Parents who lack discipline in their children *beware: long read*

[MrKat]

Whether or not this is a case of the parents not disciplining their children properly (or even at all), or not having done it early enough into their babyhood is debatable. Unfortunately its a common occurance in my family (external family, in-laws sides, etc) - and some of them are really bad cases (pretty shameful to say the least).

If there is a family gathering, whether its someones birthday or a dinner banquet, whatever - it is every parents responsibility to sit down and talk with their children (taking it ages 5+) before attending the social gathering to make sure that they're aware of what kind of behaviour and manners they need to be on.

I'll give an example. This past Sat. night was my nephews 1st birthday and we went out for dinner. So my cousins, aunts, etc were there as well as my bro in laws side of the family and some friends as well of my nephews parents. Well, lets just say my 3 yr old niece is 100X more well behaved and much more disciplined than any of the other kids that were there. I would say there was about 10 kids there, ranging from ages 9-12. You see it all, and notice a 3yr old on better behaviour than 12yr olds, you would easily notice the lack of discipline in some of these children.

My niece knew how to behave, she knew that she was out at her cousins birthday and what kind of behaviour mommy and daddy wanted her to be on. But the rest of the kids? LOL

Well the first one that comes to my mind is my cousin (whom is a total loser btw). Hes pretty pathetic that I dont even know why Im mentioning him, but for good laughs I guess. He's 19 and his parents are arguably the worst example when it comes to raising children properly. Him and his brother were never disciplined when they were brought up, always got everything they wanted, spoiled rotten, always swearing when they were in grade 1, etc.

Everytime he comes to a family gathering he always brings his stupid ipod and just sits there with his earphones the entire time and doesnt eat or talk to anyone. He just sits there, doesnt look at anyone, shows no emotion, and is completely tuned out of his surroundings. Gee what great discipline there :evil: Again, yes he is 19 (pretty sad huh). Ive always wanted to ask him, why even bother coming since you obviously dont want to be here. And the fact that his parents allow him to come to these dinners with his ipod speaks volumes for their lack of parenting. But then again, he even brought his ipod to his grandpas funeral last year so this doesnt surprise me one bit.

Then you got other boys (ages 10 and under) bringing their Nintendo DS's and pretty much doing the same thing, dont eat or talk to anyone and just sit there at the table and play their games all night. How do parents not see anything wrong with this? I understand that it can be difficult for some parents to get their children to stay put at a dinner.

But I mean cmon now, my 3yr old niece still knows that even though she is allowed to bring a toy with her to these gatherings, that she cant just ignore everything around her. And also dont forget she is 3! Much different from kids who are 12. At 12, you should be teaching your children to behave on a much higher level than a 3yr old as expected.

Then we got the girls, who didnt wanted the cake because "I want Ice cream cake, I want ice cream cake" and moaned about it non stop - uhhh, we brought the cake, you dont like it, dont fkin b!tch about it. And the sad part of this all? These parents are so clueless as to just how wrong this kind of behaviour is. Heck, they cant even acknowledge it for themselves as to it being wrong and uncalled for. I mean I know theyre kids an all, but its pretty upsetting to see the lack of control in some of these parents. They just seem to take the "ah whatever" approach. Sorry, but at kids at age 12 should not be saying this kind of stuff, period.

Neither should they be taking balloons and hitting them into peoples faces either while theyre eating or taking ice from their water and throwing it at each other. My bro in laws nephew is an adorable 12yr old kid, I love playing with him but he is one of the worst disciplined kids I know. Hes always complaining about this and that, "No I dont want chicken"...."eww thats gross"..."I want McDonalds". I sat next to him and tried to feed him well that night putting stuff on his plate - but trying to do that is like trying to force an apple down your throat.

But all in all, all Im saying is dont you other guys (parents) see this as horrible lack of control in children? And do you see stuff like this often? Im feel Im being logical here, but if Im not then feel free to bring it up.

[jed]

To me, this comes down to parents having children for others to raise. ITs likely you won't see that kind of behavior in parents who have chosen to actually raise their own kids by having one spouse stay at home.

Before I hear the rants of can't afford, etc., its again pretty likely that you can afford it IF you choose to lower your standards by getting what you Need, not what you Want.

For those others, they take the kids to daycare at 0730h or so, pick them up @ 1800h or so, have them for 2 hours at night, and its bedtime. How much of an influence do you really think you are going to have on your children in that timeframe?

