Is it just me?

[D_Rabbit]

Or is it just because I am an old fart now that it seems that kids are not taught manners or to respect elders? I've known this kid for years and my guess is that he was just shooting off his mouth to look cool to his friends and im sure because what he was saying was being typed and online so there is no face to face confrontation. Typically he is not a bad kid although his parents could gain a little leverage by actually disciplining once in a while.

So, for example. I used to live a street over from this family. I play an online game called Clash of Clans. It is a lot of people in the clan that know each other. There are rules for the clan for adding or removing people. Usually it is done by the leader or co-leader. This kid, who is 16 years old and his father is the leader of the clan, booted someone from the clan that we had just invited to the clan. We ask him why he did that and he tells me to mind my own business. We say, there is a way to do that and we could make room for his friend shortly. He then tells me to shut up....... ok, hold up. So I type back, your lucky i don't live across the street from you anymore because my foot would be lodged in your arse. He then tells me to F off because he could kick my arse and I was just acting tough. At that point I just tell him who I am and that I know his father and he is right, he is the man and who am I to disagree.

THAN...... his mother comes on because she is in the clan and begins to reprimand me for being mean to her kid and I tell her maybe she should teach her kid how to speak with adults before he shoots off his mouth to the wrong person and ends up with more than a foot in his arse.

As you can see from this, I believe some of this comes from poor parenting. She believes her kid is never in the wrong, which I have seen multiple other times with both her kids. Is it just me or is this just a limited example. I feel at times parents lack the ability to discipline their children due to fear of repricussions from courts or the law. Is this just something I'm noticing now becuase i'm not a punk kid anymore?

[Dawg LB Steve]

NOPE! It's not just you, children and a lot of these childrens parents have a problem with respect!

[russki]

This kid, who is 16 years old.

There's your problem right there.... teenagers Has nothing to do with parenting... they just think they are the $hit and know better than anyone else!

Now, his parents' response was definitely lacking... If it were my kid, my foot would be firmly up his arse, and he'd be immediately booted off the game.

[Rebel_B]

D_... Yes, you are an old fart now. It's hard when it is social, friends/family to keep it reigned in. I ran into a situation on Sunday with my son-in-law's little brother. I was about ready to throw fists instead of words. Instead, everyone now knows he can't be trusted. Since I didn't retaliate directly, I'm not the 'bad guy'. It is much easier to deal with at work; I just fire the person who is insubordinate.

[John Sand]

Overall I like young people, and many of them impress me. I'm fine letting them address me by first name, though as children we called the neighbors "Mr" or "Mrs". I do see the changes though. I think there are too many people who accept silly platitudes like: "Let the children lead" (?), or "We don't say 'no' to our children". As a retired cop, I can tell you that schools are telling students to report if their parents hit them, and many cops will tell parents not to spank the kids. My folks smacked us when needed, we all grew into responsible adults, not one arrest in the six of us. Certainly there are legal and moral limits to discipline, and each parent chooses his own way. But I do fear that we are raising a generation that does believe in consequences or responsibility.

[FedoraDave]

Thus has it always been, and thus shall it ever be.

I honestly don't think it's just you, nor do I think it's a new phenomenon with this generation of kids. Russki makes a good point; sixteen-year-old kids are jerks. I was something of a jerk when I was that age, even though my parents raised me better and would properly reprimand me when they were aware of this behavior.

Some people are more lenient, indulgent parents, yeah, but that's nothing new, either.

[RickS]

I am 62 yo and I think that a lot of the kids raised under the guidelines of Dr. Benjamin Spock, are not raised to have manners any longer.

[Beer-lord]

Seems like lots of young people want stuff but don't want to work for it. No patience to 'pay as you go'. But, lots was said about my generation as well.
I wonder if there was a war as big as WWII if the young men (& women) today would line up to fight. That generation was a very special one for sure.

[woody]

This post has got me thinking of all the stupid stuff I've done in my younger years, you know 20 30 years ago. some days I get a flash of memories of those day long ago and thank the beer gods that I'm better now. hopefully the same will come to the disrespectful kid some day. What I find disturbing is if the parents or even other people don't at least point out the wrongs when they happen it becomes harder to learn from our short comings. Kind out like bad in bad out.

[Inkleg]

This kid, who is 16 years old.

