A welfare generation

My husband was teaching his 6th-grade class in Salt Lake last year when he asked students to identify ways to make more money. He hoped to lead a discussion on how education can tack on lots of money to your life’s earnings.

Everything was going well at first; students were responding with answers such as get a job and go to college.

Then, a student offered up this money-making scheme: “You could have a baby!” The boy went on to detail how his sister had a baby and suddenly got money from the government on her taxes and for free food.

Wow! I didn’t realize having a child was such a good financial investment. Hooray!

This student’s skewed logic made me think about how today’s youth are growing up watching their parents and older siblings get government handouts. I can’t help but think today’s children are getting indoctrinated with ideals of welfare rather than hard work.

Why work when you can get an unemployment check? Why make responsible investments when the government will bail you out?

What do you think – are kids today growing up in a welfare nation? Have you seen this attitude in your own kids or in others? How do we instill values of work and responsibility amid a culture of handouts?