To those who want their children socialized by taking them to daycare, there are tonnes of programs where kids can interact with each other, while still having an at home caregiver.

My wife and I Chose to have kids later in life, to be able to have someone @ home, to have a more mature outlook on raising the kids, to (God giving) raise them in a manner that makes them a caring, responsible, well-behaved and contributing member of society.

Pretty hard to have that with kids swearing at their parents with an iPod blasting at them with less than 2-3h of parental contact a day.

To those that may be affronted by this, are you absolutely sure you are doing whats best for the overall well being of your children? I don't prefess to know everyones situation or the answers to all, but I do know that having a spouse @ home makes a difference. When I am a "helper" in kidergarten, I can see who has been in daycare and who has a parent at home. (God Bless our teacher) Interesting, huh.

/end rant

[CSK'sMom]

To me, this comes down to parents having children for others to raise. ITs likely you won't see that kind of behavior in parents who have chosen to actually raise their own kids by having one spouse stay at home.

Before I hear the rants of can't afford, etc., its again pretty likely that you can afford it IF you choose to lower your standards by getting what you Need, not what you Want.

For those others, they take the kids to daycare at 0730h or so, pick them up @ 1800h or so, have them for 2 hours at night, and its bedtime. How much of an influence do you really think you are going to have on your children in that timeframe?

To those who want their children socialized by taking them to daycare, there are tonnes of programs where kids can interact with each other, while still having an at home caregiver.

My wife and I Chose to have kids later in life, to be able to have someone @ home, to have a more mature outlook on raising the kids, to (God giving) raise them in a manner that makes them a caring, responsible, well-behaved and contributing member of society.

Pretty hard to have that with kids swearing at their parents with an iPod blasting at them with less than 2-3h of parental contact a day.

To those that may be affronted by this, are you absolutely sure you are doing whats best for the overall well being of your children? I don't prefess to know everyones situation or the answers to all, but I do know that having a spouse @ home makes a difference. When I am a "helper" in kidergarten, I can see who has been in daycare and who has a parent at home. (God Bless our teacher) Interesting, huh.

/end rant

+1000! ;) Personally, I am so sick and tired of listening to people's condescending attitudes about how it must be nice to be able to afford to stay home. We've managed to do it all these years on far less than than most people realize. We've managed to buy a house, vehicles, take trips, etc. It hasn't always been easy but it's absolutely been do-able. It's all about differentiating between wants and needs.

[3weddings]

+1000! ;) Personally, I am so sick and tired of listening to people's condescending attitudes about how it must be nice to be able to afford to stay home. We've managed to do it all these years on far less than than most people realize. We've managed to buy a house, vehicles, take trips, etc. It hasn't always been easy but it's absolutely been do-able. It's all about differentiating between wants and needs.

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For a long time I thought of myself as fortunate to be at home, but now (after comparing my cousins' kids to mine) I know my kids are the fortunate ones. I am 100% proactive in all their daytime activities, volunteer at their school (not in their class but all over the school) and I am there at 3pm when they come home. Do my kids know how to behave at functions and expensive restaurants, absolutely!

As for your family members, OP, they are using electronics to entertain their kids rather than 'bother' with the kids themselves. It has become a very sad society to see children lacking any social know how. Etiquette seems to be an unknown word to many parents and their children.

[raptorfan]

To me, this comes down to parents having children for others to raise. ITs likely you won't see that kind of behavior in parents who have chosen to actually raise their own kids by having one spouse stay at home.
Before I hear the rants of can't afford, etc., its again pretty likely that you can afford it IF you choose to lower your standards by getting what you Need, not what you Want.

For those others, they take the kids to daycare at 0730h or so, pick them up @ 1800h or so, have them for 2 hours at night, and its bedtime. How much of an influence do you really think you are going to have on your children in that timeframe?

To those who want their children socialized by taking them to daycare, there are tonnes of programs where kids can interact with each other, while still having an at home caregiver.

My wife and I Chose to have kids later in life, to be able to have someone @ home, to have a more mature outlook on raising the kids, to (God giving) raise them in a manner that makes them a caring, responsible, well-behaved and contributing member of society.

Pretty hard to have that with kids swearing at their parents with an iPod blasting at them with less than 2-3h of parental contact a day.

