OT--What's with Kids these days??

[DisneyFed]

Or more so, what's up with parents??

So I'm in Washington, DC...working...trying to look cool with my radio earpiece, suit and tie, badge, pistol and submachine gun...guarding our "principles", and really, really, really sweating (it was hot man)...when I observe some children playing near our location on the National Mall...you know, looking all hard and stoic....dark sunglasses, no smile, hands in front (the whole bit )::cop:

I then notice that the kids are picking up the rocks (small pebbles line the pedestrian walks on the mall) and throwing them (by the handfulls) at the pigeons and smaller birds that were eating some nearby popcorn (someone had dumped a box)...then one of the kids runs through kicking at the birds and actually hit one of the pigeons....

Now I know pigeons can be a pain, but come on. The parents just sat there and watched. They made a couple of comments like "you shouldn't do that", etc. etc., and just went on minding their own business...

Then the kids start the rocks at cars...no reaction from parents....

THEN one of the kids makes the mistake of throwing a rock AT ME...I snapped my head his diretion and barked "DO NOT DO THAT AGAIN, STOP THROWING ROCKS IMMEDIATELY" at the kid. He looks terrified and goes crying to mom who then takes it upon herself to attempt to dress ME down!

I put my hand out (at that point she saw the badge and both guns) and told her "I think you should try disciplining your children ma'am"...she hastily grabbed them up and left.....

If I had been acting that way, the judgement from my parents would have been quick, harsh, and very public...what gives with some of these kids and parents???

If my 5 month old pulls something like that...it might get ugly..

 

[Blessed99]

I am totally surprised at how some parents let their kids act. My
DD 9 knows better, all it takes is a warning look from me.


Kelly

 

[mistymouse5001]

I'm blessed to live in the south. We don't allow that or any other type
of disrespect. Your last line was hilarious .

It's odd you had to parent a parent

 

[timzagain]

Between the school, the church and my DD's extracurricular activities, I've worked around kids for a while. I've been forced to accept that there are way too many children who are allowed to behave as they please, with no regards for the inconvenience or discomfort they create.

Last week I witnessed really appalling behaviour from the children at church, most of them were in the 9 - 11 year old group. I'd expect a little giggling and fidgeting but I could not deal with the rude, disruptive, mean behaviour (pinching, hitting, running around the church etc)

The moms and grandparents of the misbehaving children had the nerve to get offended because we dared to ask the children to sit still and be quiet.

I spent the entire time shaking my head and reminding myself that there was a good reason why I decided NOT to work in the children's ministry anymore.

The mom whose boys were pinching, hitting and running up and down, is the assistant children's ministry leader! During the service, she made an appeal for volunteers to assist with the children's ministry, especially in the 9 - 11 age group. Do you suppose she'll figure out why the children's ministry is "understaffed"????

I'm not that old (in my 40's) but I miss the "old days" Parents used to teach their kids about manners and respect for people and their belongings. Child rearing was also a community effort. It might be a Caribbean island thing, but my kids were horrified to learn that in the good old days that it was understood that the neighbours etc were "deputy parents" with the implied authority to correct any child caught misbehaving. And you didn't dare go home and complain that Mr. X or Mrs. Y corrected you, either! I had neighbours tell me on more than one occasion, "Your parents aren't here right now, so I have a good mind to spank you myself" And they probably would have too (with my parents' blessing!) if I persisted with the mischief - garden variety childhood mischief I might add - I can't imagine how my parents, extended family and neighbours would have dealt with me if I'd been caught smoking, stealing, trashing peoples' property etc

 

[bangzoom6877]

I'm a high school teacher and this stuff happens even with teenagers and their parents. I can't even tell you the number of times a student's parent will call up and complain about a grade...to change it from a 98 to a 99!!! They come up to speak to all their child's teachers so that their GPA will go up and they will be accepted to an Ivy League school, when the original grade was not a mistake and was given based on a grading policy that was told to them on the first day of classes, and once monthly thereafter. I am not saying that there are not any teachers out there who make mistakes or do not follow a grading policy, but speaking for myself, I do adhere to it 100% of the time, and make it very clear to them from the beginning.

