Is it just me, or are kids more sassy these days? And why is it that my son gravitates toward the sassiest of the bunch? I find myself time and again manning playdates with children who literally have no respect for adults.
Point in case: the other day my son asks if a friend from school can come home for a playdate. I say sure. This little boy has some hyperactivity issues, but in general, I’m told by friends, that he’s a typical “all-American, good kid.” Well, that was before he tried to spit on me. Yes, spit. He tried to spit on me and my son and when I told him that wasn’t acceptable he yells, “It is in MY house. My dad spits all the time!”
Lovely.
I seem to find myself constantly in these situations where I feel that I have to discipline someone else’s child, which I just can’t do comfortably. In that particular case, I got down on my knees, looking in this unruly child’s face, and told him that his behavior was unacceptable and that the rules in our house means no back talk, no hitting, no spitting. I also told him that if this wasn’t near the end of the playdate, I would have called his mother and told her to pick him up. To this, he rolled his eyes like a teenager and said, “So!”
Last week, a single mom called me yet again and asked if I’d look after her son as she had a work emergency. This child thinks every item in your house is a weapon. He literally was hitting, punching, and kicking (oh, and also burping loudly) the entire playdate. I couldn’t wait for him to leave. When he picked up a baseball bat, I called his mom and asked if she could come get him. When I told this little boy that I needed him to try to use better manners next time, he literally picked his nose, pulled out the bug, showed it to my son, and said, “Look!” and then popped it into his mouth smirking and giggling at me.
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