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AIBU?

To think that children are getting worse?

66 replies

Amy214 · 13/05/2016 20:06

Younger ones that is. Me and dd (2years old) were on a walk earlier and there was a group of young boys (between 7&9) playing football in a no ball game area. I asked nicely if they could stop just whilst dd was walking past as the ball was flying everywhere and they were kicking it really hard. Fair enough the leader was telling his friends to 'watch' but i wasnt talking to him i was talking to his friends. And this boy got very angry and asked me if i was deaf or stupid, i asked could he please not talk to me like that and he said well dont look at me like that, ripped his glasses off as if to try and start a fight and jumped forward to try and scare us off. I repeated please dont talk to me like that in front of dd its not very nice, he then told me to f* off and i asked him where he lived so i could talk to his mum, he pointed to his house and i said thanks ill be around later. I then walked away and he kept shouting 'just you walk away' i was nearly home when i seen him run into his house to probably tell his mum about me. His mum is very intimidating so im expecting her to show up at my house and rip my head off. i would be mortified if i knew/heard dd talking to people like that, when did children get so cheeky? I know i was wrong to ask them to stop but i thought they would be understanding! How wrong was i?

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FutureGadgetsLab · 13/05/2016 20:09

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers"

This was said sometime between 469-399 BC.

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Amy214 · 13/05/2016 20:19

I hope dd doesnt act like that it would honestly make me think and feel that i have failed as a parent..

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noblegiraffe · 13/05/2016 20:27

So you actually mean this one kid, whose mum has clearly passed on an intimidating act to her son.

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hazeyjane · 13/05/2016 20:27

see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond
words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly [disrespectful] and impatient of restrain
Hesiod 8th Century BC

We always think the younger generation are worse than the youth of previous generations, in reality there are always kids that are rude or disrespectful etc.

Same as it ever was....

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CalleighDoodle · 13/05/2016 20:33

That kid was Appalling if course. Not a coincidence that the mother is also appalling. But next time dont say please.

'Please dont x' Sounds like pleading
'Dont... Thank you'. Sounds in control.

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Mari50 · 13/05/2016 20:35

YABU, there have always been cheeky wee sods out there who have no respect for their elders (I sound like my dad!!), they're easier to spot than all the good kids going around minding their own business, being polite and respectful. If you aren't from that background it can probably be quite shocking when one of the wee shites squares up to you though!!

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JustLostTheGame · 13/05/2016 20:37

One kid was extremely rude and agressive to you. One kid.

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claraschu · 13/05/2016 20:40

That sounds very unpleasant OP. I would have been upset. Some of the kids I went to school with 45 years ago were mean bullies though too. They would have been fake nice to an adult and extra horrible to another child...

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YoJesse · 13/05/2016 20:44

I only seem to come across really nice kids out and about. If they knock down ds or bump into me I've been impressed with how quickly and nicely they apologise and this isn't a 'nice' area.

YABU to judge it on one bad experience.

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Amy214 · 13/05/2016 20:46

I would of got my bum smacked if i spoke to someone like that (which isnt allowed today and i wont do it to my own child) i thought if i was nice to them then maybe they would be nice back. Obviously not. There is some hope out there i once heard a 15/16 year old telling his mates to stop swearing as there was a little girl walking past (dd) and he even apologised for his friends behaviour Shock the younger children are getting worse, so are the parents its no surprise they are the same as the parents

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Amy214 · 13/05/2016 20:50

Its not just one child the lot of them around here are terrible (and i normally avoid them but today i had to walk past them as it was 2 minutes away from home) and i really dread dd growing up! I dont want her to be the same, all sweet at home and a violent thug whilst out with friends, this isnt a nice area.

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JustLostTheGame · 13/05/2016 20:54

the younger children are getting worse, so are the parents

Nah, there have been rude and aggressive children and parents throughout history. You've just only been around to witness this generation. Thats all.

If you hate your area then move somewhere else.

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Amy214 · 13/05/2016 20:56

Justlostthegame if it was as easy as that i would! But unfortunately i cant afford it.

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JustLostTheGame · 13/05/2016 20:58

Well theres a goal for you to set yourself then.

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GretchenBeckett · 13/05/2016 20:59

So your opinion is based on your experience with one child!?

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Amy214 · 13/05/2016 21:09

No as i said above the children around here are terrible i normally avoid them as i know we will probably get a mouth full of abuse, i was once told f* off because i walked too close to someones garden fence and that was a child. They also make fun of my mum because shes disabled. So forgive me if i think they are disgusting. I was bullied at school by children who behaved exactly the same all because my mum was disabled. Its not as easy as just selling up and moving away if it was i would do it in a heartbeat.

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JustLostTheGame · 13/05/2016 21:13

I was bullied at school by children who behaved exactly the same

So theyre not getting worse! Theyre exactly the same (Your words) as when you were growing up.

Its not as easy as just selling up and moving away

Which is why i said its a goal to set yourself!

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coffeeisnectar · 13/05/2016 21:14

yabu to lump all children into one category.

They aren't all the same, most kids are lovely. I'm not sure which area you live in but surely not every single child in that area is a mini thug?

I expect the nicer kids are at home doing homework or playing nicely rather than out playing in the street. Round her all the kids play out and they are all really sweet and well behaved (mostly).

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PortiaCastis · 13/05/2016 21:17

His Mum is very intimidating
Why what has she said to you?

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Beepbopboop · 13/05/2016 21:20

There's a good vsauce on this.
Apparently each generation for, basically forever, have said the new generation is awful. It's just a thing.

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Beepbopboop · 13/05/2016 21:25

It's called Juvenoia: m.youtube.com/watch?v=LD0x7ho_IYc

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Cantusethatname · 13/05/2016 21:27

This is one of my favourites (although it's teenagers) Shakespeare, A Winter's Tale:

I would there were no age between sixteen and
three-and-twenty, or that youth would sleep out the
rest; for there is nothing in the between but
getting wenches with child, wronging the ancientry,
stealing, fighting

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PaulAnkaTheDog · 13/05/2016 21:31

Ah yes, let's write off an entire generation based on one child.

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manicinsomniac · 13/05/2016 21:39

YABU to think that child was a fair representative of 7 and 8 year olds - he sounds like a really really extreme example.

However, I think YANBU to think that there is a general movement towards less respectful behaviour in children. I notice it as a teacher. Children are happier to answer back and challenge adults (sometimes this is a positive thing and sometimes it's rude). They have a more cavalier attitude towards possesions, both their own and other people's. And they are far less intimidated by being told off or getting into trouble (again, occasionally a positive thing but not that often, ime).

You can't generalise obviously. There are still many, many children who are the reverse of what I've posted above. But I think there's a positive correlation between the years and the lack of respect seen as a whole.

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GretchenBeckett · 13/05/2016 21:42

As the Mother of a six year old and two teenagers I can assure you not all kids are like that. Mine certainly aren't.

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