Just Say No

Why do some parents think that buying something for a kid is an acceptable way to resolve a temper tantrum? I'm sure that they know it's not the right thing to do, but they still do it anyway. Is it truly that difficult to just say no to your child? Today at Target I watched as a mother sternly told her son that she wouldn't buy him a DVD. The boy put on a real show bemoaning his great loss, even outstretching his arms in a desperate grief like he'd just heard that summer vacation was cancelled forever. My eyes followed slowly as the mother wore down to a pathetic "okay, fine" as she trudged over, picked up the item of provocation and tossed it in the cart. I caught a glance from her as she passed by and noticed my interest. Her blank expression said it all. I could see that she felt guilty but really didn't know any other way out. Until then, I hadn't realized the hopelessness a parent can feel in that situation.

I realize that I'm not a parent myself so that gives me less authority here, but I feel that in modern society, the role of the parent over the child has been exceedingly restricted and it's led to an epidemic of bad behavior. If I had a son or daughter throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of a store, I'd straight smack that kid upside the head. Buy that overpriced piece of junk that's going to be tossed aside in an hour anyway? Hell no. I don't care if other people nearby are staring. Making a public spectale doesn't help convince me that a SpongeBob Snowcone Maker is necessary in my home right then and there. I ain't going down that easy. I hope to God that if I were a parent in that situation that my will to discipline would outweigh any shame or laziness. The kid needs to learn a lesson and I'm going to stick to it: throw a temper tantrum and you don't get a damn thing. For the sake of our future, parents, don't give in to the every whim of your children. Raise them to be people of virtue. The earlier you impart these lessons, the more likely these children will be shaped in that image. Thank you.