My 2 nickels

All that discussion after MM's angst over her sons admission had me wondering. Isn't it really about -

One - that however privileged one is, it's never a protection blanket from the vagaries of life. Maybe they're not everyday vagaries and problems that the less privileged go through but nevertheless, they will temper our kids, one way or the other. As a human, you'll never be free of the tensions of fights with friends/siblings, family, wanting something and not getting it (there'll always be something you want and at some point, something you know you cant get - whether it's a girl or the latest gizmo) sickness, losing loved ones, broken dreams, money comes and goes, people come and go, wanting to prove yourself etc etc. Those things no matter how rich or not one is, will point us in the direction of looking for whats important. Searching for the answers to the eternal question of - Why am I here and What is going on? or Whats important to me? I dont think rich people are exempt from that.

Secondly - didnt our parents come from a just became independent India generation where everything was an adventure, life was one new path to be forged, their youth was more or less during the iconic 70s where a hundred new lifestyles and theories of living it were tried and tested? They just wanted for us to have the freedom of financial security, the confidence of being good at what you do, the maximum use of your potential and values that took you through your life with respect. So if they pushed us to get that first rank or focus more on the chemistry text than the stamp collection or writing poetry, they were just imprinting on us that it's a nutty world out there and if you're financially sound, or at least capable of it, you'll have things a tad/really easy for you. That's all! That kind of security has its limitations I think, its not a cocoon that'll keep you safe from every knock of life but it's a useful one!
That was the intention of most well-intentioned parents I think, I'm not talking about the ones who used their kids as their trophies signifying their superiority.
Of course now because we're not fighting to survive or keep our heads above water, things have changed. Media, exposure to lifestyles all over the world and a larger, richer upper-middle class has made it easier to accept different forms of making a living and hobbies as acceptable and even worth admiring. You know what I'm talking about.

However rich you are, however privileged you are, I think as a parent, if we really want to, we can raise level-headed, compassionate kids or at least try to if IF we really want it. If we're busy trying to show the world my kid looks just as good as yours in Levi's and we own a vacation home too just because everybody else owns one, make MBA's out of our kids bcos thats what everyone else is studying too, matching every step with every other 'privileged' parent without drawing the line somewhere, without being clear about our own priorities as a family then yea, maybe the lesson will be lost.

Thirdly, I'm hoping it just boils down to what one can do to 'help' shape that little person. You can work with what you've got, you cant create and entire being to your liking! You cant create a perfect world outside your home, you can only listen to your child and expose them to more than what their privileged world lets them see otherwise. Even if we as parents dont, I believe life has its way of doing that. One way or the other. We could lead by example and we can both learn from our mistakes...

There's always going to be someone better off and someone worse off than you. No matter how rich you are or privileged your parents are, you're never immune to heartbreak, sadness, loss and fear. No one has lived a life of sheer bliss that didnt come to end at some point or have some breaks in the blissfest.

It's between us, their genetics and time really. What we do with them, what happens to them when they're away from us and how they're wired. A little bit of destino? Between all of that, if we have their respect and love, we just might succeed in having kids we're proud of and respect!
This is what I work with anyway.