By now you’ve heard the uproar and outrage toward the “Gimme Generation.” You’ve heard dozens of times about the damages of participation awards, gold stars for everyone or being your child’s personal ATM.

Beyond all that, there is a bigger attitude problem that shapes how your child is being groomed and it isn’t because everyone got a participation trophy for Little League. The truth is, they picked up that entitlement attitude from YOU.

The way entitlement works, you simply believe someone else owes you something. So whenever you receive something, you see it as payment for any “services” you rendered. You don’t register it as an act of kindness, love or even truly appreciate it. When was the last time you thanked a family member for helping with the dishes? Thanked your spouse or parent for cooking dinner? Thanked your spouse or parent for working every day to provide for your family? Or do you just expect these things?

If you can’t show gratitude and appreciation to your spouse or your kids, do you think they are going to just pick that skill up on their own? Parenting isn’t a “give-birth-and-hope-for-the-best” kind of job.

To groom a new “anti-entitlement” generation, use these 4 tips:

1. You have to understand gratitude and thanksgiving are taught behaviors. In other words, you didn’t pop out of your mama and say, “Thank you.” You had to be taught to say that!
2. Let them fail! You aren’t always there to help them succeed or to fix all their problems. It’s up to you to teach them not to be afraid of failure. Show them how failures can be used to create success.
3. If you haven’t adopted the “We can’t afford it” mentality in your household, you need to! Give your child realistic financial expectations. Let them work for special things, but don’t be afraid to be honest about your household finances.
4. If you have a smartphone, people at school have the latest smartphone or even if the dog has one… it does not mean your kids need one! I hear it all the time, “But so-and-so at school has one.” They expect something because you have it or someone else does.

As a parent you want to give your child every opportunity and tool to succeed in life. ( share that quote right now!) Unrealistic expectations of the job market, finances and relationships are not helping them!

Instead, work on your mindset and start changing your household now! Together we can start a new generation in the wake of the gimme-gimme-gimme one we see in our society today.

Leave me your comments below on this issue and be sure to Like and Share today’s message. That’s it for my thoughts this week, but be sure to join us later today for The Dani Johnson Show at 12 pm ET/11 am CT.

In great faith,

P.S. Like what you read here? Just hit the “LIKE” button at the top of the page! That will help your Facebook friends find this message!