On Forgetfulness and Rudeness

[katiefoolery]

Bah bah bah!  Why did I spent all my valuable working hours writing blurbs and descriptions for my stories if I was going to forget to email them home so I could start uploading them to my website?  I really don't know the answer to that one.  It's just stupid.  And annoying.  More to the point, this means I can't make any progress on the site until Monday afternoon.

Bah.

Ah well, I suppose it means I can do some more fiddling around with making my own template on WordPress.  And I do have my bio and writing CV here, so I suppose I could upload those.

It's just frustrating.

While we're on things that are annoying me, I want to rant about the stupid kid and his dad at the supermarket the other day.  I was behind the dad in the queue and he'd just finished paying for his groceries when his son joined the line with a bottle of drink that he wanted to buy.  I thought I'd be nice, so I stood aside and said to the kid: "You go next."

Well.  He just gave me a weird, ungrateful look and went right ahead.  I was bewildered.  There wasn't even an attempt at a muttered "thanks".  Even worse was his dad, who said absolutely nothing to his ungrateful wretch of a boy.  He just stood there, unconcerned, while his son was rude and sullen to someone who'd just done something nice to him.  I couldn't believe it.  No wonder half the kids I deal with in the library are nasty little brats if this is how their parents are bringing them up.

I still can't get over that dad.  If it had been my dad... well, for starters, I would have said thank-you without being prompted.  And if I hadn't, my dad would have made sure I did.  Loudly.  And gratefully.  I thought we were supposed to ask what's wrong with the youth of today.  Now it appears we have to ask: "What's wrong with the parents of youth today?"

Is this all part of the "me!" culture that we seem to be developing?  You don't thank people who do nice things for you because of course they're going to do it.  It's for me after all, isn't it?  Everyone should do stuff for me, because I'm great.  Of course I should go ahead of you in the queue, because I'm me.  Of course I should shove my way to the front of the bus line, ahead of the people who already have tickets ready to go, to hold everyone up while I buy mine... because I'm me.  Of course I should expect you to get out of my way, because I'm me.

My parents brought me up to consider other people and not to be selfish.  But I have to tell you, I'm sorely tempted to ignore all of this when people behave so rudely to complete strangers.

Comments

[snowy-gem.livejournal.com]

Ive just read thru what every one has said.... and i have to agree... my parents would of berated me for not saying thank you too Bunne!


Ive lemented since yr 12 really.. ( 2000). ive been babysitting the same child since he was 3, in 1997, and well.. he got a mobile phone when he was in yr 3 as he went to St Andrews in sydney cbd and his mother is paranoid and neurotic and the daughter of a rather influential family and is terrified he would get snatched. I love Jo, but she neurotic.

He has ever toy he could possibly want, however she treats him like a adult, if he wants something and she doesnt want to buy it for him he has to " work" ( do chores or help her with work stuff) to earn money for it... One time the entrepenaurial child held a lemonade stall outside our house ( we live 15 mins to the city) which i had never ever seen anyone ever do in the last 10years near the city..... and he made money! people driving and walking past bought drinks!!!

But most kids i have seen are so rude! People and kids alike expect so much of so many people. They expect the bus driver to stop even when its not a bus stop cos they forgot to press the button or cos they cant be bothered walking to the bus stop. Are bus drivers not human beings?? theres a bus stop for a reason , u stupid people...

They expect sales people to do everything for them, and kick up a stink when what they want isnt there, as though they arnt allowed to run out, or they yell at people who are trying their hardest becuase they expect so much from a sales person, or if they cant find something its the sales persons fault ( even if the person has nothingto do with that department, its still their fault), or they expect you to know exactly where the specific item they want is. ffs no one is a mind reader!!!!


They drive their car and act like they own the road, as they are obviously more important that everyone else in the entire universe, that if they cut u off you deserved it cos you were in their way ( regardless of who is actually in the wrong), man some people even run red lights over and over again. ive seen it!! i mean ffs there was over 100m for you to stop in, you stupid idiot, red lights are for saftey, not there for you inconviniece to just frigging ignore!!!

Ohhh and with teachers!!!!
Depending on the type of teacher,they expect teachers to, as well as teach their subject:

- provide help for every other subject the kid does

- disicpline their child

- not touch their child

- not have an issue if a child kicks/hits/abuses/ throws stuff/etc( and this contradicts discipling them!)

- treat their child as special

- make sure their kid gets high marks ( to the extent they do their assignment, ask for extrastuff for their kid for stupid reasons etc) and its the teachers not the childs fault if the kid fails - makes them a crap teacher apparently!

- not confiscate items that distract from learning ( ipods, mobile phones, etc) ig the child is disrupting the learning of others, thats unfairthat their child has to miss out on their stuff!
And so manyother stupidthings that just didnt happen when i was at school

- just let their kid not do the work if they dont want to

- if they dont want their child to learn something, their child should be given special treatment ( obviously certain things are acceptable,but jsut cos u dont want to, is not a good enough reason)

- not give their child detention cos " they are a good kid" - umm hate to tell you they fucked up mate, otherwise they wouldnt be in detention!!!!

They treat Behaviour team teachers as though they dont know what they are talking bout ( my mother runs the south west sydney granville team and she has a masters in special education in behaviour as well as a BA Dip Ed and did the eq on 4U Maths, 4U English, and 4U History when she was at school). They act as though they know what the best thing to do at the school is, they wonder why their child doesnt have friends or associates with certain children, why they have certain homework if the kid doesnt like it, they expect everything to be catered to thei kid... theres another 15-29 other children in the damn class!!!!!

Arragghh!!!

/endrant

[katiefoolery.livejournal.com]

I can see you feel just as strongly about this issue as I do, good DM. I've certainly seen examples of the things you've illustrated at both of the schools at which I've worked. Often, the parents were just as bad as their kids and some teachers were loathe to discipline a child because they knew they'd have to deal with their parents later. I think people expect too much of teachers - they just people trying to do a good job of educating young people. The rubbish they have to deal with from some students is just intolerable. I often contemplated becoming a teacher, but having worked in a school library and seen the environment in which teachers find themselves, I've changed my mind completely. Maybe the two or three decent kids make it worthwhile, but the attitude of the others is just depressing.