Excellent article. I never saw the chain reaction Halloween can bring in terms of entitlements, but it makes a lot of sense. Something I've been thinking about recently is this: It takes just a few entitlement programs to some wearing a costume (college kid, retiree, etc.) before more, more, and more people assuming different costumes and identities start to demand programs for themselves and their situation. And once given an inch, there's a chance they take a mile and demand more. The result? More government spending and, therefore, taxation, be it direct, borrowed, or as we've seen lately, inflation.
I also like how you provided positive trade-offs: The best way to kick off a culture change is to simply not take part in one that is negative, and funnel it toward something that's not just productive, but fulfilling. That alone would teach kids that productivity and the true benefits associated with it outpace the entitled mindsets we've seen from so many, literally from college kids expecting handouts to the elderly expecting the same thing, albeit in different stages of life.
It's much like a government version of FOMO: Everyone else is getting something "for free," so I must, too. I think this mindset, coupled with the growing victim mentality, is a primary force behind college students' expectations for loan cancellations. "I see all of these seniors getting thousands of dollars per year, and they don't even have to study!"
I appreciate your phrasing here: "The best way to kick off a culture change is to simply not take part in one that is negative, and funnel it toward something that's not just productive, but fulfilling." Far from keeping kids away from fun, I wanted to suggest to parents that there are innumerable ideas that are even more fun and character-building at the same time. Complaining has some utility, but alternatives are the true solutions.
Very, very true. I’ve always heard the term “sheltering” thrown around with others in my social network when I was younger if parents chose for their kids not to take part in Halloween, trick or treating, etc. But they never considered what was potentially a positive trade-off.
I’d find it way more fulfilling to read more interesting books, or get ahead in starting a business or side-hustle. After I met others who were supposedly “sheltered” as youths, especially those who were homeschooled, I actually discovered that they were more personable, interesting, and held a much broader grasp of different subject matter.
Yes, I agree. I think raising kids deliberately with character and values means that parents can be confident their kids do not need sheltering later in life because they have a foundation from which to deal with life's issues. Plus, such potentially pejorative terms often simply mean that someone has chosen not to partake in the routines that others do (often mindlessly). If the main impetus behind Halloween is that "it's fun," why not simply feed kids candy or other junk all day because "it's food"? Such reasoning ignores the multitude of options that are fun AND useful/valuable/fulfilling/etc. and that can help children grow into the personable, interesting, and competent people you describe.
That's very true - and the thing with Halloween (and similar outings like parties after school dances, or sitting in front of the TV while eating junk food) is also the instant gratification factor. It only leads to spur-of-the-moment gratification and such, while the long-term effects wear off or could even, over time, be detrimental.
More fulfilling and useful activities have greater and more positive long-term effects, and those that one can build on. It's something that, as I've gotten older, I realized, and can't help but shake my head at some of what I would do when I was younger, like attending parties, eating food that's horrible for health while watching sports, etc.
That's a good point and, I think, a useful way to value choices. One reason I value visiting places over new purchases from Amazon, for example, is that generally those experiences have more and longer-term positive effects than do the purchases that often fade into the background of life within a day or two. Admittedly, it is very difficult to break away from those instant-gratification activities and items, though, because they are the mainstream. Surrounding oneself with people who share one's core values is one way to see the alternatives.
Oh, very hard to break away from the instant gratification. It's kind of like nutrition. For years, it could be hard for one to make positive changes because of the instant gratification empty-calorie food can bring. But, once those changes are made, the long-term positivity outweighs the short-term gratification. It takes effort, and my theory is that what makes it so hard for many to make positive changes.
Excellent article. I never saw the chain reaction Halloween can bring in terms of entitlements, but it makes a lot of sense. Something I've been thinking about recently is this: It takes just a few entitlement programs to some wearing a costume (college kid, retiree, etc.) before more, more, and more people assuming different costumes and identities start to demand programs for themselves and their situation. And once given an inch, there's a chance they take a mile and demand more. The result? More government spending and, therefore, taxation, be it direct, borrowed, or as we've seen lately, inflation.
I also like how you provided positive trade-offs: The best way to kick off a culture change is to simply not take part in one that is negative, and funnel it toward something that's not just productive, but fulfilling. That alone would teach kids that productivity and the true benefits associated with it outpace the entitled mindsets we've seen from so many, literally from college kids expecting handouts to the elderly expecting the same thing, albeit in different stages of life.
It's much like a government version of FOMO: Everyone else is getting something "for free," so I must, too. I think this mindset, coupled with the growing victim mentality, is a primary force behind college students' expectations for loan cancellations. "I see all of these seniors getting thousands of dollars per year, and they don't even have to study!"
I appreciate your phrasing here: "The best way to kick off a culture change is to simply not take part in one that is negative, and funnel it toward something that's not just productive, but fulfilling." Far from keeping kids away from fun, I wanted to suggest to parents that there are innumerable ideas that are even more fun and character-building at the same time. Complaining has some utility, but alternatives are the true solutions.
Very, very true. I’ve always heard the term “sheltering” thrown around with others in my social network when I was younger if parents chose for their kids not to take part in Halloween, trick or treating, etc. But they never considered what was potentially a positive trade-off.
I’d find it way more fulfilling to read more interesting books, or get ahead in starting a business or side-hustle. After I met others who were supposedly “sheltered” as youths, especially those who were homeschooled, I actually discovered that they were more personable, interesting, and held a much broader grasp of different subject matter.
Yes, I agree. I think raising kids deliberately with character and values means that parents can be confident their kids do not need sheltering later in life because they have a foundation from which to deal with life's issues. Plus, such potentially pejorative terms often simply mean that someone has chosen not to partake in the routines that others do (often mindlessly). If the main impetus behind Halloween is that "it's fun," why not simply feed kids candy or other junk all day because "it's food"? Such reasoning ignores the multitude of options that are fun AND useful/valuable/fulfilling/etc. and that can help children grow into the personable, interesting, and competent people you describe.
That's very true - and the thing with Halloween (and similar outings like parties after school dances, or sitting in front of the TV while eating junk food) is also the instant gratification factor. It only leads to spur-of-the-moment gratification and such, while the long-term effects wear off or could even, over time, be detrimental.
More fulfilling and useful activities have greater and more positive long-term effects, and those that one can build on. It's something that, as I've gotten older, I realized, and can't help but shake my head at some of what I would do when I was younger, like attending parties, eating food that's horrible for health while watching sports, etc.
That's a good point and, I think, a useful way to value choices. One reason I value visiting places over new purchases from Amazon, for example, is that generally those experiences have more and longer-term positive effects than do the purchases that often fade into the background of life within a day or two. Admittedly, it is very difficult to break away from those instant-gratification activities and items, though, because they are the mainstream. Surrounding oneself with people who share one's core values is one way to see the alternatives.
Oh, very hard to break away from the instant gratification. It's kind of like nutrition. For years, it could be hard for one to make positive changes because of the instant gratification empty-calorie food can bring. But, once those changes are made, the long-term positivity outweighs the short-term gratification. It takes effort, and my theory is that what makes it so hard for many to make positive changes.