Please hold your child accountable for their actions. Look, I know that we all make excuses for our kids at times, but please make your child responsible at least sometimes. And that doesn’t mean repeat yourself and turn your back folks. Kids are smart, if they know you aren’t going to do anything about it, they will continue to do it. I had the despicable pleasure of watching a child in a store who was in desperate need of some ACCOUNTABILITY. I watched a parent follow this TERROR around picking up after him as he threw things on the floor. Everything he touched just got chucked on the floor. Are you kidding me? When did parents get downgraded from PARENT to HOUSE-ELF? Silently expected to serve and clean. This all culminated in the final straw where dad quietly told the child to stop, the child then CHUCKED the toy down the aisle and took off running in the other direction. The parent followed the kid (obviously). But nothing changed, there was no repercussions, no discipline, he actually did NOTHING, said NOTHING. The toy remained on the floor until I picked it up. I know it’s rude to stare, but I seriously, just SLACK JAW RUBBER NECK STARED as this pair passes me in the store. I know that if a kid is really young controlling their insanity is difficult, tantrums happen. Shopping carts were designed with a place to put the kid for a reason if they are young. And if they are truly OLD enough to walk beside the cart, then they should have some RULES that are enforced and the maturity to GRASP the rules and repercussions.
Let’s face it; the world is not the place we grew up in. My parents did not beat us (even if we were REALLY ASKING FOR IT), but there were spankings in my life (not many, I was a quick learner and threw as much drama defense as I could muster), and the THREAT of spankings existed and were taken SERIOUS. If I kept touching things in the store, I was reminded once that this wasn’t proper. The next time my hand was taken back FOR ME. If I was foolish enough to REPEAT said incident (and my mother will probably tell you it happened A LOT…I don’t recall ever being foolish…I was a perfect child) I was pull up short and my 5’9 mother became 700 feet tall and shot lightening bolts from her eyes, her talon fingers crushed my upper arm (yeah, not so much but it was perspective) while hissing between clenched teeth (they were fangs actually) that if I didn’t STOP NOW, we would be exiting the store and it would be a BAD DAY. She was also queen of the LIGHTENING FAST finger snap. You know that one, when mom’s hand shot out faster than you could register (or dodge) and the back of her knuckles would connect with your hand, which was probably reaching for the light socket, a silk blouse on a hanger, that box of Crackpuff Sugarjolts or any other number of brilliant things we thought it was necessary to reach out and touch. It would leave a nasty stinging sensation and the distinct understanding that the car ride home was going to be filled with unhappy mommy tone. And while offended that we were CAUGHT, there was never any doubt that we had SCREWED UP.
So I guess my wish is that people would expect their children to behave and treat people and places with respect. It’s really not a lot to ask.
No comments:
Post a Comment