How can I teach those younger (and possibly hostile) folks on why keeping track of time is important?

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Lost_Wanderer

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I feel like plenty people my age and below don’t really seem to value time the same way I do. I feel like I’m doing a lousy job teaching it to them though. Everyone from my siblings to their circles gives me a confounded look as if I was preaching alien philosophy.

Honestly, it’s starting to tick me off. How do I tell these kids just to have a little more respect for other people’s time? :mad:
 
Give us some kind of example to go from, I have no idea what you might be experiencing.
 
TheRealJuliane said:
Give us some kind of example to go from, I have no idea what you might be experiencing.
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It’s not that complicated. I notice a lot of young people don’t seem to value their time (or that of others). They take risks running late. They don’t care so much for the hours they spend. I myself feel guilty when I fail to uphold this. Others though think I’m just a stiff douche and lash out when I tell them to get moving.

Not to mention they think they have a right to take as much time doing things in ways insensitive to people who don’t like to be kept waiting.
 
i can’t blame them for not appreciating your point of view ,just reading your post is aggravating 🤷
 
Lost_Wanderer said:
It’s not that complicated. I notice a lot of young people don’t seem to value their time (or that of others). They take risks running late. They don’t care so much for the hours they spend. I myself feel guilty when I fail to uphold this. Others though think I’m just a stiff douche and lash out when I tell them to get moving.

Not to mention they think they have a right to take as much time doing things in ways insensitive to people who don’t like to be kept waiting.
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I don’t think such vulgarity is allowed on CAF.

And I think you should mind your own business rather than chastise your peers about wasting time.
 
I think kids in general care only abouts themselves & what they want. They have never learned otherness. To sacrafice for the good of others. people used to be raised in big families where they learned to share, help each other, and take care of others. Now each kid has his own room, phone, tv, video games, car…there is no sharing. It’s all about ME!
 
Lost_Wanderer said:
I feel like plenty people my age and below don’t really seem to value time the same way I do. I feel like I’m doing a lousy job teaching it to them though. Everyone from my siblings to their circles gives me a confounded look as if I was preaching alien philosophy.

Honestly, it’s starting to tick me off. How do I tell these kids just to have a little more respect for other people’s time? :mad:
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you sound like a very punctual person and if you are very punctual, it will be very easy to be annoyed with others who are not. But you have to realize that it is not your job or responsibility to teach others (you mentioned siblings). Life itself will do that to the less timely person. If someone is always late, that really is not going to go well in a job or at school and some of life’s best lessons are sometimes learned the hard way. You have to let go of trying to “teach” and let life do it. the best thing to to teach by kind example and show by demonstrating that being punctual and timely is the better way to live life. If you are experiencing hostility, they might be reacting to your attitude. Let it go and don’t worry about them and let life and their own actions teach them. In the long run, it will be those lessons taught by life that will stick, not an older bossy sibling.
 
I agree with Robwar that natural consequences are the best teacher. If your siblings or others are late for meetings with you, than, as appropriate, you can implement natural consequences.

For example, if younger folks are getting a ride from you to a party/shopping/ other non-essential event and they are late, leave without them. Of course, you can’t strand them somewhere on the way home!

If you need something from them and they are late delivering (or putzing around when they are supposed to help you), then you’ll have to be more creative. Either get other helpers, or “bribe” them to be more timely.

Yes it can be annoying, but if your response is always cranky they probably have no motivation to please you. In fact, quite the reverse.
 
Lost_Wanderer said:
It’s not that complicated. I notice a lot of young people don’t seem to value their time (or that of others). They take risks running late. They don’t care so much for the hours they spend. I myself feel guilty when I fail to uphold this. Others though think I’m just a stiff douche and lash out when I tell them to get moving.

Not to mention they think they have a right to take as much time doing things in ways insensitive to people who don’t like to be kept waiting.
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If you were in Singapore, you could have them caned.

😉
 
You can show them why it is important to you and maybe create some short term incentive, but you can only teach if they have the willingness to learn in the first place.
 
In some countries, the concept of punctuality and time management doesn’t exist. I remember the missionaries telling us that in many African countries, people wander into a church service whenever they get there–there is no concept of “starts at 10:00.” And they stay as long as they wish–there is no concept of “ends at 11:00.”

So punctuality and time management are only virtues in certain locations (like the United States), and you probably shouldn’t get so emotionally-vested in this issue. In other countries, you would be out-of-line.

I agree with those who say that it isn’t your job to teach anyone anything, unless you are a teacher or a parent trying to teach your own children.

I don’t think you have any right to inform anyone that they are wasting their time or frittering time away, unless, of course, you are the “boss” or supervisor or C.O.

My personal feeling is that in the U.S., we are too aware of time and we habitually overschedule our lives so that we won’t “waste any time.” I think we all need to step back and spend more time just “resting” and “being” and “praying.” Being over-worked and over-committed is not healthy at all.

I do think it’s reasonable, since we live in the U.S., that if you make an appointment with someone and they don’t show up on time, leave, or close the door (if you’re in an office). You don’t have to be snarky or crabby about this–just inform the late person that you couldn’t wait for them because of your other responsibilities.
 
I was reading an article the other week about older people interviewing for jobs where the hiring manager is “younger”. It was about the startups in Silicone Valley, but it was very interesting.

One of the suggestions to older people interviewing was to ditch the watch. Apparently, younger people use their cell phone as a watch. This is interesting, because it means they are all looking at the same time source (the cell network) so they all know exactly what time it is. So, if they are late, it’s not because their watch is slow…

What I have seen is that some people are always good at being on time, and some people are always bad. Not many fall in the middle.
 
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