How do you develop a stronger sense of caring and responsibility towards others?

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   jonnycomelatelyposted 11 years ago

   How do you develop a stronger sense of caring and responsibility towards others?
   
   I was waiting in a queue at LA Airport a couple of weeks ago.  There was a group of teenagers, sitting on the floor waiting for their supervisor to do the passport/etc. routines for them.  Then they all got up on signal, and walked off following the supervisor.  The last young fellow to get up left a sweater lying on the ground.  Several of us in the queue shouted to him, to take it with him, might belong to one of his mates.  He did not think to do this on his own accord.  Could better parenting instil more esprit de corp?

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   Lisa HWposted 11 years ago

   Teenagers' brains aren't even finished maturing.  Probably because of that, none of was even thinking about watching out for his buddies.  Kids see their friends as "on equal footing" .  Some either didn't even notice the sweater, of at least "put two-and-two together" enough to think out what noticing it in passing actually meant.  They just tend to be more careless, forgetful, and self-absorbed than more mature people.  Some particularly mature teens may have noticed and said something, but that would be the less common, more mature, kid.  I don't think their not thinking to remind their friend was a sign of bad parenting - just a sign that they're kids and kind of absent-minded, preoccupied, and/or thoughtless.  Since they were kids, there's a good chance they're actually so concerned with what they do, and that things go OK with their boarding (etc.), that's all they "have room to think about".   
   
   If the same kids were at the same airport with the same forgotten sweater five years from now things probably would have gone differently. 

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      jonnycomelatelyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Useful points, thanks for that Lisa.  I am not a parent, so only putting the question in order to get new perspectives for myself.

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   RBJ33posted 11 years ago

   My supermarket where I shop weekly is across the street from the local high school.  It seems there are high school kids in the super market every time I go there.  For the most part they are loud, silly and totally within themselves - oblivious of anyone around them.  Most have no manners or sense of respect for older folks.  They travel in groups and sometimes act almost defiantly. I'm sorry to sound like an old curmudgeon but I expect better behavior.  They aren't out of control or destructive - but I don't like to be challenged in an aisle as to who has the right-of-way.  I would like to think my generation had a better sense of respect and politeness, but maybe I just don't remember as well - oh hell, yes I do.  I would have been taken to task if I acted that way, and so would my kids.  You bet your life its a parenting problem - where else would kids learn manners, respect, and polite behavior?

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   peachpurpleposted 11 years ago

   yeah, teens nowadays are not polite, misbehave and non-sense in the head. They don't say "thank you or please or sorry" anymore. Just shrug off and pretend nothing happen. That's why some teens are fighting with each other just because of the "ego" problem. Happens all the time in our country.

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