There are rights and there are privileges
Entitlement came out of nowhere nine years ago when my then 18-year-old son told me, “Because you’re my dad.” He was arguing why he felt he should not have to pay rent after I had informed my children, “It was time they pay their fair share while living under our roof.”
Three years prior, his mother and I had clues to a mindset of a younger generation when he declared he wanted to become an emancipated minor. It was through acknowledgment of his right to opinion, not letting him win that battle and my electing to not win the war just yet, that the issue went away.
2008 was all together different. Obamacare was coming, tougher financial times were here, and my son was coming of age. Having dropped his ace card squarely on my lap made the distinction between battle and war clearer, and drawing the line easier.
He moved out at age 19, now owns his own home and has this year chosen to work in law enforcement. Tough as drawing that line with your children sometimes is, his mother and I are fairly certain, doing so contributed to helping him understand the difference between right and privilege.
Larry Tomblin, Fresno
This story was originally published May 20, 2017 at 3:59 PM with the headline "There are rights and there are privileges."