Be your best self.

Stop Allowing Your Child To Be An Asshole

Stop Allowing Your Child To Be An Asshole
Carly Jacobs
I

don’t write much about raising children because I don’t have children and parents really hate it when child-free people try to tell them how to raise their tiny humans. That’s fair enough. However I do think that as an adult who lives in a world with children, has taught many children, is related to lots of children and regularly comes in to contact with children, I’ve earned the right to add my two cents worth into the advice pool of general parenting. Just because I’ve never been a parent doesn’t mean I can’t see when people are sucking at it. Much like running a country. I’ve never done it myself but I’m very aware of when someone is doing a balls up job of it.

My pearl of wisdom for today is this: Stop allowing your child to be an asshole.

Tourist

I was in a food court recently waiting at a table for my partner to bring over the food we’d just ordered. I was sitting at a two person table, saving the empty chair for my partner. A big bustling family came along to the table next to mine and one of the young boys aged about ten or eleven, grabbed my spare chair to take to his table.

I said ‘Excuse me, but I need that chair.’

He shrugged his shoulders and carried it over to his table.

I said louder towards the adults at the table ‘Excuse me, I need that chair he took.’

They looked at me like I was a piece of shit on the bottom of their shoes. One lady, presumably this kid’s mother said ‘So?’ and went back to ignoring me.

I very rarely judge people on the way they parent their kids because I rarely know the full story. I used to teach special needs kids and I know that some situations aren’t what they seem. I know that there are differently abled kids out there that require information to be presented to them in ways that mainstream people might not understand. I’ve taught some incredibly unusual students in my time but I never met one kid who couldn’t be taught not to be a jerk. I was fucking appalled at the reaction of this child’s parent.

Essentially this mother (and presumably the child’s father) are teaching this kid to be a douche bag. They’re teaching him that it’s okay to push in front of other people at the supermarket. That it’s okay to damage another person’s car and not leave a note. That if he wants something, he should just take it. On that day, that mother taught her son that he was more important than everyone else in that food court. She taught him to be a dickhead and it was awful to watch.

I don’t care if she was having a shitty day or if she reprimanded him later. The correct course of action would have been to apologise to me, ask him to return the chair and instruct him to get one from an empty table of which there were plenty in the near vicinity. Not only did she allow him to treat me badly, she also treated me badly in front of him. She allowed the disrespectful behaviour and then reinforced it with her own.

People can parent their kids any way they like – if they want to be a tiger parent, helicopter parent or ridiculously laid-back parent that’s fine. It has no impact on me at all but it is inexcusable to allow a child to treat other people badly. Teaching a child to be disrespectful is a habit that can’t be broken.

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Have you ever had an experience like this? A total WTF moment where you can’t quite believe what just happened?

 

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Keen to read more opinion pieces about things that probably piss you off? Follow Smaggle on Facebook. I’m a staunch gay rights supporter and I write a lot of rants about inconsiderate people and the challenges that come with doing number 2s in public toilets.

76 Comments

  1. Mrs Woog 9 years ago

    I like this times a million. If my kid did that I would be so appalled. Not the kids fault though. It is the parents.

    • That’s exactly it. When stuff like that happens I think about all of the wonderful parents I know and I how their kids would never even THINK to do something like that.

  2. Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid 9 years ago

    I used to be a teacher and I’ve seen it all (well, almost.) Sometimes, it’s the parents that need to be taught how to behave not the kids. I was teaching six year olds ways to be nice that their adult parents hadn’t yet mastered. It’s all about leading by example and raising a world of good humans.

    • A teacher friend of mine got slapped in the face by a primary school student of hers and then next day the mother came in and told her that she ‘forgave her’ for saying whatever it was that made him slap her. I still cannot believe that story. I can’t remember what she said but it was a cute little teasing thing that he totally took the wrong way. I think he told her he hated her and she laughed and said ‘No you don’t you love me!’ or something like that. It was totally ridiculous.

