Bah to over-indulged kids!

DID you have a lovely christmas? Me, too, thanks for asking. certainly, i didn’t end up with coal in my stocking, like the children of Radio 5 live presenter Nihal Arthanayake.

His ten-year-old son and eight-yearold daughter had been so naughty he decided to teach them a lesson. They got lumps of coal instead of presents, and a note from Santa admonishing them for bad behaviour.

Yet the ruse backfired — the children weren’t upset or repentant, they were ruddy furious. They acted like they had been ‘dipped in sewage’, moaned Mr Arthanayake, whose christmas was ruined just as much as theirs.

it reminded me of poor cardiff headmistress Vicky Meadows, who was accused of reducing pupils to tears after describing their badly behaved performance in the school nativity play as ‘rubbish’. Fair comment, you might think. Yet police were called to the school the next morning, as furious parents turned up roaring about their darlings, who were ‘upset and crying’.

Honestly. kids today can never, ever be in the wrong, can they? They expect everything, without responsibility, obligation or parameters. We’re breeding a monster generation whose sense of entitlement makes them believe they don’t even have to behave for Father christmas.

And there is a new trend for parents to give children a christmas eve box, containing gifts such as a new DVD, pyjamas, sweets and a little toy, so they don’t get too upset or fractious waiting for Santa. What is wrong with having to wait? Apart from anything else, they will never savour the pleasure of delayed anticipation.

Bah to over-indulged, cossetted children. i’m not saying stuff the little perishers up the chimney with a bowl of gruel, but sometimes a bit of discipline and a few austerity cuts wouldn’t go amiss.