I dont want to have kids for at least another 5-10 years, but I was wondering how my generation will effect the generation coming, whatever the one that comes after Z is called

superflykid2008 Jr.

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considering this generation is the most coddled bunch of whiny brats who have ever existed their parents will probably be most instrumental in raising the grandkids...  ::)

considering this generation is the most coddled bunch of whiny brats who have ever existed their parents will probably be most instrumental in raising the grandkids...  ::)


You really think so? . . .  :\'(

You really think so? . . .   :\'(


yeah, honestly, I do... I work on a college campus and most of the students were born in the late 80s early 90s. 
I have been working here for 12 years and the calls from parents trying to "fix" things for their kids have increased.

Parents call to "fix" kids grades; to contest police contact; to get rules bent because their precious angels are different from the other 20,000 kids on campus... its ridiculous.... and I worry about this generation's ability to problem solve and think their way thru a crisis because every time the slightest thing doesn't go their way they run to mommy & daddy and mommy & daddy jump into action and try to resolve the issue rather than making the kids handle it on their own.

yeah, honestly, I do... I work on a college campus and most of the students were born in the late 80s early 90s. 
I have been working here for 12 years and the calls from parents trying to "fix" things for their kids have increased.

Parents call to "fix" kids grades; to contest police contact; to get rules bent because their precious angels are different from the other 20,000 kids on campus... its ridiculous.... and I worry about this generation's ability to problem solve and think their way thru a crisis because every time the slightest thing doesn't go their way they run to mommy & daddy and mommy & daddy jump into action and try to resolve the issue rather than making the kids handle it on their own.


I guess I don't get into trouble much at college, so my parents don't really have to get involved, but I can totally see how kids would call their parents to take care of issues and be overly reliant on others. Part of that may be, however, that when students make a request to fix a grade or some other problem (if it is a legitimate request, and not grade grubbing or trying to get around the system), the school is less likely to take care of the issue. By bringing in the parents, it is a way to ensure that whatever problem the student is having will be resolved. Universities and colleges can easily dismiss students requests, but it is harder to turn away the parents who are, for the most part, in control of their kids' education (i.e. tuition $) and on whom the school would like to make a good impression.

I guess I don't get into trouble much at college, so my parents don't really have to get involved, but I can totally see how kids would call their parents to take care of issues and be overly reliant on others. Part of that may be, however, that when students make a request to fix a grade or some other problem (if it is a legitimate request, and not grade grubbing or trying to get around the system), the school is less likely to take care of the issue. By bringing in the parents, it is a way to ensure that whatever problem the student is having will be resolved. Universities and colleges can easily dismiss students requests, but it is harder to turn away the parents who are, for the most part, in control of their kids' education (i.e. tuition $) and on whom the school would like to make a good impression.


here's the deal... I work in law enforcement and we frequently get called by parents who don't understand why their kid got a beer ticket..."Of course Johnny doesn't drink beer he was just holding it for a friend" 

They want to know why a bike was impounded or why a car was towed.
They want to report the theft of a laptop for the kid.  (basically- if you are over the age of 18 and are the victim of a crime then you have to report the crime- no one can report it on your behalf)
They want to fight a parking ticket even tho they don't know where the car was parked or for how long.
They want to get after hours access to lost and found for a note book that was in L&F for two weeks but the girl couldn't be bothered to pick it up then but she needs it now because she has a final on monday. 
They want to report an issue with a roommate or a guy who gives unwanted attention...

basically- if the kid needs help of any kind- they call mom and dad and instead of educating the kid about how to handle the problem the parent tries to handle it for them...


I get a phone call from a girl to tell me some guy walked into her apartment. 
I ask where is he now...
she says- Oh he's gone this happened last night....
I ask- why didn't you call last night?
She says- well I called my dad last night and told him about it.

