"Always we head the cry from teenagers" As read on facebook

Pics not at all related to post. But I felt we needed a photos.

School family picnic.

I recently read this on Facebook:


Northland College (NZ) principal John Tapene has offered the following words from a judge who regularly deals with youth....."Always we hear the cry from teenagers 'What can we do, where can we go?'...... My answer is, "Go home, mow the lawn, wash the windows, learn to cook, build a raft, get a job, visit the sick, study your lessons, and after you've finished, read a book. Your town does not owe you recreational facilities and your parents do not owe you fun. The world does not owe you a living, you owe the world something. You owe it your time, energy and talent so that no one will be at war, in poverty or sick and lonely again." In other words, grow up, stop being a cry baby, get out of your dream world and develop a backbone, not a wishbone. Start behaving like a responsible person. You are important and you are needed. It's too late to sit around and wait for somebody to do something someday. Someday is now and that somebody is you..."


And boy oh boy did it ring true in my ears (I have read it out loud to several visitors, and my kiddos, AND I am thinking i might print it off and frame it).

We see it in the newspapers every day, we see it in the youth walking around town every day, we see it in the damage they do to public places when they are hanging out, we see it when children, tweens, teens talk back to shop keepers, swear at strangers, just have no respect for anything. 
We see their lack of responsibility and respect all over town.


I read that speech and have since been thinking about how to teach my children those lessons. 

I think I am taking steps in the right direction.


But I would love to know how you teach this in your family?


How can we make the next generation more respectful, more caring, less entitled?