Child's Play

     Generation after generation, children seem to be getting worse. It isn't entirely their fault. They can only do what they are allowed to do. Either way, it can still be aggravating for the rest of us.

    A few weeks ago, I headed to my favorite restaurant after work to grab a meal and unwind. No sooner had I placed my order, did a baby behind me let out a wail that rivaled Pavarotti in his prime. The mother looked at her infant for a split second and continued talking to her friend. This floored me. Why would she not make an attempt to comfort her child? For the duration of my dinner, I was forced to listen to the "aria" that this child continued to belt out. The mother continued to ignore the child's protests.

    Even at work I am not safe. One of my co workers often brings his children to work. They can be heard running up and down the halls. Sometimes they push each other in office chairs back and forth through the hallway in front of his office. One instance I can think of is when he brought his daughter to work. She was rollerblading in the break room. She kept getting in my way as I tried to get my morning cup of green tea. He just stood there as though he were watching a movie.

     The older that I get the more I realize that a child's lapse in manners is due to the negligence of the parents. My maternal grandparents raised me. Manners and proper behavior were very important to them. They were loving but stern. I look at children these days and shake my head. There is no way that I would have been allowed to behave the way most children do and I am grateful for that.

     Children need guidance. Parents are supposed to provide them with the blueprint for proper conduct. If there is no direction, you can't expect them to be well mannered and respectful. Sadly, if values never become instilled in them, they will only become worse as they mature. As a parent, you must realize that if you point fingers at your child, there are more pointing back at you.