Are Western kids more spoiled than in other countries?

jeanjolie

I'm sure whether young or old, you've probably met old fashioned people in Ireland or heard from older people from more traditional cultures in developing countries talk about how 'spoiled' western kids are compared to other kids in the world.

I know a woman in my workplace who believes this. She doesn't generalize but she believes that a lot of kids in Ireland, US, UK, Western Europe etc get free things handed to them by parents unlike in places like China where kids only get what they need and are grateful. Unsurprisingly, she also believes that parents should beat their kids once in a while and that it's a 'travesty' that this isn't happening because it's leading to 'disrespectful and lazy kids'.

Do you agree with her mostly, a little bit, or not at all? I think she needs to understand cultural differences but that's just my opinion.

Cervantes2

Yeah there are no spoilt children in China or anywhere outside the "West"

Smaller families and more resources result in the kids getting more material stuff and attention than elsewhere, as well as being the receptacle of their parents hopes and dreams. More kids/less money dilutes that, so the kid expects less and is also under less pressure. It is what it is.

You can raise kids to be perfectly decent people anywhere though.

Junkyard Tom

Let me guess... she comes from an underdeveloped part of the world where it's thought that beating the crap out of kids is good parenting?

jeanjolie

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

Let me guess... she comes from an underdeveloped part of the world where it's thought that beating the crap out of kids is good parenting?

Don't quite a number of white Americans believe in corporal punishment?

diomed

jeanjolie wrote: »

I'm sure whether young or old, you've probably met old fashioned people in Ireland or heard from older people from more traditional cultures in developing countries talk about how 'spoiled' western kids are compared to other kids in the world.
She doesn't generalize but ...

And you are saying your fellow worker makes generalisations!

These threads always have people opining that it's the lack of a good beating that results in bold kids. It's the lack of decent, consistent parenting more than anything.

I've said it before, I was never once beaten, hit, slapped, smacked or whatever you want to call it, and I managed to become a decent human being. It's not an essential component of raising respectful or responsible kids.

jeanjolie

Candie wrote: »

These threads always have people opining that it's the lack of a good beating that results in bold kids. It's the lack of decent, consistent parenting more than anything.

I've said it before, I was never once beaten, hit, slapped, smacked or whatever you want to call it, and I managed to become a decent human being. It's not an essential component of raising respectful or responsible kids.

Did your parents give you 'tough love' verbal parenting?

Junkyard Tom

jeanjolie wrote: »

Don't quite a number of white Americans believe in corporal punishment?

I didn't mention anyone's skin colour. I'd imagine that the beating of children is more of a cultural/education/development issue than anything correlated with skin pigmentation.

jeanjolie

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

I didn't mention anyone's skin colour. I'd imagine that the beating of children is more of a cultural/education/development issue than anything correlated with skin pigmentation.

race does equate with culture though, to an extent...

Reindeer

jeanjolie wrote: »

I'm sure whether young or old, you've probably met old fashioned people in Ireland or heard from older people from more traditional cultures in developing countries talk about how 'spoiled' western kids are compared to other kids in the world.

I know a woman in my workplace who believes this. She doesn't generalize but she believes that a lot of kids in Ireland, US, UK, Western Europe etc get free things handed to them by parents unlike in places like China where kids only get what they need and are grateful. Unsurprisingly, she also believes that parents should beat their kids once in a while and that it's a 'travesty' that this isn't happening because it's leading to 'disrespectful and lazy kids'.

Do you agree with her mostly, a little bit, or not at all? I think she needs to understand cultural differences but that's just my opinion.

I've lived in a fair few countries, and visited many(western and eastern) - the worst behaved children I have encountered are ours. I don't know the answer, I just know the question.

jeanjolie

Reindeer wrote: »

I've lived in a fair few countries, and visited many(western and eastern) - the worst behaved children I have encountered are ours. I don't know the answer, I just know the question.

Really, in what way; elaborate please.

jeanjolie

jeanjolie wrote: »

Did your parents give you 'tough love' verbal parenting?

They treated me like loving parents, and respected the fact that I'm a human being who didn't need physical pain to 'help' me understand anything. They didn't physically or verbally belittle or abuse me.

I don't know why some people assume that if you weren't belted as a kid you were most likely emotionally abused instead.

It's not an either/or situation.

Junkyard Tom

jeanjolie wrote: »

race does equate with culture though, to an extent...

If blue skinned people beat thier kids and red skinned people don't does that mean that mixed 'race' purple people beat thier kids exactly half as much?

Do you see how bad that logic is?

wakka12

jeanjolie wrote: »

Don't quite a number of white Americans believe in corporal punishment?

Ah there you have it. The old white people/irish people do it too in some way or another curveball to deflect from any conversation about issues that are prevalent in some other country/culture

Riddle101

Nothing is black and white in this world. You get spoiled kids all over the world. It all goes down to the families and how they raise their kids.

MilesMorales1

I grew up as a white person in the west, in the UK, and didn't get given what I needed really, in terms of physical or emotional needs, and my dad never hesitated to give me a kicking or a beating when he decided I deserved it or he was in a bad mood. Yet I've turned out to be a right nob head :pac: So your theory is bollocks.

uck51js9zml2yt

Absolutely...when my kids go to see their grandparents in eastern Europe they get nothing from them and are made sleep in the shed with the dog*



*Part of this is probably untrue!

Samuel T. Cogley

Dunno about the US but Irish and UK parents are terrible compared to mainland Europe. They are in the main, terrible at setting boundaries for their kids and the absolute arrogance of 'I have kid therefore I so important' is more prevalent in Ireland than anywhere else IMHO.

Walk in to a busy restaurant in Spain or France and there will be young kids sat quietly eating dinner, not running around pissing everyone off while a parent stares off into space.

Beyondgone

Define "spoiled"? Maybe those of us who didn't get such a great shake of the stick are just jealous?

One eyed Jack

jeanjolie wrote: »

Do you agree with her mostly, a little bit, or not at all? I think she needs to understand cultural differences but that's just my opinion.

You aren't very clear on whether you agree with the woman you work with mostly, a little bit, or not at all?

I don't agree with the woman in work, and I'm skeptical she even exists at all.