Mollycoddled 'Snowflake children' warns head teacher

[Ari]

Interesting item in the Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/20/snowfla...

From what I've seen, hard to argue with. This isn't a dig at the kids but the parents. My nephew is 16 yet still gets driven everywhere - I was riding a bike from A to B at 13, so at what point does he begin making his own way from place to place?

I look at friend's kids, some out of uni, who seem to have immediately returned to the womb that is their bedroom in the parental home, seemingly never to be seen again. No interest in relationships, careers (beyond a job that keeps them in the latest phone and computer game) or even really going out of the house.

It's not all kids certainly, and mollycoddled kids have always been amongst us. But it is beginning to feel like an epidemic...

[Ari]

Rovinghawk said:

GF's son- finished university, has no interest in even applying for any job below middle management, can't be bothered to learn to drive, ensconces himself in his room or his GF's room, seems to come out only to get food from the fridge or borrow a few quid from his mother.
Pointing anything out to him results in a statement that I (or his mother) just don't understand. He also points out that Corbyn will cure all the problems whereby he's not bothering to make anything of his life.

The driving is an interesting one. Apparently (and I can't find them unfortunately - I had a quick look) annual driving test numbers have plummeted! When I was 17 the race was on to see who could pass their test and get a car first. I actually can't think of many people under 20 who have passed their test, much less bought a car.

[Ari]

WolfieBot said:

There's nothing remotely newsworthy about an adult putting down the generation after their own.

So you feel nothing's changed then? Young adults today are no different to young adults of 25 years ago, 50 years ago - it's just a matter of perspective?

[Ari]

z4RRSchris said:

Rovinghawk said:

He also points out that Corbyn will cure all the problems whereby he's not bothering to make anything of his life.

And anyway, it's all the Tories fault, them and the baby boomers stole his future?

[Ari]

Ari said:

Rovinghawk said:

GF's son- finished university, has no interest in even applying for any job below middle management, can't be bothered to learn to drive, ensconces himself in his room or his GF's room, seems to come out only to get food from the fridge or borrow a few quid from his mother.
Pointing anything out to him results in a statement that I (or his mother) just don't understand. He also points out that Corbyn will cure all the problems whereby he's not bothering to make anything of his life.

The driving is an interesting one. Apparently (and I can't find them unfortunately - I had a quick look) annual driving test numbers have plummeted! When I was 17 the race was on to see who could pass their test and get a car first. I actually can't think of many people under 20 who have passed their test, much less bought a car.

Just found this:

Record decline in teenagers learning to drive, figures show

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/10/record-...

100,000 less taking their test in one decade.

Apparently its the fault of tuition fees, which is odd because I thought most university students borrowed the money and didn't start paying it back until they were in full time employment and earning beyond a certain threshold.

[Ari]

Vaud said:

Also in cities and big towns an Uber account is probably cheaper, manageable by parents and reasonably safe.

Increasingly common in the US for college kids not to have a car. Rent one way to get home, Uber for term.

You still need a driving licence to rent a car...

[Ari]

It's an absolute fking log jam of parental cars around any school near me at arriving/going home time.

Maybe it was always this way and I didn't spot it when at school as I wasn't in a car, I was on a push bike.

[Ari]

otherman said:

Mark Benson said:

Ari said:

z4RRSchris said:

Rovinghawk said:

He also points out that Corbyn will cure all the problems whereby he's not bothering to make anything of his life.

And anyway, it's all the Tories fault, them and the baby boomers stole his future?

You make a point in jest but......

I don't think that was in jest at all, he's quoting a widely used excuse to not do anything. People love to be able say its all someone else's fault. Plus Jeremy is on his way to give away lots of free money. Another reason not to bother.

Nope, wasn't in jest, sadly...

[Ari]

nealeh1875 said:

it was for me.. when i passed my test at 19 the insurance for a Toyota Aygo 1ltr was between £4k - £6k. ridiculous.

