“Call it an occupational hazard, but I can’t look at the Occupy Wall Street protesters without thinking, ‘Who parented these people?’

As a culture columnist, I’ve commented on the social and political ramifications of the ‘movement’ — now known as ‘OWS’ — whose fairyland agenda can be summarized by one of their placards: ‘Everything for everybody.’

Thanks to their pipe-dream platform, it’s clear there are people with serious designs on ‘transformational’ change in America who are using the protesters like bedsprings in a brothel.

Yet it’s not my role as a commentator that prompts my parenting question, but rather the fact that I’m the mother of four teens and young adults.

There are some crucial life lessons that the protesters’ moms clearly have not passed along.

Here, then, are five things the OWS protesters’ mothers should have taught their children but obviously didn’t, so I will:
Life isn’t fair.
Nothing is ‘free.’
Your word is your bond.
When you demonstrate to eliminate student loan debt, you are advocating precisely the lack of integrity you decry in others.
A protest is not a party.

There are reasons you haven’t found jobs.

The truth?

Your tattooed necks, gauged ears, facial piercings and dirty dreadlocks are off-putting.

Nonconformity for the sake of nonconformity isn’t a virtue.

Occupy reality: Only 4 percent of college graduates are out of work.

If you are among that 4 percent, find a mirror and face the problem. I

t’s not them.

It’s you.”

columnist Marybeth Hicks