PET PEEVES --installment 1

Irresponsible parents who think their kids need "space." How did it become acceptable to allow kids to flaunt dress codes, authority and any semblance of rules? Children are just that: children. They are NOT miniature adults. They do not get to wear the t-shirt that says F*CK TEACHERS to school as a symbol of their freedom of expression. They don’t get that freedom. When they vote and pay taxes, fine. Until then, sit down and shut up. Rules may seem arbitrary to a teen or pre-teen, but as I recall the rules were far more stringent when I was growing up and there weren’t any school shootings back then either. And these same parents want to be the child’s friend. There is no friendship in parenting until you’re both over the age of 30. Kids don’t need more friends. They need someone to tell them when they screw up and punish them for it. They need someone to fear and respect, not someone who makes them feel warm and fuzzy.