Not Down With O.P.P.

Bad parents beware!  I used to be one of those Dads that would stay out of the way of Other Peoples' Parenting.  If somebody wanted to let their kid get away with something that I'd never let my kids do, it was none of my business.  It's not my kid, it's not my problem.  Well, sometimes it is my problem.  These same kids are going to be the ones running things in the future and there's no way I'm letting the future be ruined by a snot-nosed brat that you failed to discipline.  Kids are naughty by nature, but children with non-disciplining parents are naughty by nurture.  Both can be helped and it's the job of every responsible adult to do so.

I'm not exactly the most responsible person.  With three kids, I was obviously irresponsible at least three times.  But, when it comes to raising a child that isn't an asshole, I feel like I've done a decent job...so far.  (Ask me again in ten years.)  At the toddler stage of life, most of the bad parenting that I run into revolves around letting your kids get away with selfish behavior like not sharing.

There is no child that likes to share.  And, why should they want to?  For the first few years of their life, they hear us parents say "Don't touch that" as we snatch our beloved breakables away from them.  There is no good excuse for letting your kid get away with selfish behavior, but I've sure heard some horrible ones.

The best horrible excuse I've ever heard was that a child was "too smart to play well with other kids".  My wife and I were in charge of a play-group and this new kid was dropped off.  He immediately began swiping toys out of other kids' hands, not sharing, and basically acting like a violent drunk.  His dad then began to tell me that he was a very intelligent boy (he received a "Word of the Day" calendar for his birthday and said "ominous" for a week straight) and because of it, he has trouble relating to other kids.

I've never seen the movie, but the kid looks like a jerk.

No sir, your child has trouble relating to kids because all children are selfish little pricks that need your guidance.  I sat there and watched this boy wreak havoc on the group while Dad said nothing.  Finally, I had to ask his boy's name.  Then, the fun began.  It gets old yelling out the same three names all the time at home.  Now, I had a new name to yell and a new trouble-maker.

I then ripped into this kid for the next twenty or so minutes.  Am I proud of that?  A little.   I'd like to think that this kid learned a  bit of a lesson that day and that maybe, just maybe, he's a little more open to sharing toys.  If nothing else, I hope that his Dad learned his son won't die if he gets corrected or disciplined.  (I've never seen the two again.)

As a Libertarian (I took a test that told me I was Libertarian), I try to stay out of the way of  Other Peoples' Parenting, but when your child exercises freedom that subverts another child's, it's my duty to set 'em straight.  If you want to let your child climb up the slide, that's cool with me, but when there is somebody at the top trying to slide down and you don't tell your kid to move, I sure the hell will.

Then again, maybe I should say nothing and just let your kid get kicked in the face, that will teach him.