Are we babying our children and turning them to wimps?

Question

Another question lead me to ask this one. Do you notice that kids in school are babied? My children are in elementary school. Like other schools, there are awards for student of the month (given for good citizenship), there are some at the end for the year for math, science, cooperation, etc. Yet all the kids get an award! Why must each child get an award in order to make things "fair" and to be careful of their self-esteem? What happened to the days when the kids that worked for those things are the only ones who got them? There are lots of other examples I'm sure you all can think of. Are we teaching our children that you dont' have to work for anything cause you'll get it anyway? And the lack of discipline? And the entire paranoia about self-esteem? Does anyone agree that we are raising children that are completely dependent on everyone else to make them a success in life?

And another example....not too long ago when my son was 3 and a half in preschool, i'd hear the other mothers say how they still dressed their kids every day! Mine dressed and fed himself with no problem cause I TAUGHT him.

Answer 1

self-esteem is overrated. Serial killers have high self esteem.
I'm not kidding. The most evil people in the world have great self esteem . Self esteem doesn't mean $hit.
Teaching your kid that you win some you lose some, you roll with the punches, take it like a man (if he's a boy), or face defeat with grace (if she's a girl), you teach your kid kindness, compassion, fairness, politeness and your kid has everything he needs in life to be a decent human being.
But overall, kids are getting softer in our society. body wise and emotionally. Maybe they don't want athletes in the future. It is right that there will always be those who are stronger, faster, smarter, better looking, but our ADULT society hands out awards for that!!!! Should we stop?
If our country had no competition, what would be the motivation for anyone to try?
Handing out token awards to everyone gives kids a false message about what the real world is like. Not only that, but when everyone is a winner, no one is.

But on the other hand, I do kind of feel sorry for kids who never win anything ever. who knows? maybe they are doing the right thing.

Answer 2

All kids do today is play video games, when I was a kid we played tackle football, Street basketball everyday. We would get into fights with each other in my naiborhood and no would CALL the F##kin COPS. We would be back too friends a week later because thats just what we did. We scraped are nees and keep playing, we did not run inside and start screaming, my naiborhood is full of wimps, raised by wimps, and I am scared for are future.

Answer 3

i do agree and most people think that i am hard on my kids but i don't care my kids are tough and the know how to deal with a lot more than some of the kids that play around here but I'm one of those people that believe in a good butt busting while others want to try and "now honey this is what or why or how things should be done o.k. now go play and don't do that again" it is turning them in to little cry baby wimps not cool

Answer 4

I think the idea of everyone getting an award is to show them all they are special. I know in my middle and highschool, the same few kids always got to same few awards. What's wrong with recognizing the effort of others students too, even if they weren't the #1 kid in class? And I'm so sick of competition and having to be the best. Screw that. I want my kids performing to the best of THEIR ability, not always comparing themselves to others. There will always be someone better, faster, smarter, and stronger. I want them happy with themselves, not trying to hit someone else's mark. My kids do dress themselves (the 3 yr old too). They don't curse or call each other names. They take responsibility for their actions. They know that I'll always reward honesty, even if I don't like their actions. I'm raising adults in little form, not kids. I'm equipping them to have self respect and value in their own lives. I don't expect an honor roll student or a star athelete. I expect them to make their OWN choices, and do the best the can in those choices. I'm here to steer them, to help them find their nich in life, not to stress over a handfull of awards and what others think. So no, I'm not raising wimps. I'm trying my best to raise thoughtful, happy, self driven free thinkers.

Answer 5

Some people do raise there children so that there children are on top, but not all. I am an Aunt of 7 and I do not baby any of them. Like if it is just one of them playing a game with me i do not let them win...or when we are playing I do not always give in to what they want to play....this way your children learn that sometimes they will lose, and when they get into school and sports thay will beable to take a lost. Not all people are that way...just some

Answer 6

We're heading for several generations that are wimps and think everything in life should be given to them without doing anything in return.

Answer 7

I believe that most kids today are whiny little punks because they are used to getting everything all the time.

A class where "everyone's a winner" makes everyone complacent about their life and won't try harder to succeed.

I think that they should instead, make sure that there are awards available for a variety of different skills. The best one gets the award. If someone gets 5 awards and someone else gets none, then it means that they have to try harder or change their focus.

Answer 8

Not turning them into wiimps, but sheilding them from the realities of life. CPS and other agencies ae placing too much blame on the type of methods used for diciplining our children. i think that my generation is just salty at the previous( our parents) for putiing them thru all the things they put us thru . so yes, we are definitely turning our children into wimps. there should be an agency that penalizes parents that dont discipline their children enough.

Answer 9

EXACLLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u r so right...im a kid 2 and at my school we have these awards thingys at the end and its sapposed 2 b like the best kids only but every1 gets like three awards and it bugs me cause the kids how work hard get the same amont of awards as the slakers so what sets us apart??? then its like no longer an award ceramoney its more like lets all feel good about our selfs ceramoney its rediculus...eventully all of us r ganna b able 2 get into harvard if it continous

Answer 10

I agree 180%
1 of my kids complained she never got a ribbon, I said well what did you do to earn it. She said nothing I just think we all should be recognized
WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP
and it all stems from the politically correct