Do you truly understand how hard kids have it today?

Question

From the 15 year-old's perspective.
Not to have a b**** fest here, but do you, as a parent, or soon to be parent, understand what we have to put up with these days, as compared to your childhood? I come home, after my 8 hours at school, trying my best to get good grades, taking 2 AP classes. I put in my 40 hours a week, just like you do, and then some. I still have to write papers, study, and do all the things it takes to attain that 3.7 GPA. So after I walk my 1.5 miles home, I may not feel like:

-Taking out the Trash
- Cooking dinner
- Empty the dishwasher

(Not to say that I won't ever do it; I'm just tired, I want a break!)
I rarely am even thanked or congratulated for how hard I try in school today. It's like sometimes parents fail to recognize how hard kids do try. And yes-- to say mention that they are happy I'm trying to my best DOES make a difference.

Answer 1

I do understand because I am still only 16, however, have you thought about how hard the parents have it? They work their butts off so we could have a good life and good education, they pay the bills, they take care of us when we are in trouble, they worry about us constantly, etc. and the kids hardly ever thank them. It's completely fair of you to want a break and some recognition for your hard work but, before you get your thanks, have you tried thanking your parents first? If it really hurts your feelings that much, then tell them.

Answer 2

Aw poor baby. Let me tell you about what I did at 15.

wake up early to make my lunch and walk my dogs, of course I had to clean up after them
wake my mother up so I could go to school, usually I barely made it in time
My afternoon period was also wrestling practice
after leaving practice early I would walk to work, roughly a mile
after work my mother would pick me up
at this time I would get dinner and do any homework

on weekends I would still get up early and take care of the dogs then ride my bike a mile to work. I had to be there by 7.
for lunch I would pick something up and it was a 50/50 on whether I rode my bike home or my mother picked me up.
I would return for the afternoon shift by 3.

taking out the trash, doing dishes (we didn't have a dishawsher) putting dishes away, doing laundry, folding laundry, taking care of the dogs and doing cleaning around the house where also on my to-do list.

the money I earned from work, the majority of the time it would be loaned to my mother or outright given to pay family expenses.

If you don't want to walk that 1.5 miles, get a bike or ride the bus, and the two AP courses, you signed up for them if you can't handle them drop to a lower level course.

Do you truly understand your hard life, really isn't that hard if you tried to compare it to every other person who is 15 or when they where 15. And if you try to say that was so long ago, I'm only 22 now.

Answer 3

As a lad I walked 12 miles to and from school.
I attended church classes every evening after home studies where completed.
Before going to school the chickens would require feeding and the eggs collecting.
The dishwasher was me.
Cooked meals where for breakfast only and we cooked our own.
Trash was limited because we could not afford stuff wrapped luxuriously.
Newspapers became loo roll.
Curtains where made of shirts.
Our kitchen table was an old camper table fixed together with tape.
Never had trainers or pumps.
Played rugby in my bare feet.
Slept on the floor.
No I do not understand how hard you have it!

Answer 4

I shouldn't touch this question, I know I shouldn't, but I just can't resist.

I think first of all that you aren't giving 'old people like me' enough credit for what they had to do as kids.

Second of all, you are asking your parents to understand what you go through. Please take a minute to contemplate what they are going through.

Are you making dinner every night, cleaning, taking out the trash, emptying the dishwasher? If so, yes, they are being unreasonable. They had a kid, not an indentured servant.

Yes, they should commend you on your grades and on your hard work.

Sit down and talk to them. Explain to them what you need, and what you want. Have a rational discussion with them about what is and is not reasonable, and what should be your job and what should be their job.

Answer 5

Congratulations on the hard work it's taken to achieve the GPA and all the things you haven't mentioned. It takes a lot of effort to do that.