To those that may be affronted by this, are you absolutely sure you are doing whats best for the overall well being of your children? I don't prefess to know everyones situation or the answers to all, but I do know that having a spouse @ home makes a difference. When I am a "helper" in kidergarten, I can see who has been in daycare and who has a parent at home. (God Bless our teacher) Interesting, huh.

/end rant

I have to disagree. My kids are well mannered and I've had strangers comment on it too. We both work and choose to. I don't want to stay home full time and don't look down on those that do. I am with my kids from the time I get home until their bed and on weekends we spend together aside from the kid's activities. Whether or not I work I don't feel has any bearing on their manners...it's our expectation that bad manners will NOT be tolerated and have brought them up that way. Both my parents worked and I still have people tell me I'm one of the more polite people they've met, so i don't see the correlation.

[bpopd]

I have to disagree. My kids are well mannered and I've had strangers comment on it too. We both work and choose to. I don't want to stay home full time and don't look down on those that do. I am with my kids from the time I get home until their bed and on weekends we spend together aside from the kid's activities. Whether or not I work I don't feel has any bearing on their manners...it's our expectation that bad manners will NOT be tolerated and have brought them up that way. Both my parents worked and I still have people tell me I'm one of the more polite people they've met, so i don't see the correlation.

I also have friends who were raised like this, and they are the most polite out of all my friends.

[volan]

Start Rant!!!

First of all you should all slap yourselves on the wrist for projecting your own values onto others. Perhaps for others it's not rude to have their son/daughter listening to an ipod. Even though your child sits and behaves that's a value that you have. I'm sure there are things you're doing that others find intolerable. Judge not lest you be judged!!!

Everybody has different circumstances and different values. To say that people should do what you're doing is condescending and irresponsible. And to generalise saying that all parents who work are bad is even worst.

Everybody has their own opinion on how to raise their children. For me, I think it's irresponsible of parents to put their children to bed late and expect them to wake up early and be able to concentrate at school. I see kids at the pre-school looking like zombies first thing in the morning. But, like I said before, putting my children to bed early is a value that my wife and I have. I know there are other things that we do that others may find distasteful.

End Rant!

I like these forums because they allow people to express their opinions and have a civil discussion on issues and topics.

[nalababe]

I have to disagree. My kids are well mannered and I've had strangers comment on it too. We both work and choose to. I don't want to stay home full time and don't look down on those that do. I am with my kids from the time I get home until their bed and on weekends we spend together aside from the kid's activities. Whether or not I work I don't feel has any bearing on their manners...it's our expectation that bad manners will NOT be tolerated and have brought them up that way. Both my parents worked and I still have people tell me I'm one of the more polite people they've met, so i don't see the correlation.

Exactly.

We both work. I unfortunately travel extensively. That being said, our son is one of the best mannered kids in his JK/SK when it comes to being polite (we too have had random strangers comment on his behaviours).

We spend the time we can with our son, and not only tell him how to behave, but show him as well. Our kids are a reflection of how we behave.

Similarly, it is not staying at home that coorelates to behaviour, rather, the behaviour you are teaching and displaying...over whatever time you are interacting.

As for how to act in social situations, you must remember that a 4 year old is not an adult. You cannot expect them to behave like an adult. We often will bring books or even the mini-dvd player. No, the table is not appropriate, but while adults are talking afterwards...go nuts.

Finally as for what influence can I have over for the 3-4 hours of awake time (and weekends)....a tremendous influence. Our son has been in the same day care with many of his friends for several years. They have had the same supervisors for years....yet they are all different...all have different manners and all react differently in social situations.....

...at three and four kids listen to the words of teachers but the live the words of their parents.

[ChildrenofKorn]

I see this all the time, just about everyday, everywhere I go. Kids shouting or swearing uncontrollably in public at a very young age is easily just as bad as any of the ones you've listed (hitting people with balloons, bringing video games to family dinners). Unfortunately, a lot of this is a result of the parents not being ready at the time when they had them, to take full responsibility of their children - and the parents only have themselves to blame. If you are not willing to take full, 100% responsibility in being a good parent, then Im sorry but you should not have had children to begin with.

Because not only are they affecting themselves, but they are affecting their children in the long run. They are going to hurt their childrens personality and interpersonal skills. They will have a much tougher time maturing because of the lack of proper discipline.

OP, your cousin who is 19 and brings and wears his ipod everywhere while ignoring everything around him, is the perfect example of what happens when the parents fail to bring up their children properly and early. And when hes in his 30's and gets married and has kids, his atrocious habits are just going to carry on over to his kids.

