Let’s not raise assholes, mmmkay?: Guest Post by Katherine

For our third installment of  “Brandy is laid up on pain killers” week, we have Katherine from Somewhere in the Middle. Katherine is one of my oldest blog readers. Back before there even was a “mannlymama” domain. She found me on blogger and we have been following each other since. We were even due 8 days apart! We will officially be meeting in 2 weeks!!!!!!! She has come to rant about all these young whipersnappers and their piss poor manners. GET OFF MY LAWN!


I like to think I don’t get overly worked up about many things, but damn, self-absorbed, entitled kids get me worked up into rant-mode level 5.

It makes me feel old and curmudgeon when I start a conversation with “kids these days…” but holy hell KIDS THESE DAYS!

Is it reallly that hard for a kid to say please and thank you? I mean, really? It’s like they go from toddlers where they say please and thank you every single time they ask for more milk, then all of a sudden they’re 13 and they’re like “MOAR MILK! NAOW!”. Um, no. My 4 year old can remember to say please…so can you, kid.

rice041-web“I want- I want- I want.” I swear that’s all I ever hear come out of kids’ mouths anymore. A coworker’s kid just got his license and now they’re looking for a car for him. He wants a car nicer than the one his own father drives! Um, excuse me? My grandma always said, “wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up faster.” Look, my husband and I have agreed that when our girls are old enough to drive we will provide a car for them, as long as they are in school, trying their best, but the day one of them says the car we’re giving them isn’t good enough? Oh hell no. Child, please. I owe you nothing. I gave you LIFE. Get a job and buy your own damn car if the one you’ve been given isn’t good enough for you.

And then there’s the whole “your world revolves around me” thing. I see way too many kids these days {there it is again} thinking that they don’t need to be cognizant of others around them…like when they’re walking across the street, or should I say “taking their sweet ass time strolling” across the street while there’s cars stacking up waiting for them to cross. I may or may not occasionally see how close I can get to them before stopping just to hope they shit their pants and learn a wee bit of a lesson.

Or is it too much to ask that when a kid sees a senior citizen struggling or a woman with an arm full of grocery bags, carrying a baby in the other arm while trying to wrangle of toddler running circles around her to hold the door for them? Yes, the mom could probably handle it on her own, because she it woman, hear her roar, but chivalry is not dead. At least it shouldn’t be.

I’ve talked about it on my blog before. Hell, I’ve even made a set of family rules, where the entire theme centers around not being an asshole.

Hi, I’m Katherine and apparently my self-imposed life mission is to make sure kids don’t grow up to be selfish assholes.

Look, raising kids is hard. I get that. I totally get that. But can we all agree to try and raise our kids to have at least some of the “common” courtesies that are clearly lacking in today’s youth?

5 thoughts on “Let’s not raise assholes, mmmkay?: Guest Post by Katherine

  • March 25, 2013 at 12:37 pm
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    Great post! I’ve also wondered the same things – what happened to “old fashioned” moral and family values and encouraging a good work ethic? Apparently they truly have become old fashioned. We are trying to teach our children the same things above and I only hope that even though she practices them at three, that she will still practice them at 13 and 23, when other people besides her parents have influence.

    I was coming out of the mall a few months ago, pushing a stroller, carrying an overtired toddler, and a slew of shopping bags. I had no problem opening the door myself, but then some bitch, yes, a bitch because she was a teenager with no sense whatsoever, was trying to walk IN the same door I was walking OUT of. There are two doors; one for in, one for out. You mean to tell me you couldn’t even walk IN your own damn door as I’m pushing a stroller through the OUT door. I even see it at the playground with the six year olds budging in front of the three year olds who know how to wait their turn. And when do you say something and not be that overbearing parent? This is what I wonder from other parents who are experiencing the similar.

    Growing up, there were always those parents who didn’t actually parent, but it seemed like such a small number back then. Now I feel that their spawn have exponentially increased at a rate faster than those who did parent and taught manners and morals to their children.

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  • March 25, 2013 at 12:42 pm
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    The walking slowly across the street thing drives me INSANE. Yes, I too resist the urge to bumper-nudge, just as I resist the urge to kick the door of a car that cuts me off in the crosswalk.

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  • March 25, 2013 at 7:23 pm
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    Hi – I am came over here cause Katherine is my cousin and the title of this post intrigued me. Hi I’m Juli from Wisconsin mother of 2 teenage girls and one 21 year old boy. My kids have manners – if not they don’t leave the house and the get to listen me to me crab at them!! My 18 year old daughter has her license but doesn’t want a car nor does she want us to buy her one. She’s perfectly content to use one of our cars if it’s free and if it’s not she has a friend pick her up. I really believe the hole manners thing is a HUGE problem w/whats wrong w/todays youth. THEY HAVE NO MANNERS!!! I was at the mall this weekend and these punk ass kids are all over the place. Self absorbed little pricks (sorry if I just offened anyone). I would love to see what these little brats parents are like because I would image it would be like looking in a mirror. Self absorbed parents, self absorbed little brats!! Great blog post Katherine – you go girl!!!

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  • March 26, 2013 at 3:47 pm
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    Halleluiah!! You are preaching to the choir woman! They call the latest generation the Me Generation for a reason. Totally the fault of the parents, so many kids are growing up thinking the deserve everything and shouldn’t have to lift a finger to get what they want. That includes lifting a finger to help anyone else out. I work near a rich community and the local high school parking lot is filled with BMWs and Lexus. You can bet those kids don’t give a damn about anyone but themselves. Those poor kids are going to get out in the world and have no idea why “every boss is an ass” and fires them.

    Ok, caffeine fueled rant over. Good post!!

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