Some parents need to be Gangster Slapped.........

[Mikekoz13]

The inability of some parents to properly parent is just amazing to me. Even the simplest of parenting duties is a big chore for these types of parents.
Are my ideas of good parenting and the next guys different..... maybe.... but there are some things that are unacceptable no matter what.

Here's a great example:

Last night at WWE we sat two rows in fron t of a wall that was about 10 feet tall. We were in a section that was full of Families. On top of that wall was the start of the upper concourse.
About 30 minutes before the event ended I hear a girl cursing a like a sailor. First "sh*t", then "ass", then "bastard". It perked my ears but it stopped so I let it go. Then a minute later again but louder. So I stood up, turned around and looked up..... and there stood a girl about 10-12 years old cursing, her mother standing right next to her!

So I yelled "HEY YOU!!!" Everybody in our section turned and looked up at the girl. She was looking around to see who was yelling, so I yelled "HEY YOU....DOWN HERE!".
She looked down at me and I said "You need to clean that dirty mouth of yours up. Nobody down here wants to hear that garbage. You should be ashamed of yourself."
She very quietly said, "Oh sorry". Her mother just looked at me. I felt like giving her a little lesson in parenting right in front of all those people.
Several of the parents in the section thanked me for saying something.

What in the World is wrong with some parents??!!!!

And if the mother or kid had mouthed off to me when I said something I would have gone out, found an usher and asked them to remove her for her filthy mouth.

Tell me a couple things.....

What would you have done if that was your kid?
Would you have said something to the kid?

[Timmay]

I feel liek saying that to a couple adults....I think they think it is Cute!

[schro]

I probably would have handled it in the same manner as you, Koz.

Not certain what I would have done if either of my kids had said such things. But I definitely would have left, made them reimburse me for the cost of the tickets, washed their mouth out with soap, and ground them....for starters.

That is just shameful.

[hammerdrill376]

Just last night my daughter and I had a conversation along those lines. She was on the phone with someone and was dropping a couple of the "F" bombs. I told her to get off the phone and sat her down. I told her she knew good and well that type of language was not allowed in our home. I know we all "stub our toes" and say things we should not but profanity used in every sentence is just not necessary. I know she was doing it because her friends do it and she got a bit upset and told me she could not wait till she was 18 and legally and adult (in Feb. of 2010) and could do and say what she wanted when she wanted. Of course that went to the next level about not while she lived under my roof. She calmed down and apologized but she had no use of her cell phone the rest of the night. Man I think she would have rather me took a belt and beat the crap out of her.  But that kind of thing does not fly in my home. 

It is amazing the parents that I observe that allow their kids to use that type of language without repercussion. Doesn't say a lot for their intelligence either. You did the right thing Mike. Too many parents are not disciplining their children.

[Tom McGarry.]

Too many parents are not disciplining their children.

That is because too may parents want to be their childs "Best Friend" instead of being the parent, they want to be known as the "Cool" parent. They have a much bigger ego than their child does.

[Timmay]

Exactly what Tom said.  I didnt realize how tough it was going to be once your kids turn 16.  They are soo close into become YOUNG adults that it isnt even funny.  Is there a hand book out there somewhere? 

[b.driscoll]

Seems to be the norm these days. Kids have zero respect for any thing and it comes down to the weak parents. My two boys are 16 and 12 and just are not allowed to talk that way.....so far so good. Next time you are at a school for any function just listen to the way kids talk to each other, F-this and F-that is what you will hear most. There seems to be a lot of thug wannabees out there and their parents seem to think it's ok to behave like this. I do believe kids know better but the so called adults just let it go.

[TheSlyKang]

I'm right there with you Koz. My wife and I have had to deal with same issue at Six Flags and at Disney. Both places we had teenagers in line behind us using all kinds of vulgar language with families and young children all around them. My 5' tall 110 lb wife will call em out in a heartbeat. We usually just turn around and tell them they need to watch their language. Most times they comply. In the few cases where they try to get an attitude, I just move my Sly 6' tall 275 lb self right next to them in line to separate them from my family and give em a look and that usually does the trick. I figure if some punk kid wants to start some crap and act like a real man, I'll gladly treat him like one.

[Rusty Shackleford]

Parents have clearly become nouns and seeing a verb parent anymore is a rare sight.

I don't have the balls to say anything to an obnoxious kid, but I have given a few the evil eye and it makes them shut up.  It's funny.  The next time you see some little kid screaming and crying while the noun parent is doing nothing ('cause if you ignore it they'll stop doing it ) just glare at the kid and you'll be surprised at how often they'll settle down.

[Mikekoz13]

Parents have clearly become nouns and seeing a verb parent anymore is a rare sight.