That is just one example. Don't even get me started on the parents who call their children just to say "hi" when they are in the middle of class!! And the kids who text their friends constantly...we have a policy in NYC that if a student has a cell phone in school, we take it away and the parent has to come up to retrieve it. The kids' reactions to that?....."my mom would never come up to this school...she will just buy me a new one." The parents are giving this control to their kids and teaching them not to be responsible or accountable for their own behavior, and yes, it begins at an early age!

I took my 3yo to see Sesame Street Live in Feb. and told him he can have only one souvenir. He picked out a very ncie banner to hang up in his room. Then during intermission they were selling Elmo balloons, like the type you get at Party City fo like $2...only they cost $10! I can't even begin to tell you how many parents were buying 3 or 4 at a time! You would have thought they were giving them away for free! My son asked if he can have one and I reminded him of the one souvenir, and then he started playing with his banner (like a flag) and that was it. But some parents man...their kid starts to cry a tiny bit and they buy them something just to give in and shut them up!

-Bonnie

 

[DISNEYFOS]

I saw this at Disney World a few years ago. We were sitting at a table having breakfast and a boy was kicking some ducks walking around. I was really horrified. His parents were right there...saying nothing.

I yelled at him to stop hurting the ducks and used it as a learning experience for my DD. But even after I said something to him..the parents were still oblivious.

 

[bas71873]

Good for you. We are trying so hard to raise our DD with good values & MANNERS....just last night we kept our next door neighbor (boy 4 1/2) for a few hours and GEEZ.....he's jumping off my couch, screaming....which of course gets our DD5 worked up (and the dog). Then when we finally got them calmed down & in bed to watch a movie, he demanded that he gets juice in bed at his house....well, not in my house. He told me he hated me. Ugh.

My biggest pet peeve however....kids that go up a slide the wrong way. We spend a lot of time at parks and my DD knows she is not allowed to go up a slide the wrong way and the kids that are allowed, drive me bananas. She and I were at a water park last summer and went down a slide together, in the kiddie area mind you, and collided with 2 boys, probably 8/9 years old, because they were going up the $%$% water slide. I was LIVID to say the least. Not only did I let them have it, but I let the teenage lifeguard have a piece of my mind too.

Whew, sorry for the vent there But again, good for you. I never in a million years thought I would be one those (these) parents, but maybe there aren't enough of us out there

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

isn't it ironic you have to have a license to drive but not to parent. When I was younger I would have gotten the belt if I did that. ( I was not abused, just disciplined). My children know that they should never do anything like that. We have raised them that all men are created equal and that all creatures are created to be loved.

 

[bellebud]

here's a good one... a mom who works in the local public high school told me this - they had to call a 10th grade girl into the office a few weeks ago, because she was walking around school in a MINI dress, with NO underwear on. The mom told me you could actually see her privates when she walked. she wasn't high or anything either. they called her parents, and when the mom came to school, she wasn't dressed much better.

another time this year, a boy was walking around school in a bathrobe and slippers, with the bathrobe tied shut. people started to get 'worried' as to what, if anything, he had under the robe. They called him to the office, and he was FURIOUS that it was his *right* to dress however he wanted, blah, blah, blah. His parents thought it was no big deal. UGH!!!

 

[eliza61]

Actually you answered your question with your first line. PARENTS. My neighbor across the street from me is surprised because I won't let my 17 yo son go to NYC with a bunch of his friends after the senior prom, No surpervision. Sorry, ain't gonna happen. She says I'm way to strict with my kids.
Yep, I am. My job is to raise law abiding, contributing, well balanced adults not to be their friend or let them do as they please. My sons know, America is a democracy, your house unfortunately is not.

 

[disneyjunkie]

I'm blessed to live in the south. We don't allow that or any other type
of disrespect. Your last line was hilarious .

It's odd you had to parent a parent

Disrepectful kids and clueless parents can be found in the north and the south.

