<p>Also, we have a significant immigration population from countries where people don’t get jobs until they have college degrees (and even then, it’s tough). The concept of teenagers working is not one they’re familiar with. Teenagers should spend any spare time studying for the big exams.</p>
<p>This doesn’t start at college - my younger D is an elementary school, and in the 8 years between the time older D and younger D started elementary school, I think there were a lot of changes in parenting norms. It’s tough to not get overly involved when you see your kid get left out of things because the squeaky wheel gets the grease.</p>
<p>GFG, it’s true: the concept of working teens is particularly American.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ilo.org/public/english/comp/child/stat/stats.htm[/url]”>http://www.ilo.org/public/english/comp/child/stat/stats.htm</a></p>
<p>According to the new estimates, there are some 250 million children 5-14 years old who are toiling in economic activity in developing countries. For close to one-half of them (or 120 million), this work is carried out on a full time basis, while for the remaining one-half it is combined with schooling or other non-economic activities. Among school going children, up to one-third of the boys (33%) and more than two-fifths (42%) of the girls are also engaged in economic activities on a part-time basis.</p>
<p>curm, I’m aware of child labor. Perhaps I should have been more specific: the concept of working teens in the westernized first-world is specifically American. European teens by and large do not work as teen agers: they are too busy studying at their demanding schools in order to then pass their demanding end-of-the-year exams. In the summer, they spend weeks at a time vacationing with their parents who have an average of 4-6 weeks off. Neither phenomenon exists in America.</p>
<p>“GFG, it’s true: the concept of working teens is particularly American.”</p>
<p>We should clarify that we’re talking about middle class teens. Poor children around the world work, of course. But in countries where jobs are few, teens do not work in retail, etc.</p>
<p>“We should clarify that we’re talking about middle class teens. Poor children around the world work, of course. But in countries where jobs are few, teens do not work in retail, etc.”</p>
<p>How much is this because of academic demands and how much is because of our consumer-driven culture? In the US, we have retail establishments on every corner. We are a cornucopia of retail, which is a “feast” for teenage/college age workers who want to work part time for spending money or to supplement their education. It’s both push and pull- the glut of stores/restaurants wanting people to come work and the demand of teens for more and more goodies (phones, sunglasses, clothes, cars…). Totally different culture than, say, eastern Europe.</p>
<p>I also think a lot of kids are feeling an overwhelming sense of self-importance. But look at how they develop it. Kids who can’t carry a tune think they can sing … obviously, someone has been telling them they are incredible singers, or they wouldn’t be so surprised when they go to a national audition & are told they can’t sing. Parents have to be sternly reminded (or even sign a contract) to keep them from screaming & yelling so loud the next family can’t hear their kid’s name … all that because they graduated from high school, danced in a recital, played a sport, etc. Kids get A’s in classes when they don’t even have a mastery of the material … the AP Calc class in our public high school gets to correct their tests in a group for full credit! The list goes on.</p>
<p>Maybe this was all going on when I was growing up & I just happened to miss out on it.</p>
<p>Kelsmon: That’s a very good point. By telling kids that they’re good at everything (when they’re really not) we’re simply setting them up for failure later in life. It’s like cheating; while you may profit in the short run (by acing a test), in the long run you’re going to feel the brunt of your consequences (when in college, you never understood Calculus in the first place). Similarly, when kids think they’re amazing singers because people have been telling them that all their life; it’s going to hurt a lot more when somebody tells you on national television that you can’t sing for beans.</p>
<p>I just saw an article in the Merc or Chronicle that doctors shouldn’t use euphemisms when it comes to health - if a kid is overweight, tell them that instead of trying to phrase it kindly. I think what some parents and teachers don’t realize is that it’s more helpful to be honest than to lavish on the overexcessive praise - because then kids will realize the potential for improvement, rather than have the attitude of complacence in something they’re not even competent in.</p>
<p>It’s all in how you do it, tako & kelsmom. I personally side on the side of being gentle with children. I don’t tell them they’re “great” if they’re not – but I won’t tell them they stink at singing or soccer or whatever if they enjoy doing it for fun. Life has a way of teaching children the truth later anyway. (You have to audition to get to sing in the choir, you have to impress the coach to get on the team. You have to score well on tests to get into the top college.) And they tend to figure it out by themselves anyway – within the ruthless world of middle and high school, where cruel classmates don’t give a hoot what your mama thinks ;)</p>
<p>PS Tako – greetings to Cupertino. A Monta Vista grad here. But I won’t tell you which class.</p>
<p>I’ve found myself often thinking that the kids coming up in the “Information Age” are less informed then we were when we were their age. And then I realize the ordeal they go through to get into college and the competition for the “better” schools and how important it is for them to get any kind of entree into a middle class life is way beyond anything that we experienced. They have to work much harder than we did to get even close. </p>
<p>That competition has GOT to affect them because they HAVE to think that they are entitled to actually get anything worthwhile!</p>
<p>“I’ve found myself often thinking that the kids coming up in the “Information Age” are less informed then we were when we were their age.”</p>
<p>– oh boy do I agree! Less informed – and lazier about GETTING informed. In the age of going to the internet for an instant explication of text – independent, critical thinking has definitely become unfashionable.</p>
<p>Oooo katliamom I go to Monta Vista! How cool 
I always like to meet good old Monta Vistians :D</p>
<p>Old is right. Go Matadors.</p>
<p>"“I’ve found myself often thinking that the kids coming up in the “Information Age” are less informed then we were when we were their age.”</p>
<p>– oh boy do I agree! Less informed – and lazier about GETTING informed. In the age of going to the internet for an instant explication of text – independent, critical thinking has definitely become unfashionable."</p>
<p>Actually, I was saying that I THOUGHT that the kids were less informed, but found out that I was wrong because there’s so much competition to get into these schools. My kids are DEFINITELY more informed than I was at their age (and NOW!) It’s just a misconception that we have and joke about.</p>