Awful boastful children- why don't parents tell them

[PinkPoncho]

off? We have to avoid this one on the school run, he gallops up to tell us all about how he's a free reader and mine isn't, how he's so wonderful at well everything...he's so much bigger than my ds...it goes on and on...his mum just ignores it..

Today he was openly laughing to his mates about how my (other)ds didn't even know his own name (he's 2)

You'd think parents would tell them to stop it, I'm actually starting to find it embarrassing. They are 7 yrs old btw

Try trhis...."thats marvellous Fred, now lets see if you can bring your manners up to scratch this term because you are a very rude child"

Mind you I tried that one and was told I was ~ and I quote ~ by a 7yo ~ that I was a miserable cunt and his mother was nice!

He might have a point if not the vocabulary

those little bastards will probably do very well in life. Nice guys do finish last.

Whilst I think it's good for a child to be confidence and have high self-worth, I don't like it when people belittle others to make themselves feel better, so I would have to correct that if a child was taking the mickey out of my child. However if the child was bragging about himself I would just say "Well done", don't elaborate on it and just move away from the child. Is the mum quite cocky and sure of herself too?

I know...

Prime your son with a difficult sum. So when TwatBoy brags about being able to read the encylopedia, you say, "But I bet you don't know what 20 x 20 is, do you? Niceboy knows, don't you, Niceboy?"

Give your son a new answer every day (won't do any harm and it may help him!)

my brother and his wife have turned their 2 boys into horrible boasters by constantly telling them how marvellous they are and how much better than everybody else. It is now so bad that my sons and my other nephews dont want to play with them at all as they are so fed up with listening to their boasting. Unfortunately it also goes hand in hand with their parents constantly making excuses when the boys dont do something well - and it usually ends up being one of the other boys' fault -a prime example was when 1 boy did not hit the ball when playing cricket - it was the bowlers fault...and when he got caught out......the sun was in his eyes. Lots of fixed grins at family gatherings!

My DS does some of this, everything has to be a competition, and he has to win. I've never heard him belittle anyone else though, and I sincerely hope he wouldn't. I do keep telling him he is not the best at everything, and it doesn't have to be a competition but so far he just doesn't seem to get it. I will keep trying, and am fairly sure life will teach him that he can't be best at everything even if he won't listen to me. (Disclaimer, he is only just 4, and I will keep trying!)

It is a worry. He gets plenty of attention at home, and hopefully not too much. Trouble is, I want him to be confident, just not over the top. How do you get the balance right?