In a previous thread, someone asked me why I thought my generation raised Communists and "spoiled children".

It wasn't a question I could answer without giving it some serious thought.

The Communism part was easy. That's not the type of conversation that comes up when your children are little. Mom and Dad are hopefully enforcing things like basic life skills so that the kids can function enough to be sent to school when they turn five.

So I'm going to place the blame for Communism (socialism) as an idea on the school system. This concept (in my day) usually was introduced in high school when we were required to read "Animal Farm". This novel pretty much turned my generation totally off the idea of communism altogether. I do not know if this is still required reading in today's high schools. If not, it should be.

But the idea of Socialism would not be as attractive to these kids if it were not for their "attitude". And this is the proverbial horse of another color.

As I said in my previous statement (where I was asked to explain the why of all of this) -- I do not want anyone to think my criticisms of today's youth stems from the fact that I happen to be old. I assure you that it's not a case of my being a cranky old lady. It's just that they are very different than we were at that age. They believe they are the center of the universe and they are very spoiled.

Since someone asked me why my generaton raised them that way -- the answer is: it is only partly the fault of the Boomers. Allow me to clarify my position.

First off -- a disclaimer. NOT ALL BOOMERS SPOILED THEIR KIDS. I didn't. There's a story there and I will tell it if someone asks me why. And I am sure other Boomers had their reasons.

Now as to how it happened -- you have to look back to how the majority of Boomers were raised. Most of us did not have parents who went to college or if they did -- it might have been a year or two after the war. The war delayed our parents from marrying at an age which, during their time frame would have been deemed appropriate.

So after the war -- our parents quickly married and popped us out. BUT...they didn't have years to prepare for marriage and kids. It was accelerated to make up for the years they lost during the war. They didn't have a lot of money. We had very basic stuff. Things were hand me downs from older cousins. We may have had a few toys but most games were things we made up ourselves. We played a lot of street games like tag and relievio. BUT....we did have TV. It was the parent's only form of entertainment other than sitting on the front porch with other parents in the neighborhood and chatting.

Though TV we learned that "somewhere" people had things we could only dream of having. And of course we wanted them too. I don't believe I expected my parents to get these things for me. I ALWAYS saw it in terms of "when I grow up". It's a safe bet that my peers viewed it in the same fashion.

So all these Boomer kids go to college and they are there to achieve. To get those things they saw on TV for themselves and of course, they promised themselves that their own children would never have to do without.

And so when they became "somebody" with large amounts of disposable income...they really didn't know how to handle it very well. Imagine having very little and then suddenly being able to walk into a store and being able to actually buy anything you want. And when your kid looks at you with puppy dog eyes and asks for "whatever" and you've got ready cash....well, see how easy it is to fall into the trap of wanting to soothe your inner child by giving your own child what you never had?

Okay that is how the spoiling started...

BUT....do you think the Boomers never noticed they had made a mistake?

This is where the second part of the problem comes in and why it was not totally their fault.

When Boomers were kids -- if we did something our parents didn't like we got spanked. I'm not talking about being beaten to an inch of your life but a whacking on the butt. It stings. You didn't like it one bit. But you lived and learned not to do "whatever" again.

So that was pretty much the only method of child discipline Boomers had to draw on because that is what their parents modeled. ONLY the government now said they couldn't do it.

And the age of the child psychologists was born...and since these are the same people who want you to let your kids choose their own gender...you know how that turned out.

So that 's pretty much my answer for the person who asked and for anyone else who wonders how we got in this mess.

Question: Proverbs 13:24

That's in the Bible. If we have freedom of religion -- why can't a child be "spanked". (Not beaten. EVERY boomer was spanked and we lived to tell the tale.)