Are Today's teenagers lazy? - Page 6

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

The one that lives across the street from us is. He would rather walk past the empty garbage can 5 times than bring it in.

He lets his mother shovel the driveway rather than help, although that is his parents fault.

This last storm he thought his father would come home after working a 24 hour shift at the airport and shovel his car out for him.

I was rotflmbo when I watched the father stand there and point where the kid should shovel and throw the snow to be able to get the car out.

Anonymous032819 · ‎03-29-2019

When I was in high school, back in the 1980's, and I wanted to buy my class ring, I babysat for a lady down the street, to get the money to buy it.

If I had kids today, I would not feel comfortable having them go up to some strangers house to do yard work.

I live in California.

The Sky looks different when you have someone you love up there.

agb80 · ‎10-16-2020

@purrmom wrote:
I grew up in chicago where you know we had lots of snow. My brother, sister & I made a lot of money shoveling neighbor's sidewalks, Even when I moved to Missouri teenage boys used to come around with their shovels. Now that I can't shovel because I',m elderly & alone, snow just keeps piling up on my driveway. Do kids nowadays get too much money from their parents ar are they just lazy?

@purrmom hugs your way. I hope your situation improves. Good luck!

FiddleDeeDee · ‎03-06-2020

*Facepalm*

"Coming to ya from Florida"

Rockycoast · ‎03-02-2016

No, teenagers are not any more lazy than any other previous generation. On my town forum there are tons of teenagers letting it be known they will shovel walkways and driveways for an agreed upon price. You may need to reach out in some form to let it be known you want shoveling. Don't expect them to come to your door asking. Not during this pandemic. Or you could just hire a snow plower to do the job.

Porcelain · ‎02-19-2014

@purrmom wrote:
I grew up in chicago where you know we had lots of snow. My brother, sister & I made a lot of money shoveling neighbor's sidewalks, Even when I moved to Missouri teenage boys used to come around with their shovels. Now that I can't shovel because I',m elderly & alone, snow just keeps piling up on my driveway. Do kids nowadays get too much money from their parents ar are they just lazy?

The message here is that the OP is elderly and alone and needs her driveway shoveled. The rest is just a defensive startup aka "Harsh Startup."

https://www.gottman.com/blog/softening-startup/

Suggestions on how she can get her driveway shoveled or plowed at a low cost and in a way she can manage would be more helpful than easy attacks defending youth etc.

When I lived in the midwest we had a plowing service. Whether or not local kids enjoy and are available to shovel depends on who your neighbors are and what is the norm in the area.

@purrmom I'm sorry you're feeling upset about this and I hope you find a great solution soon. I wish some neighborhood kids would show up with shovels and dig you out. If they don't, I hope you still find a wonderful and easy solution. Stay safe and warm. (and hopefully with lots of kitty purrs around you)

When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.
"Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Melzie · ‎08-01-2010

It depends on their upbringing I think, not necessarily the whole generation. There are some great kids out there. There are teens in two houses near me. In one house the kids come by and always ask if I need help, and at their house they cut the grass, bring in trash bins, etc. In the other house those kids never even help their own grandmother who lives with them. They're in the house playing video games while their 70 something grandmother shovels snow or helps out with yardwork.

As for hiring someone to plow it may not always be financially possible. It's not always on an on-call basis. I don't have a large driveway but the end where the town plows up stuff is hard to shovel. I had to hire someone but it was for the season and there is a point at which they come automatically. In my case it was 4" and $20 per plow. If you have a winter like we've been having that adds up fast. I had to stop that as I couldn't afford it anymore and continued doing it myself. Sometimes it takes me a couple of days but I get it done.

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

I was having this very conversation with someone today - his kids spend a lot of time on their electronic devices while he cuts wood to heat the house and other chores that need to be done when you live in the country - he says they have different prioroties and are not as able bodied as he is...I told him back in the day if my parents wanted/needed help with something we were expected to do it with out a lot of complaining, even if we did complain it didn't matter.

I told him if he wants help he needs to act like the parent instead of letting his kids pick and choose what they want to do to contribute to the house hold.

mamaslittlepotato · ‎03-09-2010

@busymom22 Great post!

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

@purrmom wrote:
I grew up in chicago where you know we had lots of snow. My brother, sister & I made a lot of money shoveling neighbor's sidewalks, Even when I moved to Missouri teenage boys used to come around with their shovels. Now that I can't shovel because I',m elderly & alone, snow just keeps piling up on my driveway. Do kids nowadays get too much money from their parents ar are they just lazy?

Some teenagers are lazy, some aren't. It's been that way in every generation. There are selfish, horrible people in my generation, and there are wonderful ones.. It makes no sense to generalize. I know a lot of "today's teenagers", and they are anything but lazy. Not all of them shovel snow, and that's fine. They earn money in other ways, and they also are very generous with their time on behalf of great causes for which they don't get paid at all.

I actually just today put a request for someone to dig my car out of the snow on NextDoor. Within an hour, I hired a teenager who had replied.

It's unfair to imply that an entire generation is spoiled and lazy. Every generation always thinks that of those who are younger. Sure, there are kids who are lazy. But there are a lot of very motivated, kind, and wonderful kids too.