WJ Seidl on wed 15 aug 07
Mel:
I know this is not strictly clay related, but Joe and I have ranted
about this for years.
We call it "a misguided sense of entitlement" and it is rampant in
society. Not only among the young, either.
I think it started around the time of that beer commercial loudly
proclaiming:
"You CAN have it all". Oh, PLEASE! Save me!
No, NO you can't have it all, unless you work your ass off for it...and
then, and ONLY then do you deserve it.
As you mention..."luck is prepaid". Period.
"Mommy" needs to take a few less valiums, stop looking at herself in
the mirror, and open up a can of whoop ass on
those misbehaving little miscreants. Forget this "time out" crap.
Here's a situation I went through just last week. (Hey, you're either
going to love me or hate me, and I really don't give a
(ahem) which it is...but here is what happened:)
I'm on a cleaning job, cleaning one half of a duplex. In this housing
complex, the residents do not pay for their own utilities except phone
and cable.
I'm in the driveway of the unit we're cleaning, scrubbing out the trash
cans (part of what we contracted to do), in 94 degrees, 85% humidity. (I
certainly did not want to be there, but that's the job.) With the
water being sprayed from the hose
into the plastic trash cans, and with my hearing the way it is, I can't
hear so well. In the background, I can just barely hear a little
(female) voice
saying "hello....hello!". I didn't respond, couldn't see anyone so I
figure it must be next door or next house over, and I keep doing what
I'm doing.
A little while later,. I hear a little girl shout "HEY! I'm talking to
you! Didn't you hear me?!!!"
Looking across the driveways, which are side by side in this duplex, I
see a 3 or 4 year old girl, standing at her kitchen door.
The door is wide open, the air conditioning is on full tilt, and
"mommy" has installed a child gate across the door opening.
(How nice it must be to be able to waste like that, right?)
My first thought: " This child has no respect for her elders".
My 2nd thought: "This child's mother is not teaching her any manners at
all".
My 3rd thought: "No one ever took the time to teach this child not to
talk to strangers"
Then she starts in again: "HEY! YOU! Can't you see I'm talking to you?!"
That was the trigger.
So I leave what I am doing, and walk over to the area between the two
driveways.
I get about 15 feet away from her in the doorway (still on "my" side of
the property) and in a very pleasant voice
tell her "Listen you little spawn of satan, I think you need to go see
your mommy. She has something for you!"
I know that at that age, kids will repeat almost ANYTHING you tell them,
whether or not they understand it.
A little while later I hear a little girl's voice saying "Mommy! _I'M_
the spawn of satan!...followed by **SLAP!!!** then "WAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
That day, that child learned a very valuable set of lessons:
1) Don't talk to strangers.
2) Don't repeat everything you hear.
3) Be very very careful what you say to adults.
and I did not have to lift a finger.
I'm almost sure she won't do it again.
Best,
Wayne Seidl
mel jacobson wrote:
SNIP
there is a strong theory
emerging that most road rage is a result of spoiled kids becoming adults
and `knowing they own the road, `mommy told me i am very, very special``.
as a teacher, i saw it coming. i called it `fake self image`.
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