Sweet 16 Celebrations...

[PRBori]

So today I saw an interesting show... Kids Exiled into a typical culture that survives without electricity and all the daily amenities we are so much spoil with in our daily lives here in the US...

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Previously the Sweet 16 celebrations I saw where kids being spoiled rotten by their parents, getting spanking new BMW, Mercedes, and anything they wished for in their b-day and WOW did I hated that program, not because I envy them, but mainly because it sends the wrong message...

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To me someone needs to learn how to earn those items in order to survive on their own... or maybe that's just how I was raised, but I would never hand over to my kids anything unless I felt they had earn it.

But the exile program... oh wow... I'm seriously thinking on sending my son to exile when he turns 16 in 2 1/2 years ... yes he is spoiled rotten on his father side and it drives me nuts... maybe because I never being spoiled.. hahaha...

not really, I think is essential for teens to understand that they are extremely lucky to have such amenities as I call it. I would like for him to understand how lucky he is and to learn how to survive without all the daily amenities we have, who knows, God forbids, but if we were to ever be at war, we won't have all these amenities...

I've always love survival games and instructions... is just an essential part of life that we should all learn, and what better way than to go and leave in such environment for a week or month... to see how other cultures do it.

Building your own home, hunting animals for food, starting a fire, things like that...

What do you think? Which one would be best, a spoiled rotten child or someone who understand? Do you think I'm wrong about sending him out to exile for a week on his 16 B-day?

I'm thinking somewhere in Africa or Asia... and yes, I'll most likely go with him for I would love to experience it myself as well... sounds like an exciting adventure...

[dandylion]

I think it's a little extreme to send a teenager out to "exile." Correct me if I'm wrong, but most people don't like being uprooted from a relatively pleasant lifestyle and dumped into some unfamiliar wilderness. If you did "exile" your kid, he is likely to resent you and get the wrong ideas rather than "learn" something you hope he would. Alternatively, you can instill him with the traditional values and work ethics without going through such drastic measures by keeping him on a long leash. Give him (or don't) give him an allowance, don't buy him anything he wants that are completely unnecessary (like iPods), encourage (not force) him to get a job to pay for what you won't get him, etcetera.

[PRBori]

I think it's a little extreme to send a teenager out to "exile." Correct me if I'm wrong, but most people don't like being uprooted from a relatively pleasant lifestyle and dumped into some unfamiliar wilderness. If you did "exile" your kid, he is likely to resent you and get the wrong ideas rather than "learn" something you hope he would. Alternatively, you can instill him with the traditional values and work ethics without going through such drastic measures by keeping him on a long leash. Give him (or don't) give him an allowance, don't buy him anything he wants that are completely unnecessary (like iPods), encourage (not force) him to get a job to pay for what you won't get him, etcetera.

It may sound extreme but it would be an unforgettable experience, besides I won't send him alone. I don't think he will resent me if I'm with him.

I do try to teach him about others lifestyle and make sure he understand how lucky he is, but he lives mainly with his father and they are spoiling him to death and it drives me nuts because there is not a lot I can do.. but I can plan a summer trip where it will be just the two of us going into exile.

It should be fun... ;)

Anyway, overall what others think of the two choices above?

[EmporerD]

I'd have to agree with dandylion, sending him into "exile" would most likely make him resent you and not learn a thing. Teenagers hate being preached to, and that's probably what exile would be to him.

If you want to teach him values nothing beats an honest day's work. If he wants something, why not make him work for it? And if you have your heart set on that trip to Africa, try visiting some of the local villages. I've observed that seeing first hand how other less fortunate people live has a profound effect on most people.

Also, what are your reasons for believing he is spoiled? Not all children that live in luxurious homes and lots of stuff are spoiled, some even resent the fact that they have so much more than others.