There's your problem right there.... teenagers Has nothing to do with parenting... they just think they are the $hit and know better than anyone else! .

I SO RULED THE WORLD BETWEEN THE AGE OF 16-20!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why has everyone forgotten that?

[braukasper]

Nope it is not you and it is not just teens. We had to fire a server this week because of her attitude. She is a second year culinary student. Suddenly she knows more than any of us who have worked in the field all of our lives. It is funny because she had a key to a locked cooler that only the chefs have the key to. Asked where she got the key she says her dad and what the f*** are we going to do about it. Her dad is the club house manager. The GM didn't care, fired her on the spot and said daddy may be joining her tomorrow. He had today off. so maybe there is justice after all.

[berryman]

When you are in the middle teens, you think you know everything, I was that way and I think everybody has been there. Not a kid anymore but not quite an adult, they know most of the basics of life by then and think they know it all. Now that I'm quite a bit older, I do know a lot of things about a lot of different subjects, but I learn new stuff everyday because no one can know everything, unless you are 16 and think you know It all.........

[Crazy Climber]

The part of the original story that bugs me is the parent rushing in to defend their "little angel" who can do no wrong.

As has been stated many times in this thread, teenagers have an uncanny ability to be annoying. That's fine, and understandable. We've all been there/done that.

But parents who take the approach of "my child is right and you are wrong, no matter what" are the people that could use a slap upside the head. In my opinion.

[braukasper]

That is where the club house manager kid got her attitude from. Found out her dad is suspended, without pay. Till next year when the board of directors decide whether or not to renew to renew his contract. He was not supposed to have a key to the meat locker. Wonder if the mystery of the disappearing steaks is at an end.

[Kealia]

I think it's two things:
1) Teenagers know it all (we all did when we were that age), +
2) Overall lack of respect/fear of adults from kids now (more so than when we were kids)

I was mouthy, I know it. But I also feared adults and consequences if "my parents ever found out" or if an adult confronted me.

Example from a few years ago:
I was driving through the neighborhood on the way home from somewhere and there were about 6 teenagers (15 year old boys) walking down the middle of the street. As I got closer and they could hear my car all but one moved. He waited until the last possible second to move and I was in a bad mood so as I past him I rolled down the window and said something like "get out of the damn road next time". As I got 10 feet or so past him he yelled out something back that was likely a "F you". I stopped the car and got out. For the record, I'm 6'3' and about a 195 lbs. Lean, but not skinny and can hold my own if needed.

He immediately walked backwards and his friends (cowards that they were) were a good 20 feet behind him and moving quicker than he was. I asked him what he said and he said "nothing". Yeah, ok. I decided to get back in my car as the whole point of me getting out was to try and teach him a lesson that you need to watch out who you mouth off to because one day it will be the wrong person. Basically, I just wanted him to think twice about doing it again.

As I walked back to the car he said something about a "tough guy in volleyball shorts" (I was wearing a pair of Stanford VB shorts - this I remember clearly although I *wish* I had on my TaeKwonDo uniform. I'm a 3rd degree black belt). I turned around again and he postured up a bit saying "what are you a tough guy picking on a kid?"...while backing up quickly again. I said something along the lines of mouthing off to the wrong guy one day and that he was lucky I was just talking to him and not actually doing anything but at this point he just kept running his mouth and backing up - his friends were standing about 50 feet away now just watching.

At this point I just reminded him to be careful because I was a nice guy but one day he will find somebody that wasn't. I got in my car and left and I'm sure he said a few more things as I drove off.

NOTES:
- I passed him and a few friends again a few weeks later and they saw my car and immediately turned away
- I would never have done anything physical. My plan wasn't assault the kid(s), just try to send a message
- I realize it could have gone poorly for me with the way kids are today. I was probably just as lucky as the kid(s) that *I* didn't come across anybody with a gun
- I honestly take my TKD training to heart and believe in non-violence whenever possible. I don't look for fights and will always look for a way out before becoming physical - which have been few and far between.

Kids these days.
"Get off my damn lawn!"


My point here is that I'm sure I had the same chip on my shoulder as a kid but the moment that an adult confronted me (stopped the car, got out) I would have sung a different tune for sure. We were bold but had a level of fear and respect that doesn't exists today IMO.

Of course, our parents probably said the same thing about us.