I don't have the balls to say anything to an obnoxious kid, but I have given a few the evil eye and it makes them shut up.  It's funny.  The next time you see some little kid screaming and crying while the noun parent is doing nothing ('cause if you ignore it they'll stop doing it ) just glare at the kid and you'll be surprised at how often they'll settle down.

I don't glare.... I usually look at them and go "HEY!" in a stern voice...... shuts them right up.

[D.A.L.U.I.]

Okay guys, let's just face it some people won't admit they're going bald and look like guys w/ dying animals on their head.  In a similar fashion some people not only don't control their mouths, they don't care what their kids or anyone else says. 
Our family has always understood that if it's not, "Front Parlor Conversation" quality, don't say it around us.  But we understand that a lot of people are as common as pig tracks, and that's the way they speak, so at least we know, "They're not coming to our house!"
 
Keep this knowledge up front, "Poor taste costs no more!" 
!

[(|8-)]

Actually, I think the way to teach kids to treat people respectfully is to set a good example.  Sadly, kids who end up talking like that do so because that's mostly what they hear from everyone around them--if not the exact four-letter words, they still pick up the message that it's OK to be disrespectful if you can get away with it.

Gangster slapping, not such a good example. 

Reminding someone that other people can hear them, better.

Taking the time to show a young person respect, the best.  There is a poster at my neighborhood Y that says that only 25% of young people think that adults care about them, and it goes on to suggest all kinds of little things adults can do to treat kids and teens well, like holding the door, saying "Good morning," learning their names, etc. 

When teenagers seem absorbed in their own little world and sullen around adults, it's up to us adults to take the lead and show them how people are supposed to behave.  Pay attention how people react to teenagers in public--it's not usually all that friendly.

[Mikekoz13]

Actually, I think the way to teach kids to treat people respectfully is to set a good example.  Sadly, kids who end up talking like that do so because that's mostly what they hear from everyone around them--if not the exact four-letter words, they still pick up the message that it's OK to be disrespectful if you can get away with it.

Gangster slapping, not such a good example. 

Reminding someone that other people can hear them, better.

Taking the time to show a young person respect, the best.  There is a poster at my neighborhood Y that says that only 25% of young people think that adults care about them, and it goes on to suggest all kinds of little things adults can do to treat kids and teens well, like holding the door, saying "Good morning," learning their names, etc. 

When teenagers seem absorbed in their own little world and sullen around adults, it's up to us adults to take the lead and show them how people are supposed to behave.  Pay attention how people react to teenagers in public--it's not usually all that friendly.

I agree that setting a good example is key but discipline is right alongside that. Part of the problem is that too many parents spend too much time talking and explaining to their kids and not enough time setting ground rules and doling out a little discipline when the rules are broken.

As for the "Gangster Slapping" comment..... I never said to gangster slap any child and it was really just a figure of speech so........ Ninny!Ninny!Boo!Boo!

[Rusty Shackleford]

Actually, I think the way to teach kids to treat people respectfully is to set a good example.  Sadly, kids who end up talking like that do so because that's mostly what they hear from everyone around them--if not the exact four-letter words, they still pick up the message that it's OK to be disrespectful if you can get away with it.

In Kos' example it's pretty clear that the parents are endorsing it, but kids in private are going to say it.  There's no way to keep that genie in the bottle, and if parents have a problem with those words the kids are going to get an even bigger thrill from using those "forbidden words".  But in private!  My parents definately did not allow it around the house, but around my friends I used it so while they forbid the words I still used them, but like you said the forbbiden nature made it a habit that these word's aren't for normal day-to-day use.  The WWF girl above will not have that mental concept.  So parents cannot prevent kids from learning or using the words, they can definitely make the kid's realize that the words are disrespectful and that will hopefully cause them to limit their use.

Taking the time to show a young person respect, the best.  There is a poster at my neighborhood Y that says that only 25% of young people think that adults care about them, and it goes on to suggest all kinds of little things adults can do to treat kids and teens well, like holding the door, saying "Good morning," learning their names, etc.

Keep in mind that stats like these are usually swayed by the goal of the pollster.  I've heard that the questions used for measuring childhood hunger in America are extremely weak like "have you ever gone to bed hungry?", well, duh, yea. The same could be happening here, and then you have to consider that a great deal of these people would be teens and teens are notorious for their self-absorbed "nobody-loves-me" attitudes that they seem to brag about.

[wpruitt]

A lot of it goes back to the parents:  Kids emulate what they see.  Some of the language I over hear parents using to their kids.  I overheard one Mom tell you kid (via cell phone), "You aren't going to the _________ Walmart after school.  You're getting you bleeping bleep home" ... and economically, this wasn't a lower class person.