Our kids are selfish boofheads

GUILTY parents are raising a generation of “boofheads” who have huge egos and think they’re too good to do chores or turn up to school.

In The Prince Boofhead Syndrome Melbourne psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg details a subset of boys who are “lazy, selfish, disrespectful, ungracious, self-absorbed and contemptuous”.

“Their parents have brought them up to ‘ see the world as one giant, personalised, allsinging, all-dancing, 24/7 catering service that operates exclusively for them’,” he says.

“Such boys have never been challenged when they refuse to take out the rubbish bins, pick up the dog poo or stack the dishwasher.

“And there are no consequences.

“Too many of today’s parents exhaust themselves trying to make their son’s life easy by doing things that he can do for himself, leaping to fix his problems, handing him every single opportunity on a plate, and being his full-time cheerleader. “It’s driven by guilt. “Parents are so busy running their lives and paying off the mortgage that they give their children money and freedom rather than time.”

Dr Carr-Gregg said mothers often copped the brunt of such behaviour, which was based on a fundamental lack of respect for women.

“I heard one boy say to his mother — who was paying a lot for his very expensive schooling — ‘You do not have my permission to attend any of my sporting events’,” he said.

Dr Carr-Gregg said such attitudes were a precursor to violence against women, and parents should be willing to call the police if their son should be physically aggressive towards them.

Co-authored with Elly Robinson, the book is a follow-up to The Princess Bitchface Syndrome, published in 2006.