Gee thanks... in college communities- well our community at least- guys typically try doors to apts looking for empty ones. If someone is sitting there they ask for John or just leave. This is how most of our burgs occur because the kids just leave their doors unlocked all of the time... so basically the girl just let a burglar (or worse a potential rapist) get away because she waited 16 hours before reporting the incident. 

here's the deal... I work in law enforcement and we frequently get called by parents who don't understand why their kid got a beer ticket..."Of course Johnny doesn't drink beer he was just holding it for a friend" 

They want to know why a bike was impounded or why a car was towed.
They want to report the theft of a laptop for the kid.  (basically- if you are over the age of 18 and are the victim of a crime then you have to report the crime- no one can report it on your behalf)
They want to fight a parking ticket even tho they don't know where the car was parked or for how long.
They want to get after hours access to lost and found for a note book that was in L&F for two weeks but the girl couldn't be bothered to pick it up then but she needs it now because she has a final on monday. 
They want to report an issue with a roommate or a guy who gives unwanted attention...

basically- if the kid needs help of any kind- they call mom and dad and instead of educating the kid about how to handle the problem the parent tries to handle it for them...


I get a phone call from a girl to tell me some guy walked into her apartment. 
I ask where is he now...
she says- Oh he's gone this happened last night....
I ask- why didn't you call last night?
She says- well I called my dad last night and told him about it.

Gee thanks... in college communities- well our community at least- guys typically try doors to apts looking for empty ones. If someone is sitting there they ask for John or just leave. This is how most of our burgs occur because the kids just leave their doors unlocked all of the time... so basically the girl just let a burglar (or worse a potential rapist) get away because she waited 16 hours before reporting the incident. 


I see your point, especially with that last bit about the potential burglar/rapist. As for the other things you listed, like fighting parking tickets that they know they justly received, I think bringing parents in has to do with, like I said before, the persuasive power parents have over the school versus that of the student. If the student's request is illegitimate, and they know it, they probably think it's a good time to bring in mom and dad. If they just defer everything to their parents no matter what, then I'd completely agree with you there and say that's crazy. Though, I'd also say parents can be at fault for going along with their kid's request. In any case, people in college in their late teens, early twenties, definitely are at this odd point where they want to be recognized as adults and grow up right at that moment, yet still be babied or coddled by their families. In a lot of cases, college can be like a "bubble" where students are kept sheltered from the happenings of the rest of the world, while still being very much a part of that world. The problem I think you are seeing is that kids in college don't know how to break out of that bubble and how to grow up completely. Maybe this is where the difference comes in from the past, when the transition into the "real world" and independence wasn't as big of a step as it seems to be now? I don't know, I guess I can't really speak for people who were my age in previous decades. For me, I'm definitely still like a big kid, but I'm also a very independent person. Most of the time I know how to handle my own situations better than my parents would (which makes sense, because they are my problems, after all, and not theirs ;D).

If they just defer everything to their parents no matter what, then I'd completely agree with you there and say that's crazy. Though, I'd also say parents can be at fault for going along with their kid's request.



That's pretty much my point.... the parents call for everything.  And I totally blame the parents they are making their kids soooo dependent on them!



Maybe this is where the difference comes in from the past, when the transition into the "real world" and independence wasn't as big of a step as it seems to be now? I don't know, I guess I can't really speak for people who were my age in previous decades.

I'm not sure what the difference is it just seems like every year the issue gets worse.... when I first started 12/13 years ago we'd get a call every couple of weeks... now we get calls daily- sometimes a couple times a day.... this tells me a decade ago kids knew how to handle their problems....now they rely on their parents to fix it for them....

oh just a few months ago I watched a grandma/or elderly mom bottle feed a 20 year old man... . I don't mean she handed him a bottle of water... she held the bottle of water for him at an angle so he could drink from it... the guy had two empty and fully functioning hands  ::)



For me, I'm definitely still like a big kid, but I'm also a very independent person. Most of the time I know how to handle my own situations better than my parents would (which makes sense, because they are my problems, after all, and not theirs ;D).


this makes you far superior to your peers!  8)

oh just a few months ago I watched a grandma/or elderly mom bottle feed a 20 year old man... . I don't mean she handed him a bottle of water... she held the bottle of water for him at an angle so he could drink from it... the guy had two empty and fully functioning hands  ::)


That is hysterical!! Yet scary at the same time . . .

