Hi Bonnie..

Kudo's to you and yours!!

I know what you mean about not following the paradigm. My Three (two boys, one girl) are hard-working, college educated (not indoctrinated) and all three excel. One in business management, one in cyber security and the other is a nurse. Like people tell you about your children, people often compliment me on how loving and mature my three are.

My two boys joined fakebook and instagram. They made me join to see grandbaby pictures, and then they quit :-) They said they couldn't handle the daily BS of people exaggerating their lives events and posting everything that happens in their life. The constant narcissism, in their generation, is staggering. One of my nieces is like that. I don't log on often but when I do there are 20 or more 'selfies' waiting with pouted lips and camera angles of her face. Even when she takes a picture of her daughter it is with her face in it. It's as if she has been taught that she only matters if others validate her beauty and existence. .. It's like the Chinese teach their citizens with social credits and Karma.

Like yours, mine paid their own way as well. They bought their own cars, paid for college, paid insurance, had loads of chores and more. Gregory is my esoteric twin. We revel in late night talks about everything under the sun. From history to inter dimensional entities, it's discussed and researched. Justin and Dana are equally intelligent and open-minded..

Thanks so much for sharing.. You did good mom !!

Lynda

My kids are working young people now and you would not believe
: how their own generation belittles any difference in
: programming. Thank God my kids have a backbone...I was

: worried about this day, but they are handling it quite
: well. Their peers attempt to say they are socially awkward,
: but they both have jobs dealing with the public
: non-stop...they get along and talk well best to older
: adults both on the job and in the public. The older adults
: admire the demeanor and self respect my kids have. My kids
: admire the no nonsense wisdom of the older adults. If they
: were actually "socially awkward" they could not
: do their jobs as well as they do. Yes, they are stumped by
: their peers in many ways. Heck, I am as well, lol!

: Their generation doesn't really understand nor respect the
: difference... But both kids are rated by management as
: higher than average achievers in their first jobs. They pay
: their own co-pays for medical issues, pay their own
: automobile insurance and sustain their own hobbies.

: You can protect your children from most of the soul eating
: crud out there, but be prepared for backlash. The Borg
: doesn't like a difference in the ranks and it shows. The
: use words like 'coddled'... These kids have maintained and
: raised farm animals for many years, since they were 10 on
: their own. (With supervision, but worked on their own.)
: They are NOT coddled, but it is useless to try to explain
: this to the Borg... ;) I am not trying to be condescending
: towards their peers. That is the closest adjective I can
: correlate to. Any difference is not tolerated. It is to be
: rejected and made into sharp humor and sarcasm. They don't
: care about the benefits or finer points. Just that my kids
: haven't watched certain TV shows. THAT is the major point
: they use. Who cares what shows they have watched? The Borg
: do.

: Anyway, you can protect your children...just be prepared for
: other children/young adults to act negatively. Not always,
: but much of the time. It doesn't matter. They have to get
: out there sometime.

: Mine are just learning how to fly!

: ~Bonnie