Do Parents That Grew Up Unpopular Force Their Kids To Be Cool?

As young children we have no idea what popularity is and if it’s even important. As young children all we care about is our small circle of friends, what we’re going to build with our blocks and what excuse we can come up with to avoid nap time. Little do we know that in a few short years popularity is probably going to be the sole thing we think about…possibly for years to come.

Do you ever look back at those people who grew up “not so cool” and wonder who they will treat their children someday?  Well this blog came from that very question after someone I noticed someone I know personally doing the absolute most. I didn’t know this individual as they were growing up but many things I know about them now point to a huge possibility that they were “lame” in their younger years. Everything from their extreme longing to fit in (the way they dress and act at 40 yrs old) to the lies that they tell people and the extremes they take just to be in VIP among celebrities. This individual has gone as far as leaving his hometown to get a fresh start in a totally different time zone. Now, although she’s gotten a late start in life I would have let her make it until I realize how she raises her daughter.

She’s not a pageant mom but i want to label her as a “Swag Mom”. From an early age her child has had things that most kids don’t care about, but only would have to appear cool amongst other kids. Her child participates in every sport, wears overly expensive clothing, takes pictures with celebrities and is more “swagged” than any kid their age. At first glance it’s clear that the child isn’t picking out her own clothes and when she is following the trends of Rihanna and Beyonce before she hits the teenage years you have to wonder. Don’t get me wrong, her mother has worked hard to afford the things they have, however lavish as they are. The big expensive get togethers she has to show off her home only drove the point that she was definitely making up for something she lacked growing up…but it seemed as if that all spilled over to her child to. When a child isn’t even a teenager yet but has a cell phone, gets dropped off right in front of the school in an expensive Benz and doesn’t wear a single outfit twice you have to wonder if this is what the child wants or if the parent is using these material things to build there child’s popularity….even though the child doesn’t really care. 

I think of it along the lines of pageant moms living vicariously through their daughters or the football all american dad who got injured and pretty much forces his son to play football as well. Do you think that parents that grew up less popular try to force popularity onto their children or are the kids actually wanting this life for themselves?