According to The Daily Mail, Mick Jagger’s ex-wife, Jerry Hall, has been unsuccessfully trying to get Jagger to purchase homes for three of his 20-something-year-old kids. Man, that’s gotta cost him around $300 million. Sure, Mick can easily write off a check to buy those houses and get it over with. I mean, come on, it’s Mick Jagger. We know very well he can afford those houses and still have more than enough to live a lavish lifestyle. So, what’s holding him back?

‘Not entitled to their parents’ riches’

Well, according to the British tabloid, Jagger is against giving housing subsidies to his kids. Let’s take a look at his oldest daughter, Jade, who is his only child with ex-wife Bianca. According to Jade, her dad believes that children are not entitled to their parents’ riches. Rather, they have to work hard to make their own name and fortune in this world. And right now, she now has her very own jewelry shop.

Wow. That should be tough to hear for most of the parents nowadays. These days, most of us think that being a good parent means spoon-feeding our kids with everything we think they need rather than teaching them to be independent and achieve something on their own. And this, my friends, is a very distorted view on parenting.

‘Strive on their own’

If we just take time to scrutinize our parenting strategies, analyze where our kids will be headed if we continue doing what we do, and rightfully question our actions rather than justify our means by our motives, then we will be able to see that most of us have clearly made detrimental mistakes in bringing up our kids. Loving them truly does not involve shoving amenities and luxury down their throat. It involves helping them grow up and set them up to be responsible adults in the future.

So, whenever our kids ask something from us — it may be the latest iPhone model, a new Xbox, wheels, or dough for a shopping spree — we first have to be introspective. Ask ourselves if your response to their requests (or maybe demands) will help them learn good or bad values.

Let’s learn from Mick Jagger. Clearly, he can easily afford to shower his kids with cars, houses, and other material things. But he does not capitalize on that. We have to understand that sometimes, witholding excessive provision for our children will prevent them from growing into spoiled and self-entitled citizens. Yes, it’s very difficult to do, especially for the uber-wealthy parents. But if we REALLY want our kids to live a meaningful life with self-fulfilment, then we have to strive to give them just enough to push them to strive on their own.

Are you guilty of bringing up kids who think they are entitled to your hard-earned money? Do you agree with Mick Jagger’s principle on parenting?

Image: Mick Jagger