If I Ran the World - Bratty Kids Would Be the Exception, Not the Norm

I cannot tolerate bratty kids.  I could use 300 point font, all caps and a million exclamation points and still not convey the true depth of how much I hate bratty kids.  Then there's the word "hate."  Strong word.  Do I hate the actual child?  Of course not.  The hate is reserved for the parents.  Especially the parent who laughs nervously, rolls their eyes and mumbles "I just don't know what to do with him/her!"  I seriously want to shake people like that.

There are no perfect children and there are no perfect parents.  But parenthood is not rocket science.  Parenthood is common sense, cause and effect, action and reaction.  To be a good parent you have to embrace the Golden Rule and be able to share that knowledge with your offspring. 

My son was precocious, opinionated, stubborn and hard-headed.  No doubt at all who his mother was!  Thankfully he was not a biter, but he did find it amusing to poke people in the eye.  Actually that's worse than biting now that I stop and think about it.  First poking incident was met with a stern but gentle admonition because, after all, he's two years old.  Second poking incident the message was stronger and harsher, hopefully to get the point across.  Unfortunately, there was a third poking.  It was swiftly followed by a fourth, that being my finger into his little eye.  A look of horror came across his face.  Then the tears fell and the crying commenced.  And here's the shocker!  He never poked anyone in the eye again.  He actually tells that story to illustrate the no-nonsense way he was raised, and to proclaim he will raise his kids the same way.

He threw a hissy fit in a restaurant.  Once.  He laid down and pitched a mega fit in Target.  Once.  He did many if not all of the things every normal kid does.  Once.  When his behavior did not achieve the desired result and backfired on him, he was intelligent enough to learn his lesson.  Kids are incredibly more intelligent than we give them credit for.  Sadly, most are far more intelligent than the people who brought them into this world.