Teaching Teens About Privilege – Being Parents

Life is full of privileges, and many teens believe that the privileges they have are their rights. Nothing is further from reality. It is necessary that adolescents begin to realize that what they see as a right is a privilege that they will have to work on to maintain or earn it.

This, for example, can be understood when teenagers have to enter college. Some students have more privileges than others: some of them will always have financial difficulties to pay for school. So others don’t worry about college money because their parents can pay it for them.

A good example for learning privilege

This example that we finish commenting on in the previous example is ideal for understanding privilege and adolescents. This is a great time to talk with teens about privilege and help the teen understand who “has” and who “doesn’t”.

Life is like a ladder, there will always be someone above and someone below. Thus, it is important to take advantage of what we have today and not to lack what we do not yet have. For example, young people who work while studying at university are a good example of learning things about privilege.

Work while studying at university to understand privilege

Working through the college years will teach students valuable skills that they will gain as a background. Thus, they can use it in their jobs, and juggle several responsibilities at the same time. They will know how to prioritize , manage time and be financially responsible.

Those who have to worry about the cost of college really understand the value of a euro and are less likely to take things for granted.

Adolescents who receive everything from their parents, such as money, material things or who do not have clear standards will not understand the concept of privileges and will think that all they have are rights they have acquired. by birth. It is a tyrant’s idea that will condition bad behavior.

Also, working to stay in college keeps the youngster busy, and the busiest people tend to be happy. There is less time to participate in activities that are not productive, less time to participate in substance abuse or procrastination and other irrelevant distractions.

When parents give their all to their children, this is the example they need to control and care for everything in their children’s lives today, instead of focusing on raising resilient children. Privilege is something that must be understood, in order to come to understand its value.

Privilege and comparisons

To understand privilege, it is important (although it can be complicated) not to compare yourself to others.

Seeing that other people have more money, a better culture, more friends, a bigger house, more valuable items than ours can be difficult for many teens. But it is necessary to stop comparing ourselves.

By understanding the privilege, we understand that we have to win things ourselves, that we achieve nothing without effort. Above all, we understand that “if you want something, you have to earn it”, and we can concentrate on the effort to be made to get things.

For example, if a teenager wants extra money he will have to work to get it by, for example, cutting a neighbor’s lawn every week.

You may want to remind your teenage children not to be too quick to judge their peers. You never know people’s history. Maybe they don’t work or have financial challenges, but they can also be emotionally drained.

There will always be someone who is more or less than you. It doesn’t define you. Our experiences create character or realism. They are quite simply part of our stories.

The jealous never win

Comparing ourselves to others is just a trap that will not make us feel good about ourselves. It is necessary to accept ourselves as we are. One should not remain anchored in resentment and jealousy towards the privileges of other people. Because it will get us nowhere.

The grass is always greener elsewhere, no matter how lucky you are, and whether you are rich or poor. So, it is essential to remind teens that what matters in life is to be grateful.

These questions about privileges are positive. Also, they show the interest of young people by doing things well and being successful. Stress shows what matters to them. A high state of arousal elicits a response and gets things done. To conclude, the jealous never win.