Monday – April 30, 2007 – Thanks for teaching your kids that the only thing that matters is what they want.

If you’re going to take your kids on a plane – or anywhere else for that matter – you should probably try to ensure that they are well-behaved enough that half the people on the plane don’t want to have the flight attendant check the kid with your baggage.

It’s bad enough to spend the whole day sitting in a plane or sprinting to your connection before they close the door on the plane, but to have to listen to some kid sitting right behind me scream about not getting his way while kicking the back of my seat is too much to have to take. Let me give you a quick run down of the scenario.

Brat: I want teddy!
Mother: No, we have to leave it in the bag until we take off.
Brat: Teddy!
Mother: No, honey, we can’t have anything out while we’re taking off.
Brat: (kicking my seat and screaming) It’s mine!
Mother: Now, don’t kick the seat, okay?
Brat: (screaming louder) Nooooo! (scream, scream, scream, scream)
Mother: Okay, honey, here you go. Here’s teddy.
Brat: Mine! (kicking my seat faster and harder)
Mother: Don’t kick the seat, honey.
Brat: (kicks seat some more) No!
Mother: Okay, honey. Okay.

Now, what have we taught little Johnny? That if he does what is socially acceptable, he’ll be better prepared to make it in society? No. That if he does what is socially responsible he’ll grow up to be a productive member of the community? No. That the wants and needs of others are as important as his own desires? No. Or did we teach the future punk that the only thing that matters is what he wants and that if he only acts wicked long enough he’ll get what he wants, no matter how selfish. YES! That’s what we taught him.

This isn’t an isolated incident. I see this kind of thing all the time and it’s getting pretty old. Some kid wants a toy and the parent says no until the kid embarrasses them enough to give in. A child won’t stop throwing a tantrum in a restaurant and the parent agreed their demands to quiet them. I see this a couple times a week. It’s everywhere.

Luckily, this is the generation that will be ignoring mine when they’re supposed to be caring for us in our nursing homes.