You know, here I've been worried about saving the earth for future generations and not leaving our kids huge deficits because of irresponsible spending, but tonight I just wonder why I bother.

We had hubby's 9 year old grand-nephew here this past weekend. He brought a PSP game up with him that we saw in the Sunday paper for $250, and throws a fit when he doesn't get his way. He ran a full tank of gas thru our 4-wheeler between Friday and Sunday evenings, and asked his parents on the phone for $12,000 so that he could buy a "real" 4-wheeler. Hubby took him to Cowan's Gap to go swimming, where he got a bit rambunctious. When the kids got rough back, he cried and said he wanted to go home.

Hubby & I were sitting on the porch swing last night, and a doe came into the field across the road from us with her 2 fawns. The kid wanted to get a gun and shoot them. When we told him that he couldn't shoot them, he wanted to get the 4-wheeler out and run over them. The neighbor has a creek that comes thru his side yard, and he's made a little pool in the creek and stocked it with trout. The fish respond when you feed them bread, and sometimes they will even make short leaps out of the water for the bread. The kid wanted to shoot them or catch them. He couldn't understand when we told him no, the neighbor put those fish in there for his grandchildren to enjoy, not for him to kill. It upset me that the kid wanted to kill everything until hubby pointed out that that's what he does with that outrageously expensive game.

IMO, the crowning moment was when I asked him what vegetables he liked, and he told me all of them. Until he saw about a tablespoon of spinach on his plate - then he threw a hissy fit the likes of which I've not seen in many years. I reminded him that he told me he liked all vegetables, so he tells me he didn't know spinach was a vegetable. Hubby mentioned the incident when he took the kid back home today, the grandparents told him they don't make him eat vegetables.

So here's what I want to know - when did the axis of the planet tilt so that it's normal for parents to let little kids have and do anything they want? And why should I bother to protect the world for their benefit - they wouldn't appreciate it anyhow!

Just take solace in the fact it wasn't you who raised this kid to be a brat.

Let's see, about the time they all decided that punishment was bad, and that everyone needs to work through their feelings. All that mushy feel good crap that the PC folks spout.

Well Rom, my boy was raised totally different than that, and he had a whole 'nuther set of problems. He didn't deal well with authority as a teenager, but he's become quite a responsible, reasonable guy in his old age (27).

The old joke about being nice to your kids because they will pick your nursing home is really scary when you think about this 9 year old.

Wow. Sorry for saying this, but he sounds like the kid from hell.

This started because members of the x-generation (children of the baby-boomers) decided that they would give their kids anything at all they wanted and allow them to do anything at all without fear of responsibility for their actions.

The X-gen's kids were given everything, because the baby-boomers did not have anything. So the parents are making up for what they appear to be a shortfall on their part.

It's a shame that we raised a whole generation of whiney spoiled selfish brats. But that's what happens when you allow them to do what ever they dam well please.

jmho.

Oh,and don't forget the "Don't use RED pencils when you grade their papers." It'll hurt their little psyches(sp?). Use lavender.



I was at a local laundrymat last year and this 6-8yr. old was running amok while mommy just went about her thing.He comes racing around to the triple loaders where I was and was going to shut the door on one,(which, then you have to run it thru a cycle to get the door open again)when I told him(loudly)"Don't do that boy."He ran to his mommy and they went out so she could suck on a cigarette and when I was leaving I just stopped dead in my tracks,turned,and told the woman"Telling him no won't hurt his litte psyche."
Boy! If looks could kill.


I don't know about the game thing.I have to admit I know absolutely nothing about any of them. Pacman used to be so frustrating for me, I stopped playing the stupid game long,long ago.I suppose if they're being constantly exposed to them,then they'd be more violent themselves.Don't know.
I just think that parents need to start parenting again and stop trying to be their kids friends.Save that for when they're older.

You think we could round up some of the worst offenders and put them on the shuttle that's going to the Space Station this morning?

I think that if hubby decides he wants to bring the kid up for a weekend next summer, I'll be taking a vacation somewhere else.

Speaking of bratty kids... has anyone been watching "Brat Camp" Wednesday evenings, not sure what channel? Basically, there are nine really, really bad teens whose parents have signed them up for a boot camp type program where they camp out in the Oregon desert with counselors. These kids are the worst of the worst. The hope is that with behavior modification that they can become useful members of society.

Bingo!

Moms, you nailed it, as have most of the others. I have a relative who, as Yoss said, was "given everything" -- the best of everything was all that would do. Mom never said "no" -- wanted her daughter to have what she didn't, and to try to make-up for a divorce. Daughter turned-out to be the most miserable and hateful creature, got into all kinds of trouble, even punching-out Mom when she refused to give her money, spent time in psych wards, then most of her adult life in prison, and still to this day thinking that society owes her. She has been nothing but a drain on society since age 16, and probably will be so until she dies.

Any parents who think you can buy your child's affection, you cannot. They are not your "pal" or "buddy" or "friend", they are your child and they really want (and need) discipline and security over all else, they just can't say it. The kind of "love" expressed by more toys, more money, more vacations, more clothes, more freedom to do whatever they want, etc. is the least effective kind, and is often harmful.

More & more parents depend on TV and computer games to keep their kids busy these days, instead of spending time with them and getting them involved in sports or other rec activities. I could see where a kid playing these violent games could think it's real life, because that's the only activity they have...they don't even go outside & play anymore. We also hear how today's youth are more & more overweight because all they do is sit around the house. What really gets me is when the parents turn around and blame the violent video games after their kids get in trouble, yet who buys them and lets the kids play them all day long???

I watch my 2 grand kids a 3& 10 years old. They don`t give me any problems.
I tell them i will treat you as you treat me. They got the message real quick when they wanted something. I reminded them of what they did wrong to mess things up for them not to get what they wanted. The 3 year old has fits now and then. I just let him yell for a short time then i lower the boom on him. One nice tap with my hand and all is well again. If the parents would just stop being so backward about using (a little ajustment )now and then. The kids would be alot easier to keep in line. OLD school here. It works for me.

Tee hee. This reminds me of an article I read recently. Apparently, in England, the teacher's association wants to remove the word "fail" from the school's terms and instead use "deferred success."

HA HA HA HA HA

I decided from now on that's the term I'm going to use.

"These Pringles don't mean I've failed my diet... it's just deferred success."

"My parachute didn't fail to open... it's just deferred success."

"I didn't fail to remain monogamous... it's just deferred success."


Personally, I think half the problem is that kids don't have any consequences for their actions. They don't get punished. They don't get "failed." They don't even get yelled at.

I spent most of my high school years grounded. And it made me a better person.

Boy, can I attest to the fact that they won't fail a kid in school anymore!

My kid is smart, but he refused to do the assignments. So he would have Ds and Fs for the first 3 quarters, but somehow, he always got a C for the final quarter and overall grade. Several times I tried to convince them to hold him back, but they never would. I know he knew the material, but there has to be some way to "encourage" him to do the work. So there were no consequences.

I tried to "tap" him, and Lord knows I yelled at him plenty, but at my tallest I was 5'6", and he is 6'4". I basically had the same effect on him as a gnat has. And his father (my ex) certainly didn't help matters any.

I'm with y'all - when I was a kid, my father ruled the roost with an iron fist, and you knew better than to test the limits. Parents don't seem to do that anymore.

Of course, I sent the kid to bed without dinner over the spinach incident, and while I was in the shower, hubby got him out of bed and fed him the dinner. So I'm still no better off as far as spousal support when you try to apply consequences.

I comiserate with ya sheesh. My hubby's a softy too.You need a united front dealing with these people!