I don't know about your parents, but I get up at 5am. I'm at my desk by 6am. I'm lucky to get 15 minutes for lunch and there are no breaks in between. My official day ends at 5pm, but I'm often still at my desk at 7pm. In between, I deal with customers and employees, not all of which are happy and well-adjusted. Saturday and Sunday, I catch up with all the stuff I didn't get done when the phone was ringing and people were waltzing in and out of my office. In between and around all of that I have to deal with all of the things that everyone does - Bills, family, home, health, shopping, etc. I don't always feel like emptying the dishwasher, walking the dog, or taking out the trash, but I do it, because it needs to be done.

Work life today is much harder for most people than it was 30 years ago. The pressures to produce are much greater and the job security is much less. Stress is a major factor in most jobs, and I would warrant to say that most people are not happy with their work life.

My father truly had it much better as far as a work life was concerned. He never worked weekends. He was at work by 6am, but always home by 5pm.

As far as my childhood? I had it pretty easy, but there were still chores to do in addition to my school work and extra-curricular activities, of which there were many. Trash and dishwasher duty were my chores, as was vacuuming and cleaning the bathtubs. I had 1.5 acres of grass to mow and trim. The garden had to be weeded and the cars washed (we didn't have a drive through car wash). In the winter, mowing was replaced with snow removal. In the summer, I worked on farms, usually picking rock.

Answer 6

Do you realise as a parent how hard our life is? I get up 4.30am to get to work, I have to get my sons things organised for school I wait for the baby sitter, drive 45 Min's to work. I work for 8 hours at a thankless job where I get abuse from the customers ( I work in a call centre for debt collection). I drive straight to the school to pick up my son, get home, make him a snack, I clean up and start dinner, we have dinner, I clean up by then its time to get him showered and into bed. I tidy up a little bit more and go to bed by 10pm.

So can you see that by taking out the trash without being asked 10 times or setting the table once and a while would show your parents that you love them and understand how much they work to give you all the Cd's, DVD players, mp3 players, xbox's, PlayStation's you guys want.

Answer 7

I guess they anticipate ya quit the oxycontin as good. The ungrates. Kids this present day simply haven't any admire. Can ya take 'em all the way down to the garment district and get them jobs with one of the crucial illegals. Perhaps they might run the numbers take on your crack trader? That will hold them busy so they do not whine plus you're going to make a few cash and get the worker reduction from the trader.

Answer 8

Every generation of kids has their difficulties. My parents lived during the depression and had to worry about getting enough to eat. Their parents had to worry about providing for the common larger families of the time. My generation had to worry about whether there would be enough jobs,the stock market,drugs,etc. It sounds like you are a very hard worker but as a kid you need to try to have some fun time as well. Its great that you study and hopefully that will pay off with getting into a good college and getting a good paying career. You sound stressed out. I believe that you should take time out for a social life,exercise to maintain physical and mental fitness. A couple chores like taking out the garbage or folding clothes really doesn't take much time and would really be appreciated. So...try to put everything into perspective. Set a time limit on study,play,sleep and extras. Good luck!

Answer 9

i understand where you are coming from, im a 17 year old high school senior. i go to school from 7:30 to 2:15 then work from 3 to 7 monday through thursday and saturday. i go to church every sunday i am able. i do readings and writings every night in addition to my homework. i get so much hw from all academic IB classes, which is similiar to AP but for 5 classes instead of 2. and i maintain an overall 4.2 GPA. This wears me out. I don't get a break unless i am sick but even then the only thing I don;t do is go to work or school, i still have to do my chores. I thank my parents for everything they do for me which is literally food and shelter, I pay for my car, insurance, cell, clothes, and the things i get my gf. I know your busy, but thank them once in awhile and maybe you'll get a break.

Answer 10

From a kid's perspective, I think kids have it EASY today. Boo-hoo if you have to take out the trash. In my dad's day, he had to get up at 4 in the morning, work 3 hours on the farm, and THEN go to school and do homework, study, write papers and do everything it takes to attain the 4.0 grade point average that he was required to have. And in the summer, he didn't get a "break". He had to work all day everyday on the farm- bailing hay, brushogging, hosing cows, and what not.