Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Other People's Kids

Either the world has changed a lot in the last few years or I am a serious "old fogey" already.
Last night was Pack Meeting for the church cub scout pack. While I don't have any boys, any kids at all, I don't mind helping out with the children's activities (prefer it frankly to the adults sometimes) so when they asked me to be on the planning committee I said "sure." November was my month to bring refreshments so I picked Oreos and milk. Partially healthy, popular and Oreos ARE "Milk's favorite cookie." Knowing boys to be boys and - hoping that I had bought enough cookies - I made the stipulation that they could have 2 or 3 cookies, they had to serve their parents first and after everyone has had some they could come back for seconds.
It did not go down like that. First there was a mad rush to the table, like we're gonna run out of milk or something, then they grab handfuls of cookies, 6, 8, 10 at a time, dart away, stuff their faces and then rush back to shove little kids out of the way and want more. When I said no they got all snotty saying they're "starving" and need some more, or they lied and said they only had one the first time. Because they figure I'm stupid and don't recognize their little chocolate covered face? Or can't see three feet away where they're wolfing down two at a time?
I was not a perfect kid, my siblings were not perfect kids, Tarzan and his siblings were not perfect kids, but good golly people! We didn't behave like that. If I was told I could have three cookies then I took three cookies. Especially if there was a "grown-up" standing over me watching to see what I did. If I was told to do something then I did it, even if I thought it was cheesy. ("Serve your mom first")
And we NEVER lied. Lying was the worst thing we could do in our house. My mom used to say that being trusted was more important than being loved. (I didn't understand that until I was much older.) Lying was the only spanking offense in Tarzan's family. What is wrong with today's youth? And these are supposedly the "best" kids because they come to a church Cub Scout Pack, and don't have tattoos. They're 10! Is it because mom and dad aren't "allowed" to spank them anymore, or is it too much television? (Tarzan once played Nintendo for 2 days straight and he's a good guy, respects his elders, polite, honest, Eagle Scout...) Where are the parents when this kid is scarfing down cookies so fast he chokes? They show up pretty fast if I try to discipline one of the little monsters - just see how fast they move if I tell a kid to sit down and stop talking, or heaven forbid, hold his arm!
Maybe I'm intolerant, maybe I'm mean, maybe I am an "old fogey" already but I can't stand other people's kids. (This was not the first incident I've been witness to.) And while this makes some people not want to have children at all, this makes me want to have a lot so that there will be a few decent adults in 20 years.

This is me annoyed with other people's kids.

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