[mingming]

correct me if i'm wrong, this seems to be like a chinese dinner gathering. and if so, i definitely see these all the time!!!

i think we can list down every type of kid we see at these things.

[nalababe]

OP, your cousin who is 19 and brings and wears his ipod everywhere while ignoring everything around him, is the perfect example of what happens when the parents fail to bring up their children properly and early. And when hes in his 30's and gets married and has kids, his atrocious habits are just going to carry on over to his kids.

Unless this is a major life event and they are disrupting (i.e. Wedding), then why are you even concerned. Are there other 19 years olds that he/she would want to talk? The very fact that he/she is not disrupting is in fact a good thing...Dealing with training of adults regularly, the "captive participant" is probably the worst to deal with. This 19 year old is not doing anything wrong! This is not a symptom of being raised incorrectly nor is it atypical for a late teenager.

Actually I might consider this poor parenting--forcing someone at 19 to come to a family dinner (wedding is different). It is time that parents realize that forcing kids to come to dinners or vacations can do more harm than good for relationships.

I was like this kid, my wife was like this kid and we were both raised properly, are extremely family oriented and have wonderful manners... but at 19 we were finding ourselves...as do most at this age.

[S U]

I love this:
...at three and four kids listen to the words of teachers but the live the words of their parents.

Being a teacher myself, I truly believe this. I can't count how many times, I've had parents say to me, but I can't get my child to behave at home.....well, maybe if you stopped trying to be your child's friend and instead were the adult, maybe they'd behave for you too.

Children from a young age need to know that their parents can be their friend, but that their parents are definitely the adults. Giving children boundaries and clear expectations, allows them to grow up more confident individuals. Children are not prepared at a young age to be equals to their parents. It is our role as parents to guide them along their paths and assist them in making decisions - hopefully the right ones at that!

[ChildrenofKorn]

Unless this is a major life event and they are disrupting (i.e. Wedding), then why are you even concerned. Are there other 19 years olds that he/she would want to talk? The very fact that he/she is not disrupting is in fact a good thing...Dealing with training of adults regularly, the "captive participant" is probably the worst to deal with. This 19 year old is not doing anything wrong! This is not a symptom of being raised incorrectly nor is it atypical for a late teenager.

Actually I might consider this poor parenting--forcing someone at 19 to come to a family dinner (wedding is different). It is time that parents realize that forcing kids to come to dinners or vacations can do more harm than good for relationships.

I was like this kid, my wife was like this kid and we were both raised properly, are extremely family oriented and have wonderful manners... but at 19 we were finding ourselves...as do most at this age.

Its called respect - and getting your children to learn to respect others. Im sorry, but if a 19yr old and is bringing ipods to family gatherings they should be ashamed of themselves! You make it sound like its a chore for them to go, if it is then they should stay home, nobody is forcing them to go. If anything, it will look much better on their behalf (and for the familys sake), if he wasnt there. I dont get how you dont see anything wrong with this. At age 19, he should know better. And if he absolutely must bring his ipod with him, take it off when you are at the table! I dont think people realize how rude and inconsiderate this kind of behaviour is. Is it any different from someone who would sit at the table all evening and ignore everything going on around them and just talk on their cell phone?

[glaswegian]

+1000! ;) Personally, I am so sick and tired of listening to people's condescending attitudes about how it must be nice to be able to afford to stay home. We've managed to do it all these years on far less than than most people realize. We've managed to buy a house, vehicles, take trips, etc. It hasn't always been easy but it's absolutely been do-able. It's all about differentiating between wants and needs.

As long as people aren't living off the state, and making everyone else pickup the tab, then am fine with it. My parents managed to bring up 5 kids, working and going to school as 1st generation immigrants to the UK.

Those times were tough compared to now

[totech]

To me, this comes down to parents having children for others to raise. ITs likely you won't see that kind of behavior in parents who have chosen to actually raise their own kids by having one spouse stay at home.

Before I hear the rants of can't afford, etc., its again pretty likely that you can afford it IF you choose to lower your standards by getting what you Need, not what you Want.

For those others, they take the kids to daycare at 0730h or so, pick them up @ 1800h or so, have them for 2 hours at night, and its bedtime. How much of an influence do you really think you are going to have on your children in that timeframe?

To those who want their children socialized by taking them to daycare, there are tonnes of programs where kids can interact with each other, while still having an at home caregiver.

