Watch your mouth

Out of the mouths of babes, as the saying goes.  As my children grow older, they grow mouthier.  This started when they were little, but I was so much bigger than them, that one look (you know the "mom" look) and they would buckle that lip right up.  Now my fifteen year old towers above me.  But, I can give him a look or a phrase and it will shut him up.  His main problem (or gift) is that he will argue a point to death.  For no real reason, he just wants to get you all fired up opposing him.  He is too smart for his britches, as my grandma used to say.

The other thing those precious little guys do is the "why?" thing.  "Go clean your room,"  says mom, "Why" says the child.  After a little "tit for tat" of this, you turn into your mother and say at the top of your voice, "Because I said so".  Then you go back to your room, close the door and wonder what happened to the size six girl who used to rule the bar scene in Scottsdale.  Yikes.  Not that I want to go out to bars, you really can only survive that when you are 21 and stupid as a turnip.  But to a women, turning into our mothers can be traumatic.  All those phrases that drove you crazy as a child, start coming out of your mouth at your children.  Do you know what that means?  Our mothers were right.  This shakes our worlds.  But, once you calm down you should send your mom flowers for a job well done.

Mouthy kids bother me.  I work at Starbucks and all the teenie boppers come in every Friday night.  If you send your child to the mall friday night please tell them to be polite.  These brats throw money on the counter, come in to the store in gaggles with loud obnoxious voices, and ninety-nine times out of a hundred, never and I mean never, say please or thank you.  If that turns out to be my kid, tell me and I will beat the crap out of him/her.  In these economic times, you have no idea if the person at McDonalds or wherever has a degree and just cannot get a different job.  We as a nation are failing to raise children with manners and it is revolting.  I also do not want to see some teenager making out in the corner all night.  That is what movie theaters are for.  And I realize that I did most of this stuff when I was a kid, but I was taught manners and I used them on a consistent basis.  Also, if you blindly drop your child off at a mall for four or five hours, I highly recommend, on at least one occasion that you drive to a different entrance, go in,  and spy on your kid.  Your well behaved, going to church on Sunday kid.  It will be enlightening.  I am not saying it won't ever be my obnoxious kid, but I will do everything in my power to raise respectful children.  

Manners, learn them, love them, live them.  Please and Thank You go a long way in this world.  I should not be shocked because one child says them, I should be shocked because one child forgets them.  

God Bless you and yours.