Yes…you are probably wondering why an article with such a title is appearing on a Christian school blog. Let’s drill down a bit. There is lots of concern today about the younger generations and how they are perceived to have a sense of entitlement. This “sense of entitlement” mindset is not only undesirable but will certainly take a young person down a very regretful road. How so? In looking at the definition of the word “punk”, you will find such descriptors as nonsense and foolishness. In the Book of Proverbs, the bible speaks of a fools. Proverbs 12:15 –“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”Restated, when someone refuses good counsel, it will be their downfall.
As a parent you have a duty to shape your children’s mindset in a manner that will keep them from becoming an “entitled punk”. So let’s reverse engineer this point. If you want to raise an entitled punk, do the following:
Believe everything they tell you
Your child will have an encounter with authority. That encounter will be made known to you, at which time your child will give you their account of what happened. As they provide that account, please keep in mind that they are human, sinners, and will be in self-preservation mode. If you assume that everything they are telling you is 100% true and accurate and that the person in authority is incorrect or, even worse, at fault, you are raising a punk.
Reward them for every success that they have
One day, (hopefully) your child will be out in the real world, earning a living. He/she will be responsible for performing in a manner that contributes to their organization’s success. When faced with difficult challenges, you will want them to make the right decision, not because they will be rewarded for doing so, but because it is the right thing to do. However, if you take the posture today that your child needs to be rewarded for everything they do right, you are raising a punk.
Make sure they never experience disappointment or struggle
When does the best learning occur? When you experience something unexpected that brings you pain. Or…when you have to struggle more than you think is fair to achieve the goal before you. Many parents are working to shield their children from pain and struggle. They, in essence, are building a bubble around them that will burst one day. If you work hard to protect your children from pain and struggle, you are raising a punk.
Please remember this. God has created your children and gifted them with talents and abilities. In order for them to grow properly and learn how to use them, they must learn to battle the sinful nature within them, do right because it is right, and embrace the struggle, no matter how hard. As difficult as it may be for you as a parent to witness that, it will pay you and your children wonderful, bountiful dividends…and blessings beyond what you can see today.
