Born into Money: What It's like to Grow Up Rich
If you have money growing up you have a whole different outlook on life. You are so protected that you get scammed very easily. You know to watch out for the thieves that try to con you but there are some basic aspects that nobody can really prepare you for.
Early years
If you have money then you are used to having maids and nannies. That's the first aspect that is different. Before you think, "oh how ridiculous". Realize that having a nanny often means that you don't have your parent on a day-to-day basis. That is a lonely life. It can expose you to some of real life but even then it is so vastly different from other people that you really can't relate. To many rich kids the act of doing it for yourself is something that you want to do. Not everyone is like that but there are many that do experience this.
School
School is completely different. You go to exclusive schools and even boarding schools where your home life is militarized. You have a headmaster/mistress in place of a principal. It is generally very strict. So freedom is like totally hard to handle for the rich kid. Its kind of like being set loose in a candy store. Freedom is so rare and your life is so regimented that it is amazing to be granted any sort of freedom at all. It does offer you a great education that far exceeds the general public education in most countries. In some situations it may be the only way that you go to school at all.
College
Can you say F-R-E-E-D-O-M? The University years are the best ever for most rich kids. It is the first time that you get real freedom. You have to adapt to a cultural shock sometimes depending on the school that you attend but in general it's about fun.
Most parents of rich kids have rules about grades but in general you are free to do as you please. There are some that demand that the child make their own way. Now that is tricky. Still you have the freedom to do as you please so it's all good.
Adult life
Depending on how you started your adult life can become very challenging. The biggest problem is protecting your family and their money from thieves and con artists. Once people find out who you are they try to take advantage. So making sure that they don't try to take advantage of you becomes a huge determination for choosing friends and lovers. The other thing that comes with that is respect. Being accepted for what you are is more important than who you are. You have a sense of achievement when you do it for yourself.
Relationships can be tricky as well. You have huge cultural chasm between yourself and most others. Most people don't have the same way of thinking about life. There is truth to the fact that you can't date down in class. While most people don't want to consider this, it is hugely important. Otherwise you just don't speak the same language.
If you want to understand how to relate to people that are born into money then you have to remember that your background is very different. Don't assume that just because you think one way they should. That really stands for anyone in life. Try to think about the way people look at things. It may be vastly different from you. That's cool. Nobody wants a world full of spawned reproductions. When you are born into money it can be a cultural shock for you to relate to others but it can be done. Remember, you're free now. Go live it up.
Published by Kitty Stevens
Kitty holds a Bachelors Degree in Science with minors in Spanish, French, History and Music. She went on to become certified as a Reading Specialist and has worked as a Bilingual teacher for over 12 years. H... View profile
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4 Comments
Post a CommentHere's a video on it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5mJi9Ly1Xc
As an additional aside to illustrate part of the dilemma facing "rich" kids: I recall my first job working in the semiconductor electronics industry in Dallas. I immersed in a professional culture of "making it big". Surrounded by regular folks trying to become rich; I was a rich kid wanting to be a regular guy.
Interesting article. My experience was somewhat different. Though I was raised in an affluent home with domestic help etc. Though we had acess to country clubs, foreign vacations, and many finer things, my parents always made sure we stayed grounded. We attended public schools, played sports and worked during the summer. Though they were very busy, my parents were intimately involved in every aspect of our lives, from school to sports. They demanded we behave properly and treat people with respect, making it clear we were no better than any one else. I was blessed to have the parents i did, as i enjoyed the best of both worlds.
Having said that, I knew many kids who lived the life you accurartely described. Many of them found trouble along the way. Thanks for an interesting write up.
Excellent advice. Kind people with money are likely to become victims of scammers, and it infuriates me. I know because it happened to me, but I'm no longer the trusting person I once was. I learned that treating someone with kindness and honesty won't necessarily result in the same. There will always be someone with their hand out.