Parent’s Disrespect For Rules Sends Loud Message To Kids

My children were playing on the large ferry boat toy at NorthTown Mall the other evening when something happened that shook my faith in parents today. My son is only 15 months old, so I was hovering protectively as he climbed around with the other, older children. As two elementary-aged girls started to climb on the already crowded toy, I pointed out to them the many large signs posted around the play area. These read “Children 5 and under only,” presumably for the protection of the little ones the play space was designed for. The girls got off, and went to their father, seated behind me on a bench. I heard him tell the girls to ignore me and play on it anyway.

I was angered by their father’s blatant disregard for posted rules, and gathered my children to leave. I confronted the man. I said: “Do you realize you are teaching your children that rules and signs aren’t to be taken seriously? He snickered and said: “So what? They aren’t hurting anyone.” I was stunned, and asked if he was a speeder and broke other rules often. “That’s right!” he answered smugly. As I left, I told him that I could see why society was falling apart, with parents like him raising children. He just laughed.

This experience really opened my eyes. I have read about apathetic parenting, leniency and lack of discipline creating a generation of children with little respect for rules, laws or authority. Until now, I’d naively believed that most parents really tried; that these problems were only in the inner cities, poor areas, or “somewhere else.” But here it was, staring me in the face.

As a former teacher, I usually cringe when people call for morals and values to be taught in schools. After all, that is a parent’s job, and teachers are already overloaded with requirements they haven’t enough time to fill. But obviously, there are parents out there who can’t - or in this case, won’t - fulfill this basic responsibility. Perhaps our only hope as a society does rest with our schools.

Today it may be something as minor as ignoring an age limit on a toy, by tomorrow it could be disobeying traffic laws, disregarding the drinking age, using drugs, even violence. I know I’m watching everything I do as a MODEL for my children. Are you?

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion page. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496, or Doug Floyd/459-5466.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Andrea L. Keith Special to Opinion