I've done my policital duty and voted. yee-haw.

OK, I have a question for all those who read this... When you were a teen how much responsibility did your parents put on you? Did you feel it was appropriate? Did it help? If so how? if not, explain...

Let me explain why I ask... I have a friend who's teenage son is having some issues in this area. And this concerns me a great deal. I don't have teenagers so sometimes I don't know what to tell her when she asks my opinions about things.

My parents put a lot of responsibility on me. I was expected to do certain things, like chores, school work, be respectful to my parents, be truthful, call when I was going to be late, respect my curfew and get a part time job if I wanted things above and beyond what they provided. I worked all through high school, passed and paid for all of my extracuricular activities (dances, dresses for said dances, parties, etc..), I didn't get in trouble in school, I didn't stay out past my curfew. No I wasn't perfect, far from it. I did argue with my mom sometimes, I skipped school occasionally, I drank and partied with my friends and did a few other things that could have gotten me jail time if caught... but my parents had this rule that whatever I did, I had to be willing to accept the consequences of those actions. ie if I was out drinking with my friends and we got busted by the police, I had allready be told that my parents would let me spend the night in jail. My parents showed me respect and gave me a lot of liberty because they could trust me, I didn't lie to them and respected their rules. But they sure as hell didn't give me a free ride. Everything I got, I worked hard for. And I'm thankful my parents were like that, I don't take things for granted, I can manage my money and I don't expect handouts from anyone.

My friends son... well he has issues with truthfulness, showing respect and having this attitude of entitlement. He always talks about what's 'fair' and how this isn't 'fair' to him or whatever. *sigh* I know part of that is just being a teen, but part of it isn't that easy to explain. Recently he totalled the vehicle that his father gave him to drive. Now he's upset that he will have to earn the money for a new vehicle. I don't see a problem with his parents expecting him to earn the money, hell I didn't get a car until I was married! Anyway.. there's more to it... much more.. I worry about this young man. I worry about him when he's out on his own. My dad always took care of my brother whenever anything happened. He paid for everything, he bailed him out when he got in trouble, he paid his fines, etc. Now my brother is 32 and unemployed... he's never had a job that made very much or that he held down very long.. he's married now, and just recently moved out of my dad's house (he and wife moved there when they moved back to TX) and my dad had to TELL them it was time to go. Of course my dad bailed them out on that also... he found them an apartment and paid the rent for the first month *eyes rolling up in head*. Anyway... I don't want this for my friends son. I wish there was some way to sit him down and get it through his head that once he's out of high school he has to be responsible for himself.

*D - if you have a problem with this being up, tell me and I'll take it down*