  3. Recycled Interiors 9 years ago

    well the parents are the assholes and having worked in child protection as my first career for 15 years I can only say therein lies the problem – so many assholes out there…..bullies

  4. Carly Findlay 9 years ago

    I was on the train one day and a little kid saw me and threw an absolute whopper of a tantrum. He screamed that he didn’t want to look at me or sit next to me. He kicked the inside of the train, hit his dad, and said how yucky I looked. It was really embarrassing because people were looking at me to see what the boy didn’t want to look at. And I had to say something. Because his father wasn’t saying anything. I told him I write about what it’s like to look different, including how to educate kids about diversity, and gave him my card, suggesting he talk to his kid so this doesn’t happen again. The dad thanked me and got off at a stop I presume wasn’t his stop, because the kid – mid tantrum – said this wasn’t the right stop. The dad was so embarrassed.

    • melissa 9 years ago

      Great response Carly

    • That is just awful Carly, but you handled it really well and hopefully the Father can now go home and teach this child acceptance, manners and respect.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

      What a brilliant response. x

    • Sammie @ The Annoyed Thyroid 9 years ago

      I hate that you had to go through that experience but I totally love how you dealt with it. Hopefully, that day that dad learned a bit about diversity and how to be a better parent.

  5. Tegan 9 years ago

    When kids are young and act like arseholes, it’s pretty easy to pinpoint the problem and it’s not the child. Having a young child myself, I’m often appalled at what other parents find acceptable behaviour in their child. A few years ago we were at an indoor playground and two bullies decided to pick on my son. After witnessing these children holding my son down and kicking him I grabbed them by the arm and marched them over to the parents. The mothers just shrugged. I couldn’t believe it.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

      Unbelievable. I just can’t even.

    • KellyNH 9 years ago

      I have had this happen also. My son who is fairly introverted and quiet was being held by one older boy, while being punched in the stomach by another one. This happened in the time it took for me to place our order at the counter. The mothers of these boys just shrugged it off, and continued with their coffee and conversation with no discipline at all handed out. I was so unbelievably fkn furious, it still makes me feel sick to think about what those boys are going to do when they are even bigger and their attitudes are even uglier.

  6. Mikaela 9 years ago

    Yah, so disappointing. You can only hope that the kid ends up spending a lot of time with other adults who actually model respectful behaviour and might actually turn out ok. But probably not.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

      Exactly. And when this rocks up to high school acting like he owns the place and disprecting everyone that mother will most likely blame the teachers. *facepalm*

  7. melissa 9 years ago

    Worst experience i ever had with other people’s kids was at the local pool one summer. It was really hot so it was packed, and there was a long line for the water slide. I was waiting in line with my kids as they were quite young and one has special needs and needs help to wait his turn. There was a little girl who just kept pushing in repeatedly- she would just slip in ahead of the queue every time! Finally when we got to the top of the queue she was about to do it again and I stopped her and said ” excuse me it is this little boys turn, he has been waiting in the line. You need to wait in line too”. I said it nicely and gently, but she started crying and ran back down the stairs. After my kids had their turn I met them at the bottom of the slide only to be ambushed by the girls mother, who said “she only wanted to go down with her sister and now she is so upset we have to go home. Thanks a lot”. It was horrible. I hate confrontation and it made me feel bad, like I had done the wrong thing.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

      Oh my god that’s terrible! I actually wrote another article about a year ago about parents who let their kids push in. ARgh! Pusher inners drive me bonkers!

  8. Nicole 9 years ago

    Not sure how an arsehole parent can teach a kid to be better than the they are. It’s more a case of “stop being an arsehole so your kid won’t grow up like you”.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

      Exactly. That’s the problem. 🙁

  9. Sew Crafty Deb 9 years ago

    Thank you for writing this. I am a parent and I am constantly appalled by the lazy parenting I see around me. These parents are creating a generation of selfish, obnoxious brats who will assume as adults that they can do whatever the hell they want. I see this kind of behaviour all the time. It’s at its worst in the school yard. I avoid it now. No actually the worst behaviour I see from parents is at my girls dance school. Sometimes I see a particularly dreadful child and then meet the parent and it all makes sense. Yuck!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

      It’s a hard thing to write about because parenting is so hard (that’s why I’m not doing it at the moment!) but sometimes I see people and I’m like ‘COME ON!’.

