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I Guess I Was Just Brought up In a Different Era!

thinkthrice's picture

Submitted by thinkthrice on Mon, 08/17/2015 - 3:56pm

I'm stb 55. When I was a youngster you did a few of the following that I see SADLY lacking in today's youth:

1. always be aware of your surroundings and get out of the way for others (aka don't block the entrance door/aisle of a store or public building)

2. Children should be seen and not heard. No child should EVER interrupt an adult unless the house was on fire or some crisis such as that.

3. Children should ALWAYS remember their MANNERS; holding doors open for the elderly, saying yes, please, thank you ( a little ma'am or sir isn't unwelcome either)

So today I step into the public library or try to do so I should say and here was a 6/7 year old boy standing in front of the entrance with his arms twisted backward onto the bar to open in from the other side just staring INTO the library and not paying ANY attention to who might be trying to enter as his back was toward them.

His mother? She had a BROOD of ill mannered peccaries--one in a stroller and a girl who was constantly mindlessly blabbing away.

I tried to get the boys attention without forcing the door open and possibly wrenching his arms.

Looked SOOOOO much like stuff Prince Hygiene used to get away with when with Chef. (not with me however). My mother would quickly remind us if we were being rude or blocking others.

No parenting to see HERE obviously!!

This society is collapsing even as we speak!!

Comments

Cover1W's picture

Submitted by Cover1W on Mon, 08/17/2015 - 4:12pm

Oh, I was traveling recently and at the airport restaurant, sat by a man and his son (I am assuming), about 10 yo.

MY GOD I was ready to slap that kid w/in three minutes.

Dad was on his phone, absentmindedly "watching his kid."
His kid kept up a running dialog about everything, loudly. And with little regard for anyone around him. Basically just rude comments. I could tell kid was desperately trying to get dad's attention.

Well, server brought me my VERY LARGE Smile beer. Kid watches this, I turn away, kid starts to say, "Dad, THAT LADY is going to..." and took a step towards me. His tone was just over the top rude. I was about to turn around and give him a scary Cover1 action but dad told him to sit down now!
Finally.

I do have to say I limited how often I went to restaurants with SDs for a bout a year. Their behavior was really bad; running, playing in the aisle when bored, whiny, messy, god forbid it was a padded bouncy seat or they'd JUMP on it (I about freaked out the first time that happened, DP, "They are just kids." Me: "It's a restaurant not a gym with other people trying to eat!" They are much better now after consistent work.
We're now undergoing lessons about how not to be rude to the waitstaff.

new to this's picture

Submitted by new to this on Mon, 08/17/2015 - 4:40pm

I totally agree, I got a phone call the other day, SD and DH were sitting there not saying anything, as soon as I got on the phone they both started talking to each other, one was on one side of me the other on the other side. I was so pissed, I got up and stormed outside to talk. It was so rude. Things like this happen all the time. She don't see herself as a child (not to be heard) she is an equal and it drives me crazy!!

Last In Line's picture

Submitted by Last In Line on Mon, 08/17/2015 - 4:42pm

Never mind kids, Full Grown ADULTS don't seem to understand get the hell out of the way of other people unless you physically are unable to do so. You're in a wheelchair? I will gladly go around. You're a self-centered, oblivious to others, poorly mannered person who doesn't even have the manners of someone raised in a barn? I might accidentally bump into you while attempting to get past you.

Skids here used to interrupt a crazy lot, because they were so used to being the center of the universe. I mentioned a couple of times to then SO, now DH how much this bothered me, and he didn't address it. I'm not one to nag, so I came up with a different solution: to totally be silent or give one word answers when skids were around. Finally he asked me why, and I told him "because I HATE being interrupted, it's rude and disrespectful, and since you won't put an end to it, I just won't talk, that way I won't be interrupted." Guess who started teaching his kids not to interrupt? It's WAY better, but does still happen from time to time.

Basic manners--totally lacking. SS11 acts like he doesn't even know how to open doors when we are in public. He will literally become a road block, standing there waiting for someone else to open it. Please, thank you, yes ma'am, no ma'am--not in the skids vocabulary. They may from time to time live under my bridge, but those are HIS ill mannered trolls.

thinkthrice's picture

Submitted by thinkthrice on Tue, 08/18/2015 - 9:57am

Did he move when you asked him to?

That's just the whole point! Children used to have their ears perked toward any grownup voices or activity. This kid was on the INSIDE of the library facing AWAY from the entrance/exit door basically swinging off the push bar.

I'd have to yell and knock like crazy which I REFUSE to do.

And BTW, didn't his parents ever tell him not to use doorknobs as a jungle jim? Obviously not.. My bios were always AMAZED at the damaged doorknobs on our two rental properties when we had to go in to repair. I told them that's because they were never taught to NOT jump on furniture or use household fixtures as monkey bars!!

So, I just started pushing the door open slowly and he turned around looking actually surprised that someone would want to use the ENTRANCE door!! He said NOTHING. Just gave me this blank stare, never smiled, never said "excuse me." NOTHING!!

And I'm all for bringing back smacking kids!!! Disciplining not beating them to death!!!

Calling all corporal punishment "abuse" is akin to calling all driving down the road "speeding" when there is an actual speed limit that can be followed safely.