This weekend, my youngest sons soccer coach held a pizza party for an undefeated season.
Afterwards, we all played "extreme soccer". Basically, there was no marked field where we were, so there was no "out" and we used picnic tables for goals.
At one point, I heard one of the children saying "you suck!" and to another "you suck!".
I commented, "Noone sucks", in an attempt to quash this type of talk during the game.
His response to me was, "YOU suck". oy.
Later, as I drove the ball down field, which in retrospect, I wish I were driving it using some sort of vehicle, (yea......I'm a bit out of shape), an opposing player took the it from me and dashed the other way. Now, I'm not upset by any means. These kids have been playing soccer twice a year for several years. It was a good move on his part! Of course, the coach (who happens to be a friend of mine) started laughing saying "OOOOOOOOOOh....................YOU got SCHOOLED". That "you suck" kid chimed in as well.
Now, when I was growing up, I cannot remember a child talking to an adult in this manner, let alone being on a first name basis with said adult. But nowadays, it's all the rage for a child to address a friends parent by first name.
Some will argue that perhaps, today's children feel more at ease calling an adult by their first name, whereas I feel it is disrespectful as I was brought up addressing adults by their last names.
I can remember having this same conversation with my now ex-wife and how she took the side of "it's no big deal". There's a reason she's my ex.
So what do you think?
IS it no big deal that we let our children address other parents by first names?
AM I just living in the past?
Will our heroes escape the diabolical trap that's ensnared them?(sorry........childhood flashback).
2 comments:
I hate it.
I say kids should show respect for adults.
Even now I admit I call the parents of my girlfriend from high school Mr. & Mrs... never Joe or Norma.
Just polite I say.
There's a line between being fun and cool with the kids vs. knowing when to say when. If I'm using self-depricating humor, they can join in. Otherwise, my kids -- and their friends -- know that they are expected to show me respect.
If they try to look cool and humiliate me in public, they all know that I reserve the right to make them look stupid in front of their friends. My kids have crossed that line once or twice, and got schooled. The kids' friends learned the lesson my kids were taught.
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