Why Would You Do That Wednesday

Last night I was writing a blog post and I had an inspiration, thank you MTV and Facebook for the idea. There are many things in this world that annoys me but thankfully I won't list them all and explain them to you. But I figure what a better place to rant about something that annoys me then here, on my blog.

Something that has annoyed me about the way we live no a days is how connected we are. I remember as a kid, dying to have a cell phone. Now I want nothing more than to throw it at a brick wall most days. I don't mainly because I'm still addicted to it. I lost my cell phone once is college and it was missing for two weeks. Not gonna lie, those were a fabulous two weeks. I felt free. But what I'm really getting at is a our reliance on it.

Why the hell do kids have a fancy schmancy smart phone? (I apologize if this offends anyone but considering my lack of readers I doubt it does). No six year old should own an iPhone or an iPod for that matter. Want them to listen to music? Buy them a crappy little Sandisk that cost $50 and make them pay for it. You heard me, make them pay for it.

Kids are given everything they want instead of earning it and learning the value of it. Parents, your kids aren't going to learn anything if you just give it to them. It is ok to say no. The thing most people forget is you're not your kids friend, you're their parent. I get that it is a very hard concept to wrap your head around because you want your kids to like you and you want to have that bond you never did with your parents when you were a kid, but you aren't doing them any favors.

Seriously people, I go to the grocery store and I see parents bribing their kids to stop scream with another toy or a candy bar. No, go stick them in the car (if the temperature permits) and send them to their room when they get home. They shouldn't be rewarded because of their bad behavior. Whatever happened to a smack upside the head or a soap in the mouth? Oh wait, that's "child abuse". No. No it isn't. If your kid comes to school with bruises all over their body afraid to talk to anyone then there is a problem.

There is a difference between punishment and abuse and we have forgotten that line and no we are the parents to a bratty generation. Yes, I'm calling your kids brats (most but not all).

What started this rant was a friend posted on Facebook about how she saw a kid riding his bike, stopping every so often to send a text. She said the kid was about six years old. You're outside! Enjoy the beautiful weather if you have it. Fall off your bike and scrape your knee. Tell the story of your scar later to friends. Be a kid! I think we often times forget those mini humans are in fact kids and they need to play, interact, fall and learn for themselves.

We so badly want to protect them but end up sheltering them instead. I say this to all parents everywhere, take away the smart phone -- replace it with that stupid cricket phone if you want to know where they are, take away their electronics, give them a baseball mitt and some dirt. Let them run around in the rain and play in the mud. It's good for them. Let the tiny humans be little kids.

In case you're wondering, no I do not have kids. I know that what I say is more difficult than actually doing it, but many generations before us did it and they at least had manners. When I'm at work, only the older men hold open a door for me or let me go first and I think that says a lot about the way they were raised. Guys my age don't do stuff like that and I even harp on my own boyfriend for it. Our kids must learn that in order to be respected you must earn it and being little means your at the bottom of the food chain, grandparents are at the top (unless they suck) and you should always say please and thank you.