Gratify Me

Do you ever feel like everyday most children need instant gratification? They want it and they want it now. I can't stand it. It's like they think we as a society owe them something.  What that is, I am still trying to figure out. Then again, it's nothing to figure out. We don't owe them anything!

When I hear, "I want this, I want that."  I cringe. Not necessarily from my kids, (Ya know, those perfect angels...lol), but from just walking around places hearing those little brats demanding what he or she wants, and knowing more than likely they will get it. Pffft!...If my kids acted like that, I would whip their butts!  But now that they are older, they know.  I just have to give that "look" 😒 and they won't ask again.  Yes, if they need new shoes, or haircut, of course I take care of that.  But don't ask me for money to buy a new "skin" on the Fortnite game because it just came out today and they must have it now!

Nope!  Not happening!

We are doing this to them.  Allowing them to not have to worry about earning or saving towards anything. Enabling 100%. Question is, will these kids always give into instant gratification or hold out for a bigger reward?
  
As written somewhere along the internet, instant gratification is a habit where you forgo short term pain, and instead, indulge in fleeting pleasures that ultimately result in long term pain.  Or basically, find excuses not to do something because of the pain it creates at the moment, even though you know that this action is necessary to help you attain your long-term goals and objectives.

Comprende?

Kids procrastinate. My kids procrastinate. It's exhausting and yet so not worth it and they know it.  And me trying to push them along gets them so irritated it may end up in an argument. Total self sabotage. And for what?  I tell them, " JUST DO IT!"

I have blogged about this in the past, and I will continue to blog about it as my kids grow up.  Their ages now are 21, 18, 15, and 12. When I started blogging, I remember writing 11, 8, 5, and 2.  Holy smokes time flies by!

In this day in age, raising my small tribe is like raising 8 back in the day. Back in the 60's and 70's, I'm sure raising 8 kids was hard, but they worked together.  Fast forward to today, 4 is hell!  We have jumped into fast forward with technology succumbing every ounce of our day, blasting into social media, and finally finding ourselves trying to relax with a little Netflix. With a glass of wine, of course. 🍷

Having to stay on top of my kids actions in this very hard world called LIFE, is exhausting. I need to be aware of their surroundings, the social accounts they hold, the friends they text. Can't say I've stopped them from making really bad choices, and trust me, they have, but I know I have done my best and will never stop loving them. I guess to me, that's my gratification. 

Just remembering those days when I had that telephone with a dial, or those three channels on TV with the big ole antennae out back, sometimes having to climb the roof, moving it so the channels come in just a little bit clearer. Well, those days are gone and have now been replaced with cell phones, millions of TV channels, free movies galore, and PlayStation. Oh, I tell you, that game Fortnite on PlayStation and everything that comes with it, really does ruin our lives.  Just over the past year, seems I rarely talk to my kids anymore, let alone even see them come out of their rooms.  I hate it!

Sure you can say all you want as to what control I have over my kids, but when you live in the boonies like I do, though I did as a kid too, sometimes these games come in handy for entertainment.  But all the time?  I think not.  I have been trying to place good rules when it comes to the game now.  They don't like it but at least we still do things together; whether it's having dinner, get outside every now and then, or just sitting around talking. I wish it were more outside play, but as we all know, it's a little toasty out there.

So back to gratify me, though I'm sure you see my point clearly.  It basically boils down to that most kids, adults too, are somewhat spoiled or lazy and expect everything to come to them. These "Millennials" will be running the world soon and that scares the heck out of me. They barely know how to converse as it is. Most of their gratification comes in the form of texting, Snapchat, or Instagram. It covers all they need to converse rather then interacting with real human beings.  It's sad, but unfortunately it's where we are headed unless we take that step back and try hard to have them see the reality and damage it may cause them in their future.

~THE END 😊