My wife and I Chose to have kids later in life, to be able to have someone @ home, to have a more mature outlook on raising the kids, to (God giving) raise them in a manner that makes them a caring, responsible, well-behaved and contributing member of society.

Pretty hard to have that with kids swearing at their parents with an iPod blasting at them with less than 2-3h of parental contact a day.

To those that may be affronted by this, are you absolutely sure you are doing whats best for the overall well being of your children? I don't prefess to know everyones situation or the answers to all, but I do know that having a spouse @ home makes a difference. When I am a "helper" in kidergarten, I can see who has been in daycare and who has a parent at home. (God Bless our teacher) Interesting, huh.

/end rant



I disagree, We both work, and have 2 perfectly mature, responsible kids. Parenting is more than "being there" for your kids.

Sounds like you have made the correct choice, by being an informed parent, and take an active role in your children's upbringing, but there are plenty of parents that are stay-at-home, and could not care less about what is happening with their kids.

I also think it is cultural, many cultures tend to ignore their children after they can walk, and are free to roam the streets at will.

Once again, if you care, it does not matter whether you are stay at home or not. You have to make a decision to be a part of your children's lives, whether they are at home, or at a relatives/paid day-care situation. You see many stay-at-home wives in the Yorkville area with their paid nanny's pushing the kids around.

[bugmenot]

Its called respect - and getting your children to learn to respect others. Im sorry, but if a 19yr old and is bringing ipods to family gatherings they should be ashamed of themselves! You make it sound like its a chore for them to go, if it is then they should stay home, nobody is forcing them to go. If anything, it will look much better on their behalf (and for the familys sake), if he wasnt there. I dont get how you dont see anything wrong with this. At age 19, he should know better. And if he absolutely must bring his ipod with him, take it off when you are at the table! I dont think people realize how rude and inconsiderate this kind of behaviour is. Is it any different from someone who would sit at the table all evening and ignore everything going on around them and just talk on their cell phone?

I agree with nalababe....

You don't know wheter he was asked to go or was forced to go, there's a huge difference. Unless it's a major event, this guy should be out hanging with his friends, not a bunch of adults.

[mart242]

I strongly disagree to the "To me, this comes down to parents having children for others to raise. ITs likely you won't see that kind of behavior in parents who have chosen to actually raise their own kids by having one spouse stay at home."

I've seen plenty of misbehaved kids raised by stay at home moms. I'd never leave my son at the daycare from 7:30 to 6pm though...

[Psubs]

I lined up to get Blue Jay autographs on Tuesday and this dad was carrying his 3 year old daughter and she was smacking him in the head repeatedly and he just let her whallop away. I said to my friend "he's going to have problems" when she gets older.

[majesus]

Whether or not this is a case of the parents not disciplining their children properly (or even at all), or not having done it early enough into their babyhood is debatable...

*snip.*


I read your post and I agree. I often observe and think the exact samething. I wish there is more people/parents like you. I don't understand how parents can let their children bring an IPOD and listen to music the whole entire time at a family event, or a funeral for that matter?? It's sad to see kids like that, it's also mind boggling to see parents who let their kids be like that? All well, to each their own, but I bet your kids, (or kids-to be) will be braught up very well and become really cool, social, and bright people :)

[nalababe]

I read your post and I agree. I often observe and think the exact samething. I wish there is more people/parents like you. I don't understand how parents can let their children bring an IPOD and listen to music the whole entire time at a family event, or a funeral for that matter?? It's sad to see kids like that, it's also mind boggling to see parents who let their kids be like that? All well, to each their own, but I bet your kids, (or kids-to be) will be braught up very well and become really cool, social, and bright people :)

This has been going on for years...it is not a new phenomenon...I still remember when everyone had their first walkman that was 25 years ago...I took mine everywhere...so did everyone else.

At least when I was a kid, you spent 15 minutes with the adults and then spent the next 3 hours listening to records with the other kids, or watching TV...being kids.

There is nothing I hate more than kids that must sit and do whatever the adults want...for how ever long the adults want...

[nalababe]

I strongly disagree to the "To me, this comes down to parents having children for others to raise. ITs likely you won't see that kind of behavior in parents who have chosen to actually raise their own kids by having one spouse stay at home."

I've seen plenty of misbehaved kids raised by stay at home moms. I'd never leave my son at the daycare from 7:30 to 6pm though...

sometimes you have to choose. One of us could stay at home, but we'd have to god forsaken suburbia....no thank you...