  10. This is just plain damn rude, and really inexcusable. If my kids ever did something like this, (which I would hope they have been brought up with manners and respect so wouldn’t), I would be completely appalled and embarrassed.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

      So would pretty much every other parent I’ve ever met. That’s why I was so appalled!

    • Phill 2 years ago

      I wish I had your self control. I would have lost it at that family, made a huge scene yelling at them and embarrassed/angered my partner.

  11. LouisaG 9 years ago

    Holy wow, that is so sad! That child has little chance of ever knowing common decency. Well done for having the vocabulary to speak, I think I would have been speechless!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

      I didn’t say much! And after that I just sat there fuming until Mr Smags ushered me away.

  12. I’ve just found this blog and with a post like this, I am so in. My goal in life is to raise my daughter to not be the kid you described. As an only child, she will need extra support and guidance to keep her in check. Wish me luck.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      Oh welcome and thank you! I think you’ve got 100% a perfect attitude. I’m sure she’ll grow up to be amazing. x

    • Bec 9 years ago

      Just wondering why an only child would require extra support and guidance to enable her to be a decent, polite human being? In contrast to a child with siblings, I mean. A confusing sentiment.

      • Author
        Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

        I don’t think it’s a confusing sentiment at all. There have been lots of psycological studies that show that only children find sharing and compromise more difficult to handle than children with siblings and that parents of only children need be more consientious about this. I used to be a teacher and it was quite common for only children to start school in kinder and not understand how to share because they haven’t had to do it on a regular basis like kids with siblings.

        • Thanks Carly, I’ve only just seen the replies here and you’ve clarified exactly what I meant. It’s not just about being decent or polite; it’s the sharing, compromising and getting along with other kids.

  13. It really sucks how some parents allow their kids to get away with so much. I am a child psychologist and I have to deal with some parents who indulge their kids so much that the kid doesn’t know right from wrong. Recently, I had a mum of a teenage boy who constantly makes excuses for his behaviour by blaming others tell me he doesn’t want to come back because the psychiatrist is a Dr Psycho according to her beloved son and he didn’t like the registrar. She doesn’t reprimand him for saying these things and quotes his disrespectful behaviour to me but excuses him while blaming others. I had to then explain to her that her son doesn’t seem to like anyone who doesn’t give him what he wants and unfortunately, he is going to have to learn that not everything works his way in the world. Like you, I don’t have kids either and am a bit hesitant when it comes to commenting on matters like this but then I figure I’m trained to work with them so I guess I can still offer my two cents ever so often.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      One of my best mates is a child-free child psychologist and we have some amazing conversations. When you’ve worked with kids who have been so damaged by the adults in their lives that there’s almost no hope for them in the future, you can get pretty jaded about shitty parenting. x

  14. Kate 9 years ago

    I have one for you!!

    I had moved from the US back to Aus and was staying with my sister. My 13 year old niece had her laundry on the line that was dry and my other niece and I had laundry that needed to be hung. We called my 13 year old niece to get her basket (everyone had their own) and come get her clothes. As she took the pegs off she threw them at my other niece instead I’m f just putting them in the peg bucket. When I said to her E, don’t do that because L is having to pick them up (not to mention all the dog shit that had not been picked up – it was her week for that chore and she was never made do it) she said “oh well”
    I said “not oh well, don’t do it”
    She said “yes oh well” and did it again looking right at me.

