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Excuse me, but I'm really getting tired of listening to how much "easier" your parents had it then you. That is, quite frankly, a crock of you know what. Neither I or my husband were college educated, and we managed TOGETHER by being careful with our money and working about five jobs between the two of us to have a home, children, cars and vacations. Now the home wasn't over 200 thousand and was quite modest even by 1978 standards. Our cars also, neither even had air. We managed to "manage" our debt and keep a perfect credit rating for 30 years. Our children wanted for nothing.

Now of course we have two sons who are 23 and 24 and they, much like the rest of their generation, thinks the world owes them a living, and if they need something (or want something) and they don't have it, it's ok to just "take" it somehow or sit around and whine that someone should give it to them.

Now one of them dropped out of high school, and he had a job last year working for a sprinkler company, $12.00 an hour, HEALTH BENEFITS, vacation, sick leave, and his boss even drove here and picked him up and dropped him off everyday for $25 a week (he got a DUI and has no license). Want to know what happened? He got fired. Couldn't get his butt up in the morning.

This particular son is being tossed from our home after the first of the year.

So when I read stuff like this, it really kind ticks me off. I have no sympathy for ANYONE who credit cards themselves into slavery. It's not the fault of soceity. GROW UP.

Now of course we have two sons who are 23 and 24 and they, much like the rest of their generation, thinks the world owes them a living, and if they need something (or want something) and they don't have it, it's ok to just "take" it somehow or sit around and whine that someone should give it to them.

Were they John Kerry supporters? I certainly hope that they didn't vote. I'm sorry to say this about your children, but they are spoiled brats, which is what modern-day liberalism is all about -- the outlook on life, and demands of, a spoiled selfish brat.

Amen.
I remember what my parents went through to raise 3 of us in the 60s & 70s. We "went without" a lot of stuff, but we never went without the things we needed. Mac & Cheese with Spam, tuna casserole, American Chop Suey were staples. My father carried his lunch to work, we each carried ours to school. I remember helping my mother do laundry with an old wringer washer. My father spent weekends with his buddies keeping their cars running. To drive the same car for 10 years was not uncommon, it was expected. I learned how to fix cars, wiring, washers, dryers, toasters, furnaces, just about anything mechanical or electrical in or around a house. I now realize that Dad didn't do these things because he enjoyed them, he did them because he wanted to save his hard earned money for 'fun' things. To this day I have a real problem admitting that I have to pay someone to fix something that I can't. My wife told me after we were married that one of the things she found attractive was that I could 'fix' things. It took a lot of years for me to recognize just what an exceptional job they did!
IMO a big part of the problems today come from a lack of social stigmas. Want a divorce? No problem, sign here. Can't pay your debts? No problem, sign here. Want a big screen plasma TV to go with those food stamps? Sign here. Didn't pay attention in school? No sweat, you'll get your check on the 15th & 30th.
We need more personal responsibility, more social pressure to do the right thing, less handouts and less marketing.

While I think you're doing the right thing by tossing him out of the house, I don't think he deserves the bitterness from you.

If you wonder why he is the way he is, you provide the clue when you describe your parenting style. You said it yourself:
1. "Our children wanted for nothing"
2. At least one is still living at home and is in his mid 20's.
3. I'm guessing neither of your sons paid you rent to live there after they were out of school.

Sorry to be so harsh, but I get tired of parents who coddle their kids and then get mad because they grow up to be irresponsible. These young men still need your love (which is expressed through appreciation and respect) and not your coddling (which is done by always rescuing them from their responsibilities). Check out www.loveandlogic.com for some more specific strategies.

Sounds like you and your husband did a fine job instilling those conservative values you hold so dear. Please, enlighten us further how awful the entire generation is for credit carding itself into slavery. You might reflect on the fact that not all of us did that. Could you also lump us all in with liberal whiners and slackers, while you make sure your children "want for nothing?"

My husband and I did get into debt. We also had rough times financially for other reasons. Neither of us spent more than a couple semesters in college. I am a SAHM. My husband always has had a brilliant record at his jobs and has acquired many skills. He would prefer to work with teaching special needs children again, but knows he has to wait if he wants to provide well for his family right now. Until this year we had one old car after another. We live in a modest, little house (a little more than a hundred thousand), knowing we can add on in the future. So when you say this article is a crock...well... I agree with you.
One thing I hope I can do for my kids is something my grandpa did for my dad. After he was 18 or so, he began to charge my dad rent. That rent ended up in a savings account, which provided the down payment for my father's first house -- built from the ground up. It's still in Wisconsin.

OK, my first reaction is, "What stupid parents! What kind of idiot just lets their kid grown into a bum? How the Hell does that happen?? I mean, weren't they paying attention!!?? Where was the mentoring their child into something better???"

Now, my second reaction is to simply ask, how did that happen? It seems you are most likely responsible people who probably did pay attention. So I ask, with all due repsect, how did it happen? I am very curious to now as I have a good friend in the same situation, and that is a circumstance for which I don't have an answer.

My parents took the road of, "Make you own choices and live with them." Unfortunately, my siblings didn't make very good choices.

My parents, BTW, were career military, never making much, but we always had plenty. They aways had great credit and we were never broke.