 

[RMulieri]

I had a little neighbor girl( about 5y/o) scratching a car hood with a rock. I told her to stop and not to do that...She had the nerve to tell me F&** you! Then her grandmother comes out and asks what is the problem I told her that her her granddaughter was scratching another neighbors car with a rock, and I told her not to , and I told her what the dear child said.grandma told me it is none of my buisness and that I was wrong to corrrect her, and obviously she used the f word because I deserved it.

 

[brymolmom]

I'm so glad that you got to say that to the parent! Good for you! And bad for society that even the parent was in the bad.

I hate to say it, but even on these boards I'm amazed at the number of times, in completely different situations, a parent will write that their child didn't want to do something so it caused the parent or the family some issue or other. I always bite my tongue (figuratively, I literally have to bite my fingers from typing it though) to keep from pointing out that really, if it causing any sort of issue, in many of these cases, it should not be the child's choice to begin with, wanting is beside the point. WE are the parents people. We run the show!

I recently had a neighbor comment that he didn't need to do timeout like we do because his 4 year old doesn't really do anything bad (I know this not to be the case - she is frequently rude in my house). So I said 'really, she takes it ok when you say no to something and doesn't freak out?' and he admitted that she doesn't have to because he is a 'wimpy parent' and doesn't say no. UMMMMM...OBVIOUSLY you don't need timeout if you never say no - my kid would be happy as a lamb and never complain or cry or whatever if I never said no. But, my kid would be rude like his too....so I'm happy we are not that way in my house.

 

[DiznEeyore]

I had a little neighbor girl( about 5y/o) scratching a car hood with a rock. I told her to stop and not to do that...She had the nerve to tell me F&** you! Then her grandmother comes out and asks what is the problem I told her that her her granddaughter was scratching another neighbors car with a rock, and I told her not to , and I told her what the dear child said.grandma told me it is none of my buisness and that I was wrong to corrrect her, and obviously she used the f word because I deserved it.

 

[carone0318]

Or more so, what's up with parents??


THEN one of the kids makes the mistake of throwing a rock AT ME...I snapped my head his diretion and barked "DO NOT DO THAT AGAIN, STOP THROWING ROCKS IMMEDIATELY" at the kid. He looks terrified and goes crying to mom who then takes it upon herself to attempt to dress ME down!

..

God I would love to hire you for the afternoon. I am all over my ds about his behavior and attitude all the time. I am constantly repremanding him, but I think one good dose of you and he might be more in line.

Good for you and if you are ever in NJ, please let me know!

 

[pixiewings71]

DisneyFed, your post just made my day!!! I want to be you and get to show off a gun and badge to pull kids into line! LOL

My DBF works for an Environmental Lab, every once in a while they do a company party and they get to use the companies luxury box at McAfee Colliseum (Oakland A's fans here) so we were lucky enough to go last Friday night. My oldest DD (20) kept her 2 sisters that night so we could go with no kids, the box next to us was a birthday party or something, lots of kids, very few parents. Oh.My.Lord!!!!! Those kids were horrible!!!!! Leaning out the window (we were in the lower level so they weren't going to fall far) yelling, making a HUGE mess all over the place. They were climbing over the chairs and banging on our window and just behaving badly. We were all shocked at their horrible behavior. They kept hitting and kicking each other, pushing and shoving and the parents were just sitting there watching the game. When they got there the kids all had cotton candy, soon after the Dibs guy walked by and they each got a cup of Dibs, then the Ben and Jerry's guy walked by, well I got one of those and then the people next door bought him out, he had to come back later with MORE ice cream! Those kids were so hopped up on sugar from ice cream, soda and cotton candy it was ridiculous. There was one little guy (these kids were at least 8) eating his ice cream bar and he was pulling something out that he didn't like and dropping it on the floor.....he looked up and DBF and I were looking at him, DBF shook his head at him and I did the naughty naughty finger. LOL He looked shocked and immediately stopped what he was doing. Then when another kid was hitting the glass separating our boxes the "ice cream" kid looked at DBF and I and threw up his hands and shook his head, as if to say "It wasn't me" LOL When we left we looked at their box, it was such a mess.....ours was so clean and every other box was just tore up. I guess it's not just kids, it's adults too.

