Of dot.com kids who know their rights

Have you by any chance watched the clip of a three-year-old boy arguing with his mother over cupcakes? One word for it. Hilarious. Whenever I am having a bad day at work, I log onto it. This little boy just cracks me up. Celebrated TV host Ellen DeGeneres discovered the video clip and posted it on her Facebook page. The video has since gone viral. Apart from being comical, the clip is illuminating for parents.

It shows how things have changed and the way our kids are exposed. Today’s youngsters are so opinionated and empowered that you cannot punish them without them venting their side of the story.

These kids have rights and they are not afraid to air views.

They are anything but timid. That three-year-old is arguing with the mum like he would do with his age mate. And his mother Linda allows it. That’s a scandal.

I remember when we were growing up, the rule of the house was — when mother or father is speaking, you cannot respond back and their word is final. Answering back at them was suicidal.

When you were being disciplined, there was no room for explaining yourself. You could not dare argue with your parents, especially your father. Back then, we kids were there to be seen and not heard. But now things have changed.

I cannot discipline Tasha without her jumping in to defend herself.

“I am spanking you because you disobeyed auntie.”

“But she also refused to do what I told her so even auntie should receive a spanking,” my daughter jibed at me recently.

This is the dot.com generation we are raising. You cannot pin them down on flimsy grounds. They are so exposed; they can make a compelling argument that can make any right-thinking adult look like a fool.

Tasha is so good at making her case, especially when she needs a favour in form of an ice cream or a chocolate bar.

So polished is she in her arguments that I have to resort to bullying to get her to keep quite when she starts getting on my nerves.

“Keep quiet or I will throw you out of the supermarket,” that is always my final defense.

Photo: www.childrensrights.ie