My guess is if you lived with your niece you would hear the complaints. Trust me, my kids ONLY complained in the privacy of home where they could vent the frustration at what is expected these days.
Childhood comes ONCE, the race to the top these days is far worse than 20-30 years ago.
And to the poster who started this thread, this volunteering is mandatory here in IL. Forcing the top tier kids to seek a project they can spent even more time on is another example of unintended consequences...I’ve watched enough of these kids take a completely different attitude of the ‘needy’ after being forced to participate.
Of course I live with her or I wouldn't have posted that.
I wonder how they will feel about “volunteering” when they are older. It’s hard to find people interested in service clubs such as the Lions today. These service clubs are dying out in my area.
Kids just might think they did their time and as far as they’re concerned, nothing more is required of them.