 

[snow88]

Between the school, the church and my DD's extracurricular activities, I've worked around kids for a while. I've been forced to accept that there are way too many children who are allowed to behave as they please, with no regards for the inconvenience or discomfort they create.

Last week I witnessed really appalling behaviour from the children at church, most of them were in the 9 - 11 year old group. I'd expect a little giggling and fidgeting but I could not deal with the rude, disruptive, mean behaviour (pinching, hitting, running around the church etc)

The moms and grandparents of the misbehaving children had the nerve to get offended because we dared to ask the children to sit still and be quiet.

I spent the entire time shaking my head and reminding myself that there was a good reason why I decided NOT to work in the children's ministry anymore.

The mom whose boys were pinching, hitting and running up and down, is the assistant children's ministry leader! During the service, she made an appeal for volunteers to assist with the children's ministry, especially in the 9 - 11 age group. Do you suppose she'll figure out why the children's ministry is "understaffed"????

I'm not that old (in my 40's) but I miss the "old days" Parents used to teach their kids about manners and respect for people and their belongings. Child rearing was also a community effort. It might be a Caribbean island thing, but my kids were horrified to learn that in the good old days that it was understood that the neighbours etc were "deputy parents" with the implied authority to correct any child caught misbehaving. And you didn't dare go home and complain that Mr. X or Mrs. Y corrected you, either! I had neighbours tell me on more than one occasion, "Your parents aren't here right now, so I have a good mind to spank you myself" And they probably would have too (with my parents' blessing!) if I persisted with the mischief - garden variety childhood mischief I might add - I can't imagine how my parents, extended family and neighbours would have dealt with me if I'd been caught smoking, stealing, trashing peoples' property etc

Are you from the Cayman Islands? It used to be like that here when I was growing up. Unfortunately not anymore. When the village raised the child, we had very polite kids.

 

[DVC Sadie]

Are you from the Cayman Islands? It used to be like that here when I was growing up. Unfortunately not anymore. When the village raised the child, we had very polite kids.

I kind of think that it would be a "nice" improvement if the parent raised their own child/children then we would still have polite kids, instead of depending on other kids/parents, neighbors, teachers, police officers and others to do their own jobs for them.

 

[smschex]

Way to go DisneyFed! Maybe you made an impression on one parent.

The other day while shopping a turned down an aisle to to find a little boy about 4 or 5 right in the middle of the aisle sitting on a large wave board that he obviously couldn't wait until he got to the pool to try out. Mom was right there reading labels. What I needed was at the other end of the aisle and I couldn't pass without getting really close to the the little land surfer. I waited for Mom to notice where he was and tell him to move, but she glanced up then went on with what she was doing. Finally I said to the boy in a very nice voice "Sweetie you better move over or someone might run over you!" The mom then glared at me and said "Why don't you just go around?" I was so shocked I just turned around and left.

It isn't really the kids fault. They are never taught to respect others, to be considerate, or that they aren't the center of the universe.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm not that old (in my 40's) but I miss the "old days" Parents used to teach their kids about manners and respect for people and their belongings. Child rearing was also a community effort. It might be a Caribbean island thing, but my kids were horrified to learn that in the good old days that it was understood that the neighbours etc were "deputy parents" with the implied authority to correct any child caught misbehaving. And you didn't dare go home and complain that Mr. X or Mrs. Y corrected you, either! I had neighbours tell me on more than one occasion, "Your parents aren't here right now, so I have a good mind to spank you myself" And they probably would have too (with my parents' blessing!) if I persisted with the mischief - garden variety childhood mischief I might add - I can't imagine how my parents, extended family and neighbours would have dealt with me if I'd been caught smoking, stealing, trashing peoples' property etc

Are you from the Cayman Islands? It used to be like that here when I was growing up. Unfortunately not anymore. When the village raised the child, we had very polite kids.

I think so too. I'm from Massachusetts, but thankful sooo often that I live in the kind of time-warp neighborhood where we still do this! The kids know all the parents are on the same side.