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Originally Posted by xepherys
Warrrreagl has a paranoia about children and parents, I've noticed. Man, where is all of this anti-parent, anti-child hostility coming from here at the TFP? Oh, that's right, it's coming from Warrrreagl...
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Please see above. I was an elementary schoolteacher for 12 years, so there goes the whole anti-child theory. To paraphrase Cynthetique, I have "anti-asshole" hostilities, and I take a particular interest in parents because I've dealt professionally with them for so long. I don't accept that kids can't be raised properly anymore.
Last night, at the ill-fated Mexican restaurant mentioned in another post, Grancey and I were visited at our table by a father and his two little daughters. One had just turned 4 and the other was 6. The father is a friend of ours who was out celebrating his new American citizenship with his family. During the meal, we watched the kids thoroughly enjoy themselves without throwing food, screaming, running around, etc. The parents enjoyed adult conversations with the other adults at their table yet maintained a constant watch on their children throughout the meal and corrected any questionable behavior on the spot. They didn't need to threaten, bluff, bully, or bribe the kids into behaving. The kids knew that responsibility was the only thing that would be tolerated. After we'd eaten, the father brought the girls over to our table and they each extended their hands to shake ours, they said things like, "pleased to meet you," and "thank you," and we each hugged each of them and talked about their ice cream, their missing front teeth, their boyfriends, their pets, etc., and we all had a great time.
Yes, I guess I am the paranoid wacko who still believes that children can be well-behaved, well-mannered, AND happy at the same time.