    When I said something to my sister she basically said she would talk to her and I never heard anything else about it until my sister came to me and asked why I had deleted my niece on facebook (which I had not). Keep in mind my niece had not been talking to me at all in real life but yet the virtual reality world of facebook and no longer “being friends” was more important to my sister.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      That’s so weird. I can’t stand it when kids are purposefully mean. I just don’t get it. I would never stand for it when I was teaching. I taught in my early 20s and because I was young and the little kids all thought I was great so they all wanted me to like them. If I ever saw one of them do something unkind to another kid I’d say loudly ‘I REALLY didn’t like the way that John was poking Sarah with that stick. It made me feel really sad. I don’t think I’ll play with Jonathon at lunch time today.’ – it was SO effective. They got it immediately and figured out that no one wanted to hang out with out bullies.

  15. Great post. I don’t have kids at home now – they’re all grown up and gone – but what I’ve seen around me in parenting ‘trends’ over the last few years has appalled me so much that I started blogging about it – partly because my friends all got sick of my rants and I needed someplace to vent. Parents get aggro about being ‘told’ by all sorts of people – I get the aggro response because I don’t have kids now, and I don’t know how hard it is these days…apparently! It’s ALWAYS been hard. But, in my view, some things don’t change – the most important being that you have to BE a parent if you want your kids to grow up with some idea of how to function in the real world, ie, with manners and consideration about the rest of the population AND an awareness that they’re NOT the centre of the universe… That was a horrible experience you had, and that kid and its parent is lucky it wasn’t me in your chair, because they’d have got a – polite but clear – earful about bad behaviour! They were doubly lucky it wasn’t my partner, because he’d not have been polite!!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

      Definitely! There are lots of parenting ‘trends’ that give me the eye brow raises.

  16. Sage 9 years ago

    I’m a mom of two, and was a long time school counselor (working with tons of kids). I find it infuriating (and a bit heartbreaking) when I see situations like this one.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

      It IS infuriating isn’t it? It’s just not that hard to not be a jerk.

  17. Nicole (@dorkabrain) 9 years ago

    My parents weren’t the best at parenting in general, but the one thing my Mum got right was enforcing the display and usage of manners; it is because of this that I can honestly say that I’m usually more polite than most of the people I’ve met. That’s tooting my own horn a little, but I definitely think it rings true. I don’t know when it started (maybe when spanking went away, but I won’t get into that debate), but I feel like we’re living in a world of open-mouth eaters, pushy, self-serving people who invade other people’s space, and children (and parents of children) who think the world revolves around them. I would be in so much shit for the things I’ve seen kids get away with; and not just get away with, but sometimes encouraged to do like in your example.

    Also, I love your ‘don’t need to be leader of a country to know when someone’s fucking up the job’ example. My mother was a minder/out of home nanny for many children my whole life before I was a teenager, then my older brothers immediately started having children (I have 6 nephews) and have been around friend’s children or just seeing kids out and about and their behaviour. I don’t need to have expelled one from myself to know when You and the child are being dickheads.

    • Nicole (@dorkabrain) 9 years ago

      By “You and the child” I mean their parents, not You, Carly. I just read that sentence back and thought it could be misconstrued.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs-Smaggle 9 years ago

      Totally! The problem is that it takes a lot of time to teach kids to be well-mannered. It doesn’t happen accidentally. That’s why I always compliment people when their children have beautiful manners because I know it’s hard work.

  18. This just makes me so sad – and mad. I don’t know if I’m doing the best job at being a parent, but I’m doing the best I can.

    I kinda knew I might have done OK when I started fielding compliments every time I left the house with my son about his polite manners and care for others. When he sang back Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam lyrics, and told me “oooh, Mum. Listen to that big dirty bass!”, I knew I’d done a good job.

    Setting kids up to be super selfish and rude isn’t doing them any favours. I’ve done this particular trick for several of my employers. When they were interviewing new staff, particularly senior staff, I would go and sit at reception to greet them and observe their behaviour. If they were rude and dismissive to “service staff”, then they were unlikely to go forward in the interview process. Manners count!

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      Oh definitely – that’s why I always compliment parents if their child has beautiful manners. It’s always the parents. 🙂

  19. I teach kids to cook. Just today I had a kid tell me he didn’t want to clean up at the end of the lesson. I said sorry, but you’re doing it anyway, and he started a tantrum (like a 3 year old) stomping around. Obviously works at home. When did we decide it was OK to not do things we don’t want to???

