On Parenting

I don't pretend that I would be a good parent in the unlikely and disasterous event that I had offspring.

That said, there are a few behaviors I expect I would have under control. It really only takes one encounter with some trash parent on the street for me to recognize that.

In this instance, I was walking at lunch near my office. It's a pretty busy area. Lots of people around.

So there's this kid by the bikes in one area. His mom is standing by him lecturing him on something I didn't know (or care) about. What caught my attention was the amazing amount of profanity this woman was squeezing into her scolding.

It was epic. It was almost poetry.

It was also directed at a child who has yet to see his teen years.

Okay, so maybe the kid is cutting school. It's possible. He could have been doing any number of things, but really I had to ask what this woman thinks she's teaching her kid in terms of behavior patterns.

Right then I didn't think she was teaching the kid much about self-discipline or correct behavior.

She was teaching him how to swear like a sailor.

Now I use more than my fair share of profanity in life. I admit that. I wasn't raised to swear. Indeed, I was unable to swear in front of my parents until I was well into my 20's. Even then, I only did so sparingly and in times of extreme stress. Still do.

I avoid swearing at work. I try not to swear around people I don't know, especially ladies (thanks for the chivalry training Mom and Dad). And I absolutely try my utmost not to swear around kids. They don't need to hear that from me. They'll learn it all in life and it's really not appropriate behavior in polite society.

That said, I'd sooner gnaw my arm off than criticize this woman to her face. It's not my job to tell someone else how to parent. The kid looked healthy, so she's clearly doing something right.

All the same, I consider my mind boggled a bit.