When I was a child growing up in the 1950's it was considered a tragedy if a family only had one child. Obviously one of the parents must have some kind of a medical problem which polite people simply did not discuss. Single child families weren't viewed quite as bad single parent households, or having an illegitimate kid out of wedlock, but these one-child families were certainly frowned upon.
By the time we got into the 1970's many of us felt that if we were going to be able to afford a college education for our kid, and if we were going to be able to devote sufficient time and energy to raise the kid properly, having only one child was a wise decision. It was even encouraged by groups like zero population growth (ZPG). I personally had a vasectomy after only having one kid for these very reasons...it was the socially acceptable thing to do. Proper behavior.
Now that this generation of kids have grown up, a few things glare out at us. They are the generation where no one ever failed; everyone got an award no matter how bad or incompetent they were. Never criticize, always praise. Certainly, absolutely NEVER ever spank your kid. Don't use emotions to punish him either. You don't want to permanently damage the child for goodness sake.
So we have ended up with a generation containing many lazy, self centered, horribly deluded people. Some of these people still live at home well into their late twenties, and even early thirties, still having their Mommie do their laundry, pick up the mess in their rooms, and cook for them. Unbelievable!
Now China is witnessing the same problem. Remember that for years they had the one-child policy. So each little Chinese kid had two parents and four grandparents showering it with gifts and affection. These kids are turning out to be remarkably like their American counterparts – obese, lazy, and spoiled rotten. No compassion for others, and completely self centered.
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