I then didn't get a car until i just turned 21 and VW had a 'free insurance' on new Polo's. was cheaper to get on finance for the car, get the 1 years insurance and sort insurance in 12 months. insurance was about £1k after the 12 months, still quite a bit i thought for a 3 cylidner 1.2 ltr polo ffs.

26 now, renewal on new car is due april and hoping for once it will be below £500.

insurance is a joke for young drivers, i dont blame them if this is their issue for not driving because when i am a parent i will refuse to pay the ridiculous premiums.

But as you've said yourself, insurance was dear for you too. It didn't stop you passing your driving test at 19 though.

[Ari]

nealeh1875 said:

Ari said:

But as you've said yourself, insurance was dear for you too. It didn't stop you passing your driving test at 19 though.

Indeed it didn't. I really wanted to drive, can't really remember why now but i think it was down to 'my mates are doing it and i want to'.. i felt it would open so many more doors too.. could drive the vans at work = more doh , provides more freedom etc it eventually did when i hit 21.

My little bro is now eventually learning to drive, he is 25. i think he has finally realised he doesn't want to get the bus/train here there and everywhere.

The only help i got was i got my provisional and 10 first lessons paid for on my 17th birthday. i felt so lucky!

Precisely my point. When I was younger there was a real drive toward independence among everyone my age - getting a driving licence was a huge step toward that.

[Ari]

WolfieBot said:

Ari said:

WolfieBot said:

There's nothing remotely newsworthy about an adult putting down the generation after their own.

So you feel nothing's changed then? Young adults today are no different to young adults of 25 years ago, 50 years ago - it's just a matter of perspective?

That's not what I said. I said there's nothing new about people moaning about it. "Back in my day, blah blah blah."

It's a fact of life that the world changes massively from generation to generation, it doesn't necessarily make it better or worse. Everyone looks back at their childhood through rose tinted glasses only remembering how great it was.

I quite agree. But it doesn't necessarily mean it's not a valid observation either.

There appears to me to have been a huge shift in attitude amongst young adults toward the desire to get on with life, have independence, expand your horizons and basically grow up.

That's nothing to do with 'rose tinted glasses', the statistics are out there in everything from driving test passes to home buying.

[Ari]

WolfieBot said:

Fair points. But why does it have to be seen as a bad thing that people are waiting until 25 to learn to drive instead of 17?

If anything that seems like a good thing, especially when you listen to the stories of past generations about drink driving. Wait until all the nights out and boozing is out of the system.

Same with house buying, people are working until they're 67 now, what's the harm in waiting until your 30s to buy a house? Owning a house isn't the be all and end all for everyone.


(Full disclosure... I'm 30, passed my test age 17, went to uni at 18, relocated on my own after uni, bought first house at 26. )

Do you really think young adults are delaying taking their driving test till 25 because they're waiting until all the nights out and boozing is out of their system?

Why not learn to drive anyway, but then not drive when having late nights and boozing..?

In any case, if they were all waiting till 25 and then taking it, wouldn't the test numbers be the same because the reduction in 17 year olds would be matched by the increase in 25 year olds?

[Ari]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43195977

No doubt one of them will let the BBC know that it's simply the case that every generation thinks that the one behind it is the fattest ever, and post a Simpsons cartoon to prove it.

[Ari]

I think it's a perfect storm of over indulgent parents (many of whom seem incapable of disciplining their offspring for fear of upsetting them), worries about pedophiles on every street corner (driven in part by sensationalist press) and the rise of broadcast and Internet based gaming and entertainment.

When I was young, children's TV was limited to a couple of hours after school. Even if we wanted (and were allowed) to watch it continuously, there was nothing to watch and little other entertainment so we went out out and met our friends instead. Now there is virtually unlimited resource.

If we wanted to 'game' we went to an amusement arcade and played Tron and Asteroids. Our time 'gaming' was limited by the amount of 10p pieces we had.