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      I know! I once met a women who would stop everything she was doing all the time to tend to her son. He was never told to wait because she was talking to someone else. It was weird man. I’m like – the kid can wait!

  20. EssentiallyJess 9 years ago

    Oh it’s just sad what people don’t think is important in terms of child raising. Sometimes I feel like this ogre who sees a moral lesson in everything, but then I read this and think at least I’m doing something.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      I’m the same! I’ve just seen so many gorgeous kids that I’m like ‘Is it really that hard to teach your kids to treat people right?’

  21. I always wish I could think of a witty response in a situation like this, to at least give me _some_ level of satisfaction, rather than being left with this overly pessimistic view that the world’s riddled with crappy parenting and ARSEHOLES. In fact, I’ve consciously pulled back from friends who let their children behave like arseholes, or who treat my kids badly and don’t reprimand the child for it. I just can’t respect them anymore.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      I just didn’t think it was worth the argument. This woman was so awful it just wasn’t worth it.

  22. I’m one of those teacher types who regularly put on my best teacher voices and pull other people’s kids into line. One day I saw a couple of “youths” bump into an elderly lady and not even stop to apologise. I made them stop, turn around and go and apologise to her. So you can immagine my horror when my 2 year old went up to a random lady in a shop today and gave her a cheeky smack on the bottom…and guess what. He refused to apologise. I could’ve died. The lovely lady said ” it’s ok – he’s a child, he’s fine really”. But it really wasn’t….

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      That sounds adorable! At least he wasn’t being a jerk! 🙂

  23. KellyNH 9 years ago

    I get tired of parents wanting to be friends with their kids. No, how about you be a parent instead. Toughen the fuck up and let your kid know when they have royally fkd up. You may not be popular, but they have to learn it somewhere.
    I always feel like Im playing the bad cop with my kids, but who else is going to do it?
    I also get annoyed by parents who don’t want other people / other parents / teachers etc telling their kids off if they have stepped over the line.
    I feel if my kids are in a public place or a friends house and they step out of line where I am not there to intervene or discipline them, then the homeowner or whoever they have upset is well within their rights to tell my kids off.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      Oh my god yes! You need to be a parent first and foremost.

  24. Nat Carter 9 years ago

    Love this! My personal experience: People who are assholes, raise assholes. Manners and being a nice human are number 1 in my book!

  25. mandy 9 years ago

    Kids are learning how to be part of the world. . Good Parents teach and educate as they go. I think the article should be called How to stop Bogan parents from being arseholes!!. Kids have their dreadful moments everywhere, from the Bogan corner, to the streets of Toorak. Unfortunately even great parenting, by sensible people cant always stop a zinger of a tantrum or a cringe inducing moment in public.

    • Author
      Carly Jacobs 9 years ago

      Oh I know! I see parents struggling with kids all the time and I never judge them – they’re kids! Also the family that I witnessed in the food court… I wouldn’t say they were bogans. Bad manners are every where!

  26. Bec @ The Plumbette 9 years ago

    Good post and I’ve loved reading the comments. Some parents have no idea how to discipline their children and then there are those that don’t give a crap like the parents you’ve mentioned. Being firm and leading by example is so important even from the early years. When Magdalene was 4 1/2 months old I had her lying in front of me on one of those playmats with toys hanging down. I briefly talked to Esther who was beside me and then I heard this blood curdling baby scream and it was Magdalene pinned down by a two year old boy and he was biting Maggie on her face with her nose engulfed in his mouth. The mum just watched and I screamed trying to take him off and he wouldn’t unleash his bite. When his mum came over and realised what was happening ushered him away while scooped up Maggie to console her. The mum promptly left playgroup with no apology and bo reprimand to her two year old. I had to rush straight to the doctors because the bite pierced Maggies nose. I was so angry with the mum. Never saw her at playgroup again. 🙁

  27. Tamzen Temple 9 years ago

    Oh yes, oh no!! You’ll have good parents with naughty children, bad parents with good children who just know what is acceptable. (nature/nurture) and then bad families who just hold no dreams for their kids. You would think even a child from a rude family would have a moral gauge happening. Very very sad when you think about what the future won’t offer them as they think such behavior is normal. I felt all your frustration in your words…..

