For me, there's nothing nicer to see in society than great parents managing their well behaved, polite kids.

Well, perhaps there's one better thing: Seeing those kids grow up into kind, contributing adults!

Robert- Ditto.

There are not nearly enough of these moms or parents.

Maybe I am just being selective, but I see a lot of this. I knw three young couples whose kids are a real joy to be around. They get invited to adult gatherings at my place because they fit in well, with allowances for their limited endurance.

This is what I have noticed in the way their parents deal with them - they listen when the kid says something, without waiting for it to turn to whining to get the attention of the parent, they respond one way or the other, and then that is that. Settled. And by God their kids listen to them. There is an atmosphere of respect in those families.

This is my first w/o mom. She rocked, period, Joanie ruled.
Give some direction and then get out of the way, but save a smack for abhorrent behavior.

Said Saint Frances of Liebowitz: "Even when freshly washed and relieved of all obvious confections, children tend to be sticky."*

I tend to agree, although when I've been tagged for chaperone duty for my kids' school activities, I've been pretty fortunate to have halfway decent charges.

To Michael Bruce -- I'm sorry for your loss. I know you'll agree, the benefits of a great mom are manifest every day of our lives.

*http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/f/fran_lebowitz.html

We have a few friends with very well-behave children; all of the parents attentive, but helicopter-like. We spent this weekend, though, with some friends from out of town and their rotten little brats.

Do parents realize it when their kids are bratty?

"Do parents realize it when their kids are bratty?"

Not if the parents are bratty themselves. Then they think their bratty kids are perfect.

Oh, I meant "NOT helicopter..."

> Not if the parents are bratty
> themselves.

Behind a woman with a brat in line at the store yesterday. Actually, the kid wasn't that much of a brat, she was just stomping and flapping and half-singing and handling everything and trying to balance her weight on every surface her shoes could reach.

The woman didn't look like a monster, exactly. But she was oblivious to the fact that the daughter was developing some bad habits in her passage through public space... And worst of all, she seemed completely unaware of the child's emotional state. I mean, why do you want kids if you're not going to ignore their moods, let alone the consequences of their moods?

I thought that was the whole point of being a woman.

If you ARE going to ignore etc... Ever'buddy saw where that was going, right?

If it makes you feel any better, Crid, I composed a long reply in my head, then mentally deleted it.