August 21, 2008
Horrid children and their horrible parents
I'm sitting outside Wood Ranch (a BBQ joint) with the wife, waiting to be seated. Luckily, I have something interesting to watch while I wait: a horrid little boy and his spectacularly ineffective parents.
This kid is running up to the woman in his family and trying to punch them in the face, then running over to the men and giving them hugs.
As I sit and watch, the kid begins kicking the women in their legs, snatches a leaf out of the hands of another kid and crumples it up, shrieks at the top of his lungs, nearly collides with an elderly woman using a walker to make her way past Attila Junior on the way to the parking lot, then grabs a younger boy by his head and lifts him into the air.
He grabbed his little brother. By the head. And lifted 'til the tyke's feet were swinging.
The women tut-tut and tsk-tsk, telling him in mild tones, "No. Don't," to which the kid responds by throwing a punch at his grandmother's chin. The men ignore the brat -- at least until one of them notices me staring in slack-jawed amazement at this remarkable sight, whereupon he makes an ostentatious display of admonishing junior.
This brat is going to end up in our court. Probably domestic violence, with stops along the way in juvenile court. Trust me.
Anyhow, as was foreordained, we were seated and about 15 minutes later the World's Worst Parents and their brood were seated next to us, little Damien almost within reach -- and most definitely within earshot.
Of course, Los Angeles County was in earshot of this kid.
I asked that we be moved to the patio, where the muted roar of the northbound traffic on the US-101 highway was a blessed relief from the caterwauling within the restaurant.
Still, the babyback ribs were good enough to make up for Hell Boy.
Almost.
Posted by Mike Lief at August 21, 2008 07:22 PM
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Comments
This is why I can't stand other peoples kids. Or their parents for that matter. They make me cringe in disgust.
Posted by: sonarman at August 22, 2008 03:46 AM
I see this all the time when I'm out and about. Young kids running thru stores screaming, knocking things over, getting in the way of customers and the parents do NOTHING! Yet, god forbid the child falls and cracks their head open on the floor, the family gets to sue the pants off of the retailer.
I don't understand why parents think that bad behavior is acceptable on a child. I remember getting spanked, having soap shoved into my mouth if I was bad, being grounded for weeks on end and I hardly consider myself to be an abused child.
Without discipline, children wont learn compassion, respect, integrity or anything else for that matter. All they'll get out of it is a huge sense of self entitlement and the parents will then wonder where they went wrong.
Pretty scary to see that our society is enabling parents to raise a whole slew of sociopaths.
Maybe it's a blessing that I don't have any children, I'd probably have been arrested for spanking them!
Posted by: April at August 22, 2008 12:06 PM
When I was a child, my parents told me to hold the door for women while waiting outside a restaurant. If a woman with a child or any elderly person was waiting for a table and had no place to sit, I was expected to give up my seat. If for some reason I would have struck a woman in my family in the face, the men in my family would have taken me out and delivered iron justice in the parking lot. Spare the rod spoil the child.
Posted by: Bart at August 23, 2008 10:13 AM
My son is a through-back. He hold doors and chairs for women. Beginning with me his mom! Says please and thank you, no 'mam, yes 'mam, no sir, yes sir and does not automatically call anyone older than himself other than "Mr. or Miss or Ms. or Mrs." He does chores,is exepected to help out around the house, be respectful (but not a doormat)to his teachers. Gets good grades. He respects but questions. Profanity in front of me is not allowed.
He is the first to the rescue of those in need. I've seen him stop and lose a sporting event place and help a team mate and lose his standing. He gives change back when the cashier makes an error or takes and object back into the store and pays for it when he realizes he wasn't charged for it. See, these kids exist you just don't hear about them. You just did now.
Posted by: D at January 14, 2011 07:13 PM
Before he gets to your courts, we'll have to deal with him in our classrooms. Him and thousands of others.
10% of the kids consume 90% of our time. Always. Their parents sue when we don't 'fix' their kid and some judge rules that we aren't doing our job and a new policy is born.
We may not give them any meaningful penalty for their actions, even bringing drugs to campus for sale. We suspend them for a couple of days then they return to wreak havoc once again.
Brother, you're singing my song!
Posted by: Smiley at January 14, 2011 07:23 PM
Hey Smiley the trick is to have them find their purpose. Hang out with them. Make them understand how important they are to you.
Expect better of them than they do of themselves and make them achieve it. Punishment where it's warranted and consistently!
Praise, praise, praise when a job is well done. Walk on a beach.
Go to a museum. Go to a rock convention at the Fairgrounds.
Go to the Tallboats at the Harbor. Police Festival in the spring where kids can blow sirens and sit on motorcyles. Fish. Teach them how to flay a fish.
Checkers and they will beat you quicker than you know! Let them teach you about something.
Make something 'special' for that one day of the year.....my son can only have canned hash christmas morning (read the label!)
Make conversation in the car and LISTEN to what they have to say ....be there in the moment with them. Have another family in your life that loves your kid as much as you do. That way when they get honked off at you, they can talk to someone else.
Show interest in what interests them.....That way Smiley they don't get involved in the courts and and wreak havoc as you say. And this is just a little bit
Posted by: D at January 14, 2011 08:16 PM
You did not mention how old the boy was but I assume he is past toddler-hood if he is picking other kids up by the head.
There is still hope for him ... if he has different parenting.
The parents need a trip to your court and then parenting class.
Posted by: dori at January 15, 2011 08:51 AM