  28. edenland 9 years ago

    I would have gone over there, grabbed the chair over my shoulders and shouted THIS IS MY FUCKING CHAAAAIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRR.

    You know I’m no even kidding. Fuck that shit.

  29. edenland 9 years ago

    NOT kidding #fuckthatshit

    Also, here’s an experience I had – http://www.edenriley.com/2012/06/hey-lady-in-cafe-not-everyone-thinks.html?m=1

  30. Lauren 9 years ago

    I don’t have kids, so I also feel it’s hard to judge, but it is so annoying seeing these kids do shit that I know my parents would have smacked me for. I have one friend who’s daughter is super cute, but a holy terror. She’s always throwing tantrums to get what she wants and her mother constantly coddles her. It is so bad that the child is behind developmentally. The doctor basically said your child isn’t talking because you give her whatever she wants and do everything for her. I feel bad because my friend had a horrible childhood and was abandoned by her mother, so she’s trying to make sure her daughter has a perfect childhood. So I get it, but she just doesn’t understand she’s just making it worse.

  31. Anna 9 years ago

    If you ever see me allow my sons to do that, I give you permission to slap me. 🙂

  32. Emma83 9 years ago

    I was on a flight and there was a kid behind me kicking the back of my seat so I turned around and asked him to stop and the mother ignored me. He didn’t stop. I am not known for my patience at the best of times so I got out of my seat and said excuse me to the mother so ignored me. I said excuse me again and waved at her. She looked up at me and I said to her that I would like her to make her son stop kicking the back of my seat and she just pretended not to hear me. He started kicking the back of the seat again so I called the I pressed the button for the flight attendant who came down and I explained what had happened and could she do something about it since nothing I had done worked. She promptly moved me to another seat on the plane and apoligised instead of asking the mother to get him to stop.

  33. Christine 9 years ago

    What asshole parents. I’d never allow my child to do that, and if she did, I would be mortified and apologetic. I hate people who are teaching their kids that its ok to treat others like crap. I know I’ve had this kind of thing happen to me before but I’m so exhausted from trying to teach my mini monster to behave like a civilized creature today that my brain is too tired to remember it.

  34. John James Joseph 8 years ago

    Very good article, Carly. I raised 2 sons to be respectful, honest, kind, and warm to other folks. One married well, and one married a girl whom lacked not only grace, but basic social skills. Nasty, vindictive, and a complete ass. I tried being nice, reasoning, and tried to be a great in law. Nasty and manipulative, and raising her kids to be just like her. Parents are responsible to raise well rounded kids. Sometimes the children go wrong vIA ma king bad choices. The best you can do is teach them correctly and hope they come to their senses. As for the grandchildren, woe to them. We still try to teach them positive social skills when they are with us, but I am not so optimistic. Poor society.

  35. f 8 years ago

    With all the perfect parents of perfect children posting here, I find it surprising that there are so many bratty kids left in the world.

  36. Kelly 8 years ago

    After hearing a mom and her 4 children disrespect my son’s minor soccer team (they were family of the opposing team) I had enough. I told her to STFU and told her “congratulations on raising a bunch of assholes” and I didn’t stop there. I said she was a bad mother and I hoped she chokes on her hot dog. She didn’t have anything to say and left the game. It felt good to confront her and her horrible children.

  37. Valerie Miguez 7 years ago

    Thank goodness I don’t have children. Bullies teach their children to be bullies. Way to go America.

  38. Patricia Smith 6 years ago

    if mom needed a chair..mom should have asked..

