Is behaviour related to age?

[Jbr]

Probably a strange topic but I went for a job interview (it was a parents site) and we got talking about kids staring and the woman interviewing me (who has 2 kids)said it drives her up the wall when other parents say "they are only little" about kids who are staring at disabled people or worse, stealing off shelves.

I wouldn't normally talk about personal stuff in an interview because it's irrelevant but it was a parent site and it was part of the assignment I had to do as interview preparation.

We also got onto racism, sexism and homophobia in "older people" and someone she knows said to her it's understandable but we came to the conclusion that it can't be excused on basis of age. Of course, not all older people eg pensioners are racist etc. But it just got me thinking. Can bad behaviour be justified just because of someone's age?

I don't think bad behaviour can be justified by old age, although some people use their age as an excuse for bad manners! But, that aside, it must be difficult to change your outlook after 60 or 70 years. There is also evidence to show that age brings physical changes in the brain which make one more set in one's ways, more extreme and less inhibited. One of the very early signs of Alzheimer's, too, is an increase in aggressive and exhibitionist behaviour. (Witness DH's granny walking round in the nude, complete with colostomy, at the age of 90. Not a pretty sight!)

Children are naturally curious, and I don't think even older children stare with malice. But as it isn't generally acceptable, I think children need to be encouraged to change their behaviour along with learning about such things as 'please' and 'thank you' and so on.

Yes, I don't think everyone of a certain age is the same. You can't say all 5 year old do this and that. I always laugh about milestones as well. They make us so paranoid thinking our son/daughter isn't "right" because they haven't done this or that time they are 12 months or something.