that they don't have to work hard to succeed.
  • IARXPHD
    IARXPHD Posts: 14
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    What you do is take the trophy and give it to the local Special Olympics for the kids who really do appreciate it, and who DO have a hard road ahead of them.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    What you do is take the trophy and give it to the local Special Olympics for the kids who really do appreciate it, and who DO have a hard road ahead of them.

    I like this idea. :smile:
  • myak623
    myak623 Posts: 616 Member
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    i disagree.

    and my kid is awesome.

    the only way you become a winner is to not let the failures beat you down and keep trying. What is the saying? Edison didn't fail 500 times, he found 500 ways to not make a lightbulb work.

    He may have learned something different each time, but each time he didn't get it right was a failure.

    And, I'm sure your kid is awesome. That wasn't the point of the OP.
  • Meaganandcheese
    Meaganandcheese Posts: 525 Member
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    The crazy thing is that this is supposed to 'help' them, but it leaves them totally unprepared for real life.

    They spend their school years constantly being told that they're great, amazing, unique etc and then they enter the world of work with a massively overdeveloped ego and often a correspondingly massive overestimation of their own worth.

    I'm sure anyone who has ever interviewed young people as part of a recruitment process knows exactly what that's like. :grumble:

    I work in college recruiting for a fortune 500. I talk to college students and recent grads for 90% of my day. Hiring and managing the Millennial attitude (I like to call them the Self Esteem Generation) is a huge HR initiative for us. The "real world" is changing to meet them, for better or worse.
  • sassylilmama
    sassylilmama Posts: 1,495 Member
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    This is why I am honest with my kids. I let them know there is always room for improvement, they do not get everything they want and understand they are not always going to be the star of everything.

    Oh and theses parents that do all the work for their kids, you are not doing them any favors either. My daughters class just had a big project and it was clear many parents did the work.
  • EpiGaiaRepens
    EpiGaiaRepens Posts: 824 Member
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    i disagree.

    and my kid is awesome.

    the only way you become a winner is to not let the failures beat you down and keep trying. What is the saying? Edison didn't fail 500 times, he found 500 ways to not make a lightbulb work.

    And had he been sufficiently rewarded for those 500 failures, he might never have found the need to go on to find the one success.

    BS. What you guys are talking about is about giving kids posivibes even when they don't win like it's some crime against humanity. My son always gets told he did good even when he fails because i'm not gonna emotionally abuse him for not being the best at everything. Trying, and continuing to try, is what matters.
  • Scott613
    Scott613 Posts: 2,317 Member
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    What's the point of winning if everybody gets one of these.

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRRFbgNrVw9tfScRSlPm58A-4jqhgkZLW21ZbpNxKbzvxWyVuvo
  • lucythinmint
    lucythinmint Posts: 239
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    AMEN!!!!

    I have 4 children and I fully agree with this.
  • myak623
    myak623 Posts: 616 Member
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    i disagree.

    and my kid is awesome.

    the only way you become a winner is to not let the failures beat you down and keep trying. What is the saying? Edison didn't fail 500 times, he found 500 ways to not make a lightbulb work.

    And had he been sufficiently rewarded for those 500 failures, he might never have found the need to go on to find the one success.

    BS. What you guys are talking about is about giving kids posivibes even when they don't win like it's some crime against humanity. My son always gets told he did good even when he fails because i'm not gonna emotionally abuse him for not being the best at everything. Trying, and continuing to try, is what matters.

    I think you might be missing the point a little. Being told you're a failure is much different than being allowed to fail.

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