<p>They expect and need constant praise due to parents and schools who overdid the building of self-esteem.<br>
Employers told to offer “rewards” for ordinary work.</p>
<p>barrons -</p>
<p>I too, found this a fascinating story. The constant praise we give our kids has led to this. I’d be curious to see how widespread this is (haven’t noticed it in my place of employment).</p>
<p>I haven’t noticed it anywhere, and for sure not in the workplace … </p>
<p>Personally, I think that over-praising parents are an urban legend. Why? Because I know a lot of parents, and none of them do it. If constant praise was the current parental standard, I figure I would have seen it at some point.</p>
<p>However, it does give the media something else to fuss over. </p>
<p>I’m weary of all the stories about how incompetent we boomers are as parents.</p>
<p>I certainly have seen it on my nieces and nephews trophy shelves.
Also the point about schools grading easier is certainly true. A 3.75 is the new 3.25 in HS.</p>
<p>All you need to do to reduce this sort of extreme need for praise is to go to grad school. It’s worked wonders for me. :p</p>
<p>“Overblown self-esteem” is currently a cultural conservative bugaboo.</p>
<p>Hey, us old people are going to need my kids and everyone their age to pay more in taxes and/or hold down two jobs due to changing demographics to pay for SS benefits, service the debt and to cover negelcted infrastructure. </p>
<p>We’re likely to get more out of them with carrots than with sticks.</p>
<p>Oy vey. Funny you should say how weary you are, frazzled, of having boomers called such incompetent parents. I myself am wearied of everyone thinking how incompetent my generation is/will be in the workforce. Everyone thought the boomers would amount to lazy bums too, didn’t they?</p>
<p>True, this is a simplified view, but nevertheless with merit.</p>
<p>I must admit I grimaced as I listened to NPR’s story this morning. The Y generation came from parents who felt that “every child was a star” and competition was a four letter word. It always made me crazy when my kids were in elementary school.</p>
<p>My husband reports that the twentysomethings with whom he works were talking the other day about “all the trophies” they have earned/been given over the years. They said that they got trophies just for participating in activities ranging from softball and soccer rec teams to spelling bees to dance recitals. I think I went through the whole of childhood and adolescence without earning a trophy, though I did earn some ribbons (none of them blue ribbons, however) in horse shows. My own kids have been given certificates and “awards” for some fairly ridiculous things, such as not getting any detentions for an entire school year. For the record, I complained to the head of the school. I don’t think kids should get an award for NOT doing anything wrong. ;)</p>
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<p>I thought that NPR itself is also a conservative bugaboo. So why should conservatives embrace a story being reported by a news organization that they’ve long considered to be nothing more than a lying bunch of liberals? Shouldn’t they regard this story as merely one more left-wing lie?</p>
<p>At least half the stories on NPR are universal and true. It’s when they drag Dan Shore out of bed to mumble some old liberal BS it gets a little tough.</p>