Ingratitide of youth

I was cleaning up after a church activity for the young men and young women of our ward this week when I got hit in the head with a basketball. I looked up from where I was on my hands and knees picking up trash to see one of the young men running off without an apology or helping hand.

I then stacked the chairs alongside the other adult leaders while the teenagers chowed down on refreshments and continued playing basketball around us as if we were in their way.

Awesome.

Now I’m sure times haven’t changed that much. I’m sure I was just as rude as a teenager and didn’t think about the time and effort that goes into planning weekly activities and lessons. Refreshments just kind of showed up, activities just kind of got planned and adult leaders had nothing better to do anyway, right?

But lately I have felt the ingratitude and sense of entitlement that generally accompanies today’s youth. Sometimes I feel that the kids think that showing up to a church activity is doing a favor for the adult leaders and not the other way around.

But as I watched the mayhem after the activity this week, I wondered why we let the youth get away with it? Why do we let them maul refreshment tables without helping to clean up first? Why do we have to step on eggshells to not offend anybody by asking them to help, settle down or go above and beyond simply showing up?

What do you think – is this something you’ve seen with the youth? Is it up to the adult leaders to teach them or are these manners that should be taught at home?