Shut The Little Brats Up!
Get your little savages in line! Good news in The New York Times, in an article by Judith Warner, who reports that people seem to be tiring of all the overindulged brats out there (the fault of the parents, of course):
Last month, an Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly 70 percent of Americans said they believed that people are ruder now than they were 20 or 30 years ago, and that children are among the worst offenders. (As annoyances, they tied with obnoxious cellphone users.)The conservative child psychologist John Rosemond recently denounced in his syndicated column the increasing presence of "disruptive urchins" who "obviously have yet to have been taught the basic rudiments of public behavior," as he related the wretched experience of dining in a four-star restaurant in the company of one child roller skating around his table and another watching a movie on a portable DVD player.
In 2002, only 9 percent of adults were able to say that the children they saw in public were "respectful toward adults," according to surveys done then by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan and nonprofit public opinion research group. In 2004, more than one in three teachers told Public Agenda pollsters they had seriously considered leaving their profession or knew a colleague who had left because of "intolerable" student behavior.
Even Madonna - her "Papa Don't Preach" years long past - has joined the throng, proclaiming herself a proud "disciplinarian" in a recent issue of the British magazine Harpers & Queen and bragging that, as a mom, she takes a tough line on homework, tidiness and chores: "If you leave your clothes on the floor, they're gone when you come home."
I've always loved Madonna. Or any mother with an appropriate amount of the Wicked Witch Of The West in her.
Kids are spoiled, not like I was when I was young. When I was young we had to be in bed at four o'clock and had 20 hours of homework per night. And the winters were worse. And the cars were better. And people were nicer. And I had to hitchhike to school.
All this statistic means is that the boomers are crotchety old men and women now.
little Ted at December 1, 2005 10:57 AM
"The children now love luxury; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise," Socrates.
Jody Tresidder at December 1, 2005 11:11 AM
All of this sudden nostalgia for 1950s parenting seems like one of those issues Hilary Clinton will align herself with at precisely the right time. After all, violent video games (with hidden sex scenes) create violent children who break mid-day for gang-rape.
This new concept in which all parenting is somehow "modern parenting" and parents are "best friends" instead of authority figures is so grossly over-exaggerated. I know plenty of competent parents who aren't particularly attached to blurring the lines between disciplinarian and Gangus Khan.
Jake at December 1, 2005 11:24 AM
I knew the day my son was born that he would be bigger than I by the time he was 12. So I made sure he knew who the boss was by the time he was 2.
It pays to perfect the Thermonuclear Look.
He still receives compliments on his "nice manners".
Deirdre at December 1, 2005 2:48 PM
To many parents want to be thier kids bestest friends. HOG WASH!!! From the day I knew they could understand what was appropriate behavior was in a out of the home setting, that is what was expected from them. I would always point out the brats that would run around anywhere, it doesn't just happen at restaurants. Book Stores, the airport, The Hallmark Store, of it is open to the public, you will fid kids like this.
Funny thing was though, both of my daughters knew who was at blame. Not the kids, they only knew what was expected from them, but the "parents".
bret at December 1, 2005 2:55 PM
>"The children now love luxury; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise," Socrates.
My sentiments more aptly put. Nice digging, Jody.
little Ted at December 2, 2005 12:40 AM
Hello Just want to drop you a big thank youfor this information - beside here is like midnight(00:00) :D need to go to bed now - one more time thanks for this. Keep it up - do not stop!
wide screen portable dvd player at February 4, 2010 3:10 PM
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