What's happened to respect and common courtesy?

Does this look familiar?

I realize this topic has seen a lot of play over the recent years, yet nothing seems to be getting done to change things. Why? I admit, I am totally baffled.

Yet I'm not. Exactly when did parenting skills start falling apart? Isn't that really what's going on? Parenting has changed, we as adults have changed.

I found this on Facebook, believe it or not. Talk about perfect timing! But it says it all for the most part. Do you agree?

My parents, especially my mother was pretty strict. When I had kids, I was fairly strict. My daughter is fairly strict. My sons not so much. The difference being that I was harder on my daughter because she was a girl. I didn't want her to make the mistakes I did.

Now I'm not saying my sons are super lenient, they are not. But they give more leeway with their children than my daughter does. I will tell you that her children are well behaved and know respect and common sense is no stranger to them. Yet, I can say the same about my two sons children. (My oldest son hasn't helped to rear his children as he is in prison, so the kudos go to his ex-wife for how their children were raised. My son's opinions were heard and he would talk to his kids and tell them to behave and listen to their mom.)

The truth remains however that many of today's parents have made themselves less parent and more their child's/children's friend. (I tried that myself when my kids were teens, not such a good idea. You aren't really their friend...that only goes a little way.) Parents are losing their kids because they aren't enforcing rules and chores, then giving-in to their kids way too often. Kids are learning something very wrong: there aren't any consequences for their actions. 

And then...there's the parents behaviors. Children emulate their parent's behavior. It's sad to say but there are a lot of parents out there that behave as if they are still children themselves. There is no respect, no courtesy, no decency to others and guess what folks...we have children that have the exact same regard that their parents do for others: none.

What a legacy we are leaving behind! Children that have lost their ability to be empathetic and compassionate to others. These kids seem to me to be colder, angrier. Lost.

**Please note: don't think I am saying all kids and all parent's are this way...because I know that this isn't so. I use the terms "parents" and "children" loosely, and I am covering a few generations as well.

Okay...I think this is where I will end this. I want people to think about what I have said and come to their own conclusions. As well, people need to get together and talk where ever it's possible.

Have a great day!

Deb