Uncivil Behavior

[elfs]

The other day I was at a local Phamily Phun Center™ kind of place with Kouryou-chan and Yamaraashi-chan. While we were sitting there drinking our Jamba & Juice, a large (in both senses of the word) family two tables down from us erupted as the (presumed) mom started yelling at her children in very angry tones, "You bastards ate all my ice cream! You bastards!"

The child in the stroller, maybe 1½ years old, looked up and cheerfully shouted "Bathtardth!"

It was not nearly as cute as it sounds.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

My late SO, before I met her, was driving around with her eldest (and then only) in the back seat, and her sister-in-law in the passenger seat. It came up a bad cloud, and she ended up hydroplaning into the back of somebody. After the dust settled, dead silence for a few seconds, and then from the back seat, "oh, shiiiiiit"..... SO was mortified.... until Aunt Jane bust a gut laughing....

It was pretty rare to hear either young gentleman swear... but whenever they did, it was always.... appropriate. Even from that tender age.

But, yeah. The trick is always teaching them *appropriateness*.

[edichka2.livejournal.com]

Doesn't sound cute in the slightest. Just sounds like another proud alumna of the North American Academy of Dysfunctional Parenting. I meet too many of them.

- E

[lucky-otter.livejournal.com]

A mom calling her own kids bastards is only beaten by a mom calling her own kids sons of bitches.

[codeamazon.livejournal.com]

My first thought was "Ouch...poor kids."

My second thought was my reaction this morning when Stone moved something I'd set on a chair while mopping last night onto the floor, then nearly tripped over it and told ME "You should put that somewhere safe." You'd think the look I shot him would have withered his hair, but he replied "that's not a good place for it!" I pointed out that HE put it there, and he replied "It was on my chair." I should have stopped there, but I just had to follow up with "Because I swept and mopped -- have YOU swept and mopped recently?" It didn't get better from there.

I shouldn't have, but it's so hard to stop in the face of that sort of self-rightous self-centered moralism.

It's not too hard to reach the breaking point, particularly (IME) with older kids who are trying to act like adults but remain utterly self-centered (no idea of the ages here.) It was easier for me when we both knew he was a kid. Now, he's sure he's an adult, and well, he does LOOK like one.

I can imagine reacting inappropriately if, say, ice cream out was a big deal due to finances and the family had eaten my share while I did something for them.