The Rules

Anatole Broyard once said, ~There was a time when we expected nothing of our children but obedience, as opposed to the present, when we expect everything of them, but obedience.~ Working with kids for the past 10 years, you see and experience many things on a semi-daily basis that you can't help but reflect back on your own childhood. For the endless amounts of energy still remains the same, but what has changed are the attitudes, which may not relate to all kids. You see, back in the day there were certain things today's generation of kids do or say to their own parents that if my generation did or said the exact same thing to our parents we would either be knocked out or have the life choked out of us.

Let me ask you this question to any parents out there, are you in charge of your kid(s) or are they in charge of you? Well, working in the insane asylum you see and hear many things when parents arrive to pick up their child or children. One of those things you tend to witness is a child holding up their finger to tell their parent(s) to wait while they finish something that is fairly non-important such as a video game he or she just started. Its a sad situation to see a parent, who is not only tired from work but also has places to go, as well as, people to see and he or she actually waits for him or her to finish playing. Let me tell you something, knowing my mom or dad I wouldn't make them wait to the point one's full name was called or the look was given.

Growing up, many of us were taught to respect our elders by not saying or doing things that were considered disrespectful, which reflects back on our own parent(s). Saying thank you, yes/no sir, yes/no ma'am, excuse me, etc. were words that have come second nature to us because it was ingrained in our minds at an early age and yet to certain kids its words that seem foreign to them to where words such as "huh" and "what" are usually heard coming from their mouths. For the question can be asked of you, were you the type of child that continues to say these particular words to this day thank you, yes/no sir, yes/no ma'am, excuse me, etc. to people even though they may not deserve to have your respect?

Without a doubt, there was one thing that was expected of us when we went out in public with one's parent(s) as kids and that was not to act as if you didn't have any common sense at all. For it's a truly embarrassing and humiliating experience for any parent to be in as all eyes are seemingly focused on not only the parent but the child/children who probably broke the verbal agreement made beforehand at the house in which they would promise not make a scene or suffer the consequences afterwards. Consequences such as a public beat down or leaving wherever you were immediately even though you just got there and announcing out loud to get in the car now or somebody will get left behind.

In retrospect, we've all become better people because of what our parents or parents did for us or tried to do for us and even though we may have whined, pouted, or threw temper tantrums for doing or saying things each of us didn't agree with. Essentially, back then we couldn't understand why or what they were trying to get through to us and why it was relevant. Now as an adult, you understand why they did what they did to the point that you can’t help but laugh because you're probably doing the same thing with your kids and if you don't have any kids you will instinctively do it. In the end, those were the rules my generation lived by that our parents set forth and for the most part we turned out okay...some of us anyway.