We Need to Close the Windows

Last Wednesday was a big night. It was the last Girl Scout meeting of the year and we came prepared to talk about "stranger danger". My Girl Scouts are ages 5-10, school is almost done for summer vacation; it is a topic that needs to be repeated. What we were not prepared for was the school's Parent Teacher Organization (PTO, we knew it as PTA) to be in our area as well. They were preparing for the next day's teacher appreciation festivities. We were plugging along harmoniously until.....they turned on the radio. As I'm trying to express the importance of "No, Go, Yell, Tell" my girls are jamming out to Kesha. I quickly asked my assistant to ask them to turn it down. I would have done it my self but I hit a stride and if you have ever taught kids, their attention span is like that of a gold fish, very short. We ended our discussion and finished our meeting outside on the play ground. My assistant told me that the group seemed to baulk about being asked to turn the music down. I was flabbergasted. I reserved the area 10 months in advance, they were advised we would be there, and they needed to be vigilant next time making sure the area wasn't being used or that the group (us in this case)  could accommodate. So my question is, have manners completely gone out the window?!

My parents raised me to always be conscientious of my surroundings and to be courteous. See an old lady walking, help her along. A person pushing a stroller, hold the door. A Girl Scout troop having a meeting, don't disturb them. Even if they were not conscientious of their surroundings. They most certainly were not courteous; almost making my mom assistant feel bad. I am a young mom, one of the youngest given my daughter's age, I was 23 when I had her. Therefore these ladies who have older children in the school have 10-15 years on me. Shouldn't they, given the time of their upbringing and ages of their parents, be the more kind and courteous generation in the room?

Naturally I have pondered on this for close to a week. Taking in my experiences around the school and other public areas. Sadly I have come to the conclusion that most people are just rude.

Generation Y, better known as the Millennials, were born in the early 1980-2000 and have the bad wrap of having a sense of entitlement and being narcissistic and egotistical. This is my generation having been born in the early 1980s. We also have the Peter Pan syndrome; we are putting off normal rites into adult hood, like marriage, careers, kids. Essentially we don't want to grow up and we are full of our selves. What has made us this way? Technology perhaps? We are use to getting what we want, how we want it, and when we want it. As I think about it I can only assume that this revelation is somewhat correct.

However, this sense of entitlement, narcissism and egocentrism has spread like wildfire through the generations. Parents of all ages are passing it to their offspring. Maybe not intentionally but it is happening. Every time we do something, anything, they are watching. They are ALWAYS watching. When we park in the no parking area for school pick up we are teaching our kids that although no one is allowed to do this I am doing it because the rules don't apply to me. Or when we are at the store and we are last in line and another lane opens up and we go before letting the people in front of us go we are sending the message to our kids, it's ok to cut in line because my time is more valuable than anyone else's.  Or back to my meeting, when we interrupt a meeting it is ok because I am not the one being interrupted. We wonder why bullying is so prevalent in our schools. We wonder why there are so many acts of violence between young adults. We wonder why road rage just isn't someone doing a 'break check' you have to worry about getting beat-up or even killed. Wonder no more. We as parents, as adults children look up to, we are teaching these horrific manners and erroneous acts.

So I urge you to close the windows!!! Get out of your own internal world that revolves around only you. Think about others. Be conscientious and courteous. Teach your children manners not by telling them but by showing them. The best and most successful leaders (and parents) are those who teach and lead by example.

Haste Ye Back!

~Andrea

Hello!

Hello!
I will eventually get this up and running but I wanted to make sure I figured a name. What is "Living with Chickens" you ask?!  I once read this sign in a country craft store that said, "raising children is like being pecked to death by chickens". If you have children you know that validity of that statement. However as I navigate through the world I realize we all are these proverbial chickens. Hence the name "Living with Chickens". I will talk about my life experiences as a mom, as a person with rheumatoid arthritis, and as a chicken with many interests, hobbies, and of course pecking. Have a great day!