The speaker shares their personal experience and observations about how some parents raise their children, particularly those from wealthy families. These parents often give their children expensive gifts and do not demand anything in return, leading to a sense of entitlement and lack of motivation in the children.
The speaker describes a classmate who was spoiled by his parents and grew up to be arrogant and unmotivated. Despite his parents' wealth, the classmate did not achieve much in life and ended up relying on his parents' support.
In contrast, the speaker's parents took a different approach, encouraging them to work hard and earn their own money from a young age. The speaker believes that this approach is more effective in teaching children the value of hard work and responsibility.
The speaker advises parents to instill in their children the idea that they must work hard to achieve their goals and not rely on their parents' wealth. They suggest setting conditions for rewards, such as good grades or completing tasks, and encouraging children to earn their own money as soon as they are old enough.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The author attended an ordinary Moscow school.
2. The author's school had students from different family backgrounds and income levels.
3. Some parents gave their children expensive gifts, such as iPhones and branded clothes.
4. The author received their first touchscreen phone in the 5th grade, in 2010.
5. The author's phone was a Samsung Star II.
6. A classmate of the author's had an iPhone 3G, which was a rare and expensive phone at the time.
7. The classmate's parents were wealthy and did not pay attention to their child's behavior.
8. The classmate was spoiled and arrogant, and showed off their expensive possessions.
9. The author's classmate had a PSP in the 4th grade, which was a rare console at the time.
10. The classmate would often show off their PSP and lend it to other kids in exchange for attention.
11. The author did not envy the classmate's possessions, but rather pitied them for their lack of attention from their parents.
12. The classmate's parents paid for their education at a university, but they dropped out.
13. The classmate's parents gave them a new Mercedes, which they crashed a month later.
14. The classmate got married at 20 to someone in the USA, but got divorced a month later.
15. The author believes that children should be taught to work hard and earn money for their wants.
16. The author thinks that parents should not give their children everything they want, but rather teach them to earn it themselves.
17. The author believes that this approach will give children motivation to achieve something on their own from childhood.