Graduation gifts
Sometimes I can't believe some of the things that kids get for graduation. When I graduated from 8th grade my dad got me a tiffany's necklace (which was obviously a very nice gift). And from college I got a laptop. Both of these gifts I thought were great and I was so happy to get them. Now I am seeing kids that are graduating from 8th grade getting laptops (the gift I got when I was going into college). And I think it is absolutely crazy.
I have also heard about kids graduating from high school and getting plastic surgery as their graduation gift. I thought it was crazy when a friend of mine got a huge lcd TV for their dorm room, but plastic surgery? That seems a little out there to me. Why would a parent spend that much money altering their child's body when they are 17 or 18 years old only? College is a time to find yourself and become comfortable with who you are. Is getting plastic surgery going to help that?
Another thing that I have noticed is that children are getting rewarded more and more now for their grades. When I was in grade school (I sound like my dad or even my grandpa when I say that) we worked hard in school and getting good grades were expected. We weren't rewarded when we got good grades, we just avoided being grounded. Now I am hearing about how kids are getting video games for good grades or money. It seems so weird to me that they are getting paid to get good grades (especially when they are in grades like 5th and 6th) when the homework is super easy.
Overall I think kids now are expecting more things and parents are giving them to them. I think it just comes with the time changing and it might not just be their fault. But I know if I pulled the same things that my youngest sister pulls now my dad would have had nothing to do with it. He would have had no problem saying no to me. But to her, probably because all of the other kids are getting new phones and iPods, he feels like he needs to give her things like that. I didn't get a cell phone until I was 16, but my sister is 10 now and she has had one for 2 years. She probably doesn't have many people that she calls, but she always has it with her. I guess times are just changing.
Posted on Monday, November 24, 2008 @ 11:44 AM by Brian