"America’s children are immersed in a culture of disrespect: for parents, teachers, and one another."

Annie Holmquist writes at Intellectual Takeout,

America’s children are immersed in a culture of disrespect: for parents, teachers, and one another. They learn it from television, even on the Disney Channel, where parents are portrayed as clueless, out-of-touch or absent. They learn it from celebrities or the Internet. They learn it from social media. They teach it to one another. They wear T-shirts emblazoned with slogans like ‘I’m not shy. I just don’t like you.’”

...Dr. Leonard Sax recently experienced one of these horrifying displays of disrespect in his medical practice. He describes the scenario in a recent edition of The Wall Street Journal:

“Kyle was absorbed in a videogame on his cellphone, so I asked his mom, ‘How long has Kyle had a stomach ache?’ Mom said, ‘I’m thinking it’s been about two days.’ Then Kyle replied, ‘Shut up, mom. You don’t know what you’re talking about.’ And he gave a snorty laugh, without looking up from his videogame. Kyle is 10 years old.”

...according to Dr. Sax, it’s not too late for parents to change course and start instilling respect in their children. His recommendations for doing so are summarized in the following three points:

1. Put the family before the child.

“Prioritize the family. The family meal at home is more important than piling on after-school extracurricular activities. Instead of boosting self-esteem, teach humility.”

2. Remove distractions.

“[N]o screens when you are with your child. Put your cellphone away. No electronic devices at the dinner table. Teach the art of face-to-face conversation.”

3. Draw a line in the sand and don’t look back.

“If you’re going to make a change, don’t be subtle. New Year’s Day is as good a time as any to sit down with your children and explain that there are going to be some changes in this household: changes in how we talk, in how we behave, in how we treat one another.”

Americans have tried the kinder, gentler, let-me-be-your-friend approach to parenting for the last several decades. If the behavior problems in schools and the heightened level of sensitivity on college campuses are any indication, this parenting approach hasn’t produced the positive outcomes we were hoping for. Is it time for today’s parents to reverse course and begin teaching their children to respect others first instead of their own little selves?

Read more here.

Dad sells disrespectful son's SUV

Greg Campbell writes at Politistick,

My father was adamant; he would help me with my first car, but in no way would he buy one for me. He wasn’t cheap; he had just seen it play out time and time again. Too many of his friends as teenagers were gifted a new car and they would total them, wreck them, race them, and never properly valued the item for which they did not have to pay.

The result? I cherished my first car and remembered the many hours I had to work to pay for it.

Some kids have a natural appreciation for things, but not many. One Florida father has evidently had enough of his son’s entitled attitude and rather than simply regret his mistake of having purchased his son a vehicle, he’s taking steps to undo his mistake by selling his son’s SUV on Craigslist.


The father is so enraged regarding his son’s behavior, in fact, that the father has agreed to knock $250 off the asking price for any local buyer so that the son can see his former SUV driving around town and be reminded of “how good he had it.”

Allen Gieger claims that he’s doing it for his son’s own good.

“I’ve been having some issues with my son over the past year,” Gieger said. “I don’t want to see him struggle the way I did.”

The Craigslist ad details the parent’s reason for selling:

I have my sons truck up for sale that I bought for him as his first car, he thinks it’s cool to drive around with his friends smokin dope and acting all thug and especially not showing me and my wife the respect that we deserve. This was a vehicle to finish school in, get a decent job and get a head start on life but chose to throw it all away because his friends would rather have an influence on him more than me! Now he can put those Jordans to use walk his ass off on these hot summer days! It has ice cold air and power everything! It’s dirty as hell inside and out because he didn’t respect it and take pride, seems to drive well but needs a few parts because it squeaks! I just put new tires on it that he never paid me for because dope was more important and driver seat doesn’t come all the way up, I guess cause cops kept riding by! If you live on the WESTSIDE I’ll take $250 off the price just so he sees it every now and then so it’ll remind him of how good he had it! I have title in hand!

The SUV sold in under two hours and the posting has gone viral.

Gieger claims that he has tried repeatedly to talk to his son about his behavior, but to little avail. The son is reportedly upset that his car is gone, but Gieger claims that he has already seen an improvement in his attitude. “It’s been an eye-opening experience,” the father said. “He’s started talking to me about helping him reach his new set of goals.”

With “tough love” becoming more and more rare, parents who actually take a firm stand against their kids’ bad behavior is becoming more and more newsworthy.

In reality, bold parenting should be the rule, not the exception.

Kids today are bombarded with negative influences. From electronic distractions to social media to the near-constant “progressive” agenda coming from a thousand different directions, the burden is greater than ever for parents who wish to craft a smart, well-adjusted, productive member of society.

If one finds that he or she is failing to do so, they should do what this parent did and refuse to accept it as the new norm. Reverse course; it’s never too late for kids to learn lessons.

Kick him out of school NOW!

A North Little Rock student lights a blunt/cigar and blows it in teacher's face.