  39. frolo folo 6 years ago

    Not their fault… Simply put the world is changing. What you think justice is could be that of injustice somewhere else. Don’t think that because you’ve taught social fuck ups with down syndrome that you have some sort of right to go against children of this time let alone the women that push those kids out of ther vag or the men who work to put the food on that table the kid was dragging the chair over to. Kids with common sense unlike those you referred to have it WAY harder. The fight to remain either in the background or on the top is fought with an uncountable amount of variables in todays age of adolescence and near adulthood. Parents these days are not only forced to care for their child but also supply them with what they want as it is really actually what they need. You may not understand or agree but if you aren’t even wearing the right shoes you as a child among peers are looked at as the next target. This unending cycle is something you will not understand even partially until you push a kid out your ass and raise him/her into adulthood. Don’t ever try to use social fuck ups as an excuse for having children in a way. Their troubles can’t even begin to compare that of the intelligent children of this age.

    • Forempathy 4 years ago

      Lady, fuck off. If your kid wants the same shoes as everyone else, you make a behavior chart with stickers and a reward, and make them earn it. YOU have the money which means you are in charge. Teaching your child to face adversity and accept themselves even if they don’t have the perfect shoes, is part of them learning to get along with the group but still have self esteem and a sense of interior security. A sense of self and value based on who they are, not what they have and how they look in. Buying them what everyone else has only teaches them that their value is in how they compare to others. Basically you’re teaching them to measure their self-worth based off how they compare to others. You’re setting them up for anxiety and a life of feeling not good enough. Think of the models who are notoriously the most insecure people… I’ve read abt it many times. The more you’re in the spotlight, the harder it is.

      And seriously this isn’t a Trump supporter website. If you’re going to curse at children who have disabilities, go to another page. You’re embodying the exact problem behaviors that this article is about. The irony…

  40. Nadine 6 years ago

    I agree that parents these days can be very rude themselves and disrespectful of others. We need to teach by example and correct children , especially when they are in public. I’m a parent and have seen it too many times. When my kiddos were misbehaving in public and not listening we either went for a time out in the car or washroom or I would take them home. I seriously only had to do this once or twice and they learned very quickly who was in charge. It is almost as if parents are scared of their children or too damn lazy. I’m happy to say I I have two very kind and respectful children who are now 21 and 17. While they are not perfect by any means , they now how I expect them to conduct themselves and why.

  41. Kev 6 years ago

    I mean… we’re talking about Trump voters and their kids, right?

  42. Heather Eva 3 years ago

    Ugh, I was googling stuff because I just had a situation today like this. It was a nice and I decided to take my daughter to a new playground. She wanted to go down this slide and this kid who was about 3 years old was sitting at the top of the slide. We asked this guy’s kid nicely 3 times to go down the slide or move out of the way! I asked nicely. We leave that slide and move on. We go to come back when he is out of the slide, the kid runs and jumps to block the slide. Almost knocks over my daughter who is 4. So, I look around for his parents and ask “where is your parents??” No one shows up! He yells at me and my daughter,, tries to slap my daughter and says,, “No,, this is my slide!” I finally say in a firm voice, “Young man please move so my daughter can go down.”
    The little boy finally gets out of the slide crying. His dad comes up to me from across the park and says, “Don’t talk to my son that way. You can talk to your daughter that way but I will not have you talk to my son that way.” My reply, ” Well, 3 times prior I askes your son nicely to let us use the slide.. He refused. We left and then came back when your son was out of the slide.. He practically knocked over my daughter to get to the slide!! Parent your son so others don’t have to!” Then he replies, “Well, it didn’t happen that way but whatever.” My response to him, “Really? Because I saw your sitting on that bench over there focusing on your phone! Where were you to tell your son to not plow past my daughter? And btw, do your friends even know I stopped their daughter from running into the parking lot? No! Because you all are on your phone instead if watching your children!”
    Yeah, he was ready to crawl into a hole after that! I get that these were younger parents but if you are more focused on your phone than your child then you need to give your child up for adoption! I have plenty of younger friends with children amd they are not focused on their phone while their child is at a park. JS

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