Old fashioned mommy......

I feel like I am a throw back to a previous generation.  An old fashioned mommy.  You know that mommy, the kind where with a death stare you were frozen in mid-air of smacking your brother, or shoving the candy into your pocket, or running through a store.  My mother could stop me cold by one look  and it was freakin SCARY.  If I should test my limits just a tad, the look would be followed by the squeezed arm grip/her face two inches from your face teeth clenched "just wait until we get home" mommy whisper.  For sure then I knew I was in deep kaka.  So, in general I behaved.  My five siblings did too.  There was NO margin for error.  

Which leads me to my point.   My kids all are respectful, decent and more or less kind little people.  They behave well in restaurants, supermarkets, church and school.  It's taken me YEARS to get to this point where I feel completely comfortable taking my kids to any event or place, adult or kiddie oriented.  I do not tolerate infantile, imbecile, arrogant or obnoxious behavior.  If they start acting up, they get the LOOK.  Followed by the death grip/when we get home whisper.  Followed by immediate removal.  Not too hard, right?  (Oh, and by the way, no, I am not perfect and neither are they.   Transgressions do occur from time to time.  I mean c'mon, they are children for pete's sake! )  It's a child's job to act like a twerp now and again, and it's our job to say cut the crap.  So what the heck has happened to my co-horts in parenting?  These are examples of ill behaved children that I have witnessed with my own two brown eyes:

1.  child in church rolling around on floor, kicking pews, smacking mother, shouting GO AWAY, LEAVE ME ALONE over and over, rolling car up and down pew, rolling car up and down dad's head, face, neck, and arms, farting, snorting.  Mom does nada.  Pats kid on back and says "stop that" about 58 times.  child continues to RULE.

2.  child shows up to religious education classes with Ipod buds in his ears and playing full blast.  child also answers cell phone calls in class. mother just sent kid into class and is down the hall, so she is FULLY aware that child has Ipod and phone.

3.  young man hacks up lungee and spits it 5 feet in front of me.  yes, he did see me before he spit.  this was at a public place, a huge suburban mall with many, many people milling around.  

4.  child reports to my child that her mother (me) is a "bitch."  Can you imagine calling a classmate's mother a bitch when you were in 5th grade?  The audacity!!!  I was absolutely bowled over.

I mean WTF?  Get some control people!  You are creating your own personal hellions!  Of course every generation says that the current youth of America are the "most disrespectful, self centered, obnoxious people EVER."  I guess that's getting older.  But in all seriousness, have you noticed that parents seem to be on autopilot these days?  You had these kids for a reason.  They cannot raise themselves.  They are not puppies.   Teach them to be a part of society....  Respect adults, learn to be quiet when others are talking, don't interrupt, don't behave as if every place is a jungle gym, leave your electronics at home, etc.  Sure it's gonna take some effort...you're going to have to rip your kid out of a fun time screaming/wailing, you're going to have to be mean and nasty sometimes, you're going to have to raise your voice or give the look, you're going to have to be the boss and not their friend.  It's OK....they will hate you now, but love you later.  

Final note.....Practice the look.....believe me, it works.