[majesus]

This has been going on for years...it is not a new phenomenon...I still remember when everyone had their first walkman that was 25 years ago...I took mine everywhere...so did everyone else.

At least when I was a kid, you spent 15 minutes with the adults and then spent the next 3 hours listening to records with the other kids, or watching TV...being kids.

There is nothing I hate more than kids that must sit and do whatever the adults want...for how ever long the adults want...

There is a major difference between doing whatever an adult/parent wants, ie you must become a doctor, you must go to this specific university, etc... VERSUS obeying a parent who is simply teaching their child to have ediquette.

How did you miss that point:?:

[SAS-1]

I wholeheartedly agree on the iPod points. I grew up as a techie kid and never once did I listen to my walkman, discman, or play Gameboy through a family dinner. Once the birthday songs had been sung and we were excused from the table, then I was free to entertain myself.

The scary fact is that we're calling this 19 year old a "kid". He's an adult and should definitely know better, regardless of whether or not he wants to be there.

[majesus]

I wholeheartedly agree on the iPod points. I grew up as a techie kid and never once did I listen to my walkman, discman, or play Gameboy through a family dinner. Once the birthday songs had been sung and we were excused from the table, then I was free to entertain myself.

The scary fact is that we're calling this 19 year old a "kid". He's an adult and should definitely know better, regardless of whether or not he wants to be there.

well said http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif

[CSK'sMom]

I can say as the parents of a 12, 16 and 18 yr old who have Ipods, DS, etc there is no way our kids would pull a stunt like that 19 yr old. That's just anacceptable and plain old rude. Ours have to go to plenty of family events where they are the youngest and they manage to talk with their cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents and other guests...

[nalababe]

I wholeheartedly agree on the iPod points. I grew up as a techie kid and never once did I listen to my walkman, discman, or play Gameboy through a family dinner. Once the birthday songs had been sung and we were excused from the table, then I was free to entertain myself.

The scary fact is that we're calling this 19 year old a "kid". He's an adult and should definitely know better, regardless of whether or not he wants to be there.

Sorry...but a 19 year old is still a kid. They have not the wisdom or experience to be considered an adult...Hell, until they changed the school system a few years ago...they had not yet even started university....

Sorry, but there is far more growing up in the 19 to 22 time frame...

Sure it may not be polite that a kid is listening to an ipod during a family event...but so what...don't pay attention...who cares...the people that get worked up over this are far too stressed about things that just don't matter in the grand scheme of things....

And no it is not about respect...sure one family meeting, ok, maybe...but grownng up I had family gatherings one or two times a month....get off your high horse...

People mature at different ages...I have seen some at 16 where you say, wow...others may take until 19 or mid 20's....

Don't worry about others...worry about yourself and your family....

[nalababe]

I wholeheartedly agree on the iPod points. I grew up as a techie kid and never once did I listen to my walkman, discman, or play Gameboy through a family dinner. Once the birthday songs had been sung and we were excused from the table, then I was free to entertain myself.

The scary fact is that we're calling this 19 year old a "kid". He's an adult and should definitely know better, regardless of whether or not he wants to be there.

So....

I did...

Now as a thirty something, I get commented on compassion, understanding of others, patience and manners....

At 19 you are a kid....yes you can vote...yes you can go to jail...but you are still a kid...

[nalababe]

There is a major difference between doing whatever an adult/parent wants, ie you must become a doctor, you must go to this specific university, etc... VERSUS obeying a parent who is simply teaching their child to have ediquette.

How did you miss that point:?:

Etiquette is not bringing someone to an event that they do not want to attend...which is what I gather from the OP's statement. That is just a power trip by the parents...

...a 19 year old kid will make mistakes...good for them...maybe it would be a mistake to not attend this infant's birthday.

..no...I really don't believe this....

[Nav]

To me, this comes down to parents having children for others to raise. ITs likely you won't see that kind of behavior in parents who have chosen to actually raise their own kids by having one spouse stay at home.

Before I hear the rants of can't afford, etc., its again pretty likely that you can afford it IF you choose to lower your standards by getting what you Need, not what you Want.


I don't think it has anything to do with having a stay at home parent. It has to do with being involved with your kids life, and raising your kids.

Going with your thought, it would be safe to say that the majority of kids (who have two working parents) are undisciplined, rude kids. If that is true, then we (the world) is f**ked. We are going down the *****ter.