That is hysterical!! Yet scary at the same time . . .


yeah I just stood there staring... the guy was not at all embarrassed by it.

considering this generation is the most coddled bunch of whiny brats who have ever existed their parents will probably be most instrumental in raising the grandkids...  ::)

Ah, hell...every older generation says that about the younger generation. Hell, I'm sure the World War II generation's parents said that about them.

I mean OK, you deal with this every day so I can see where you might have a unique perspective on this. On the other hand, my job involves delivering to fast food restaurants so I interact with a lot of people in their late teens-early 20's and my experience is that most of them really seem to have their sh*t together, perhaps more so than my generation (X). So I have to vehemently disagree with you.

Honestly I think the generation that f*cked us far more than any other is the Boomers. They're the ones that are in charge of our government and our businesses and I firmly believe that that is the number one reason why we are in such a God-awful mess right now.

And because of that, this generation which you have so much disdain for carries a great burden. It will be up to them to unf*ck this giant mess the Boomers have left us in, not to mention that I wouldn't be surprised if someday they are called upon to defend our nation from great peril. And you know what? I think they will succeed.  :)

Ah, hell...every older generation says that about the younger generation. Hell, I'm sure the World War II generation's parents said that about them.

I mean OK, you deal with this every day so I can see where you might have a unique perspective on this. On the other hand, my job involves delivering to fast food restaurants so I interact with a lot of people in their late teens-early 20's and my experience is that most of them really seem to have their sh*t together, perhaps more so than my generation (X). So I have to vehemently disagree with you.

Honestly I think the generation that f*cked us far more than any other is the Boomers. They're the ones that are in charge of our government and our businesses and I firmly believe that that is the number one reason why we are in such a God-awful mess right now.

And because of that, this generation which you have so much disdain for carries a great burden. It will be up to them to unf*ck this giant mess the Boomers have left us in, not to mention that I wouldn't be surprised if someday they are called upon to defend our nation from great peril. And you know what? I think they will succeed.  :)








maybe its because you see them in one environment...they are working and pretty much know how to handle their jobs...I see them outside of that controlled element and come into contact when they are trying to deal with life.... two very different experiences.

you have a point about the boomers tho!

That's pretty much my point.... the parents call for everything.  And I totally blame the parents they are making their kids soooo dependent on them!


I'm not sure what the difference is it just seems like every year the issue gets worse.... when I first started 12/13 years ago we'd get a call every couple of weeks... now we get calls daily- sometimes a couple times a day.... this tells me a decade ago kids knew how to handle their problems....now they rely on their parents to fix it for them....

oh just a few months ago I watched a grandma/or elderly mom bottle feed a 20 year old man... . I don't mean she handed him a bottle of water... she held the bottle of water for him at an angle so he could drink from it... the guy had two empty and fully functioning hands  ::)

Thats sad I mean I could understand if the guy just got out of surgery and his mom or grandma holding the bottle for him but that wasn't the case at all.

Thats sad I mean I could understand if the guy just got out of surgery and his mom or grandma holding the bottle for him but that wasn't the case at all.



I don't know if you have seen the Hangover, but the Zach Galifianakis character reminds me of that quote above.

considering this generation is the most coddled bunch of whiny brats who have ever existed their parents will probably be most instrumental in raising the grandkids...  ::)

Lord knows we are raising Missy's.

Lord knows we are raising Missy's.



Yeah- that does suck...but I was in no way referring to you when I wrote what I wrote....  ;)