Inconvenience

Kids these days don't understand the concept of inconvenience.  We have I Pads that we bring for waiting rooms instead of the Highlights magazine and bead toys we had when we were kids.  We have DVD players in the car for long car trips instead of "I Spy" and "Are we There Yet?"  Kids play areas are everywhere from the mall to the car dealership and they never have to understand the concept of "sit still and wait."  On the one hand, this is a convenience to us, as parents.  On the other hand, we wonder why the upcoming generation is so impatient and rude.

It is perfectly acceptable for you to teach your children the concept of inconvenience.  It is perfectly acceptable for you to tell them to sit still and wait.  They have to learn it sometime and it is better to teach them now than when they are sixteen or seventeen years old.  It is actually beneficial to teach them to learn to grab a magazine and leaf through it or bring a book to read.  It's beneficial to get them to step away from the electronics and just have to wait patiently.

Think on doing away with the electronic babysitters when you're waiting for something and see how the kids learn to adapt.  It may be something that helps both you and them in the future.