I’ve got a kid who is nearly out of school. There’s a real sense that his idea of the future is eternal summer vacation at his parents’ house earning just enough money to hang out with friends. It’s a struggle to decide how to deter that pattern of behavior. As parents we want to be able to do anything for our kids, but we also need to do what’s best for them, not just what they want.
The kid is going to learn a lot about what we do to keep the house in reasonable order and stocked for life. We’ve been trying to teach that as we go, but it doesn’t always seem to sink in.