Parental Rights

I guess I have parenting on the brain or something. I am not an expert, I just know what works for our family. I also can tell that some things are not working for others. We are raising our future leaders, people. If we raise a bunch of whiny, sniveling, snot nosed, it's all about me kids, I can only imagine how our lives will go. Case in point...

1. I was at the library. All my local readers and friends know how much I LOVE our local library. It's the people that work there I have issue with. That's beside the point, so back to the point. As I am standing in line the other day, the woman in front of me was getting on my nerves. She had three kids, the oldest maybe seven, the youngest was about four. The oldest boy, who is the middle child, was all over the place. Big sister had to go get him as he was running through the stacks screaming, "Come find me." Really? Sister brings him back to the counter where he promptly boosted himself up to see behind the counter. All short kids do that. It was the fact that he was still screaming. What did mom do? Nothing, really. "If you don't stop, we'll put all the movies back." Empty, idle threat. She wasn't about to put them back. You know why? Then they wouldn't be occupied when they got home and she would have to deal with them. He was everywhere, running at top speed, running into people while mom said meekly, "Stop that and come here." Yeah, not working, mom. Be the parent.
2. I have a friend that is a public school teacher. She is getting flak from a parent because she chastised a student for improper dress. Teach her how to dress properly, mom, and this wouldn't come up. You should see the pictures from a Texas high school of the girls that were not allowed into prom. Apparently, there was more haging out than was covered up. I would never let my daughter go out like that. The excuse I hear more than any other regarding school uniforms is that it stops fighting about what your child is wearing to school. We never had that argument. Want to know why? Because I would pick out the clothes. This home is not a democracy. They don't get a vote. Be the parent.
3. A friend went to a girl scout meeting last night with her daughter. The meeting before, the leader had asked that no one play the piano or play with the basketball goal. You would think should have been enough. One little boy promptly picked up the basketball and started playing. My friend asked him twice to stop and he didn't. Well, he did, but only until she walked away. She went to the mother and the mother was rude to her. I wonder where the defiant behavior comes from? Another played the piano. Same thing happened. And we wonder where kids today get their sense of entitlement? Be the parent.
4. There is not supposed to be any cell phone use during class at our local schools. Half the time, the kids are texting or posting on their Facebook pages, or Tweeting. At one of our schools, it's supposed to be an automatic suspension. When the teachers won't say anything, when the parents get the text or see the post on Facebook and they don't do anything, either, what are the kids supposed to think? One teacher I know said she was afraid she would get beat up or shot. Good grief, people, grow a spine. Be the parent.

Our rights as parents mean that we need to BE THE PARENT. We are not their friends, we are their mentors, their support, their parent. While I have great children, they are not perfect. They are, however, polite, respectful, and know they will get whooped if they even dared to think of half the stuff these other kids get away with. This is their life we are talking about. This is our future as well as theirs. Be the parent.