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Old 08-29-2013, 08:47 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,709,568 times
Reputation: 28561

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I am not a parent, but this incident really made me think about the differences in parenting strategies.

Today I was walking over to the pharmacy, on one of the "main streets" in my city. A busy artery with car traffic, bike traffic, bus traffic and lots of pedestrians. It is also near the commuter train station.

The stretch I was on was pretty packed, and the crosswalk was full, so I stepped to the outside of the crosswalk to pass an elderly couple (the pharmacy was closing soon!).

And there were some kids ran past me.

I thought, hmmmm...why are they running on the busy sidewalk? They were likely 8-10. Pretty tall, so not 5 year olds. Maybe a group of four or so.

So I am still walking, and they are running around the sidewalk landscaping. Next thing I know, I little girl barrels into me and steps on my toe.

What happens next was shocking. She looks back at me and gives me an evil look like, "why are you in the way!" She didn't apologize or acknowledge she was in the wrong. A mumbled sorry would have been expected.

And as for mom? Well she didn't say a word to me at least. She was a few steps behind me. She just told the kids to stop playing tag on the sidewalk (the game was going on for at least half a block at this point.)

What gives? When I was that age, my mom would have apologized on my behalf and forced me to apologize. Ok, well let's be real, I wouldn't have been playing tag on a busy sidewalk. My mom would have ended the game before it even started.

What happened to attentive parents?
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Old 08-29-2013, 08:50 PM
 
9,091 posts, read 19,141,925 times
Reputation: 6967
Nothing new here and definitely nothing to speak to about an entire generation

Sorry you had a crappy experience - but such is life

Doesn't necessarily provide license to pick up the broad brush and paint it as a generational issue - many parents today would have done exactly what your parents would have done back then .... also, back then there would have parents who responded this way
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Old 08-29-2013, 08:55 PM
 
16,825 posts, read 17,638,778 times
Reputation: 20851
Wait one rude 8yo represents the entire generation?

Huh.

Today I had two kids ages 8 and eleven volunteer to spend their last day of summer break helping unpack a bunch of dusty boxes for no other reason than to be nice.
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Old 08-29-2013, 08:56 PM
 
Location: The Midwest
2,966 posts, read 3,898,843 times
Reputation: 5329
You had one bad experience with a rude kid/parent and you believe it is indicative of an entire generation.

Nice.
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Old 08-29-2013, 09:01 PM
 
Location: southwestern PA
22,273 posts, read 47,206,238 times
Reputation: 47217
"Ran into the next generation of entitled kids"

No you didn't....
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Old 08-29-2013, 09:02 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,709,568 times
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Well, it might be fair to note that I live in a region with way more entitled adults than average. They all gravitate to a handful of neighborhoods once they grow up, and all have remarkably similar backgrounds.

The neighborhood I was in, is the type of area where the young adults who gravitate to the entitled area are from. They fit the profile. (The land of helicopter parents, where parents have more money than time. And they need to work for their money).
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Old 08-29-2013, 09:06 PM
 
16,825 posts, read 17,638,778 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jade408 View Post
Well, it might be fair to note that I live in a region with way more entitled adults than average. They all gravitate to a handful of neighborhoods once they grow up, and all have remarkably similar backgrounds.

The neighborhood I was in, is the type of area where the young adults who gravitate to the entitled area are from. They fit the profile. (The land of helicopter parents, where parents have more money than time. And they need to work for their money).
Oakland? One of the most diverse cities in the country is full of entitled people? Go figure.
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Old 08-29-2013, 09:24 PM
 
Location: Brentwood, Tennessee
49,932 posts, read 59,591,995 times
Reputation: 98359
Quote:
Originally Posted by jade408 View Post
Well, it might be fair to note that I live in a region with way more entitled adults than average. They all gravitate to a handful of neighborhoods once they grow up, and all have remarkably similar backgrounds.

The neighborhood I was in, is the type of area where the young adults who gravitate to the entitled area are from. They fit the profile. (The land of helicopter parents, where parents have more money than time. And they need to work for their money).
As long as we aren't generalizing...

SO ... the question was, "What happened to attentive parents?"

They're still out there, but you don't notice because no one pays attention to the 3 wheels that are working when that one broken wheel is squeaking so damn loud.
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Old 08-29-2013, 09:41 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,709,568 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lkb0714 View Post
Oakland? One of the most diverse cities in the country is full of entitled people? Go figure.
It is. But obviously there are many entitled neighborhoods in the greater Bay Area.

*Cough*Cough* Marina!!!

And certain areas in Oakland where the "profiles" gravitate. Not everyone, but they tend to have a couple of extra markers.

*$1000+ strollers for starters.
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Old 08-29-2013, 09:43 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,709,568 times
Reputation: 28561
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life View Post
As long as we aren't generalizing...

SO ... the question was, "What happened to attentive parents?"

They're still out there, but you don't notice because no one pays attention to the 3 wheels that are working when that one broken wheel is squeaking so damn loud.
Haha! I usually wave to those kids.

They wave back.

My sister stereotypes kids from other cities. The ones in Oakland are generally pretty well behaved. But there are some nearby suburbs where the bad seeds seem to congregate. Or it is in the water.
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