Expectations

Normally I save this blog for happy, fun kid related stories.  Well...I need to vent so skip this post if you don't want to read it.

While out in public with Eli lately I'm noticing that kids are brats.  Hmm...Could it be because their parents allow them to wear pajamas to the supermarket?  Could it be because they've never heard the word "no" in their lives?  Could it be because the world is changing and kids have been put in charge?

It's driving me bananas!!!  We try to instill discipline in Eli.  Everyday.  All day.  We work on teaching him right from wrong and how to behave.  It's a 24 hour/day thing.  It doesn't stop.  It doesn't always work.  He has moments of greatness where I beam and moments of disaster where I hide in the closet with a jug of wine (OK.  No wine.  I'm still pumping). 

At the supermarket today we were waiting in the deli line and Eli wanted a piece of cheese.  Normally when it's not too packed, the deli lady will give Eli a piece of cheese after she's done slicing ours up.  I explained to him that it was busy and that the lady might not have time to give him cheese.  All the while a lady with a youger guy (2ish maybe...I forget what those look like) is feeding her kid cheese out of the deli bag.  I have issues.  We know this.  I don't think it's right to teach your kid that it's ok to eat food you haven't paid for.  She also walked through the proudce section like it was her kid's personal buffet and handed him an apple.  Umm...hello???  When did that become ok?  So Eli saw this precious little guy munching on cheese & apples and asked again for some cheese.  I explained loudly that we don't eat food that we haven't paid for because it's STEALING.  She probably thought I was nuts.  I am nuts.  We know this.

Eli is also attending a Blue Ribbon school.  It's not the reason we signed him up.  It's Dave's alma mater, but it was recognized as a blue ribbon school this year.  Their expectations are insane.  He gets homework everynight and we do it.  We also do practice book pages.  Every night.  He has to do extra practice book pages if he brings home messy work or unhappy notes on his papers.  I'm sorry.  Is this too much?  We're paying for this school to push him.  If we're not pushing him at home too, we're wasting our money.  I'm a teacher.  Allbeit, not at a blue ribbon school, but I'm a teacher.  How embarrassing is it when my kid acts up or does sloppy work?  Am I pushing him too much?  Is it terrible that I expect him to be polite and gracious and respectful?

I know I'm rambling and I'll probably delete this post tomorrow, but I feel like kids need to be held to higher expectations and that they shouldn't wear their flippin' PJ's in public!!!