Them Other Parents Don't Know How To Act.

I have come to the conclusion that becoming parents makes otherwise normal, intelligent and nice people - completely crazy.
While taking my little holiday sabbatical I did a lot of parent watching. Really, we are a bunch of loons.
On a casual look it seems we are either ignoring our children in the name of needing some 'me' time or flying our over- opinionated helicopters so close over their heads we could give buzz cuts. I think we might be raising a very confused generation.

We were at the ice rink and one little boy was skating the wrong way round. The attendant kept asking his parents (and him) to go with the flow, they said:
"He's a free spirit - we want to honor that."
Well you go right ahead and put your 'free spirits' needs in front of the safety of 75 other people - completely reasonable. IF YOU"RE A LOON.

I watched one little girl kick her sister in the shins with her ice skate because 'it was funny' and her Dad solved it by giving her a $20 to go and buy candy. Mister, are you mad? Now I know sleep deprivation and the 24/7 nature of parenting can make the most rational parent do crazy things but what I wondered was this, would you respond this way in any other part of your life? Imagine you're a manager and two co-workers can't get along. I find it hard to believe you'd offer one of them a cash bonus. If you pulled out of your driveway and found someone driving in the wrong direction - you'd probably call 911. You certainly wouldn't applaud their individuality.

What happens to us with children? Sure - they're cute and we love them fiercely but what snaps in our otherwise sensible and rational brains that leads us into saying things that we can't, even for a minute, believe are tripping out out of very own mouths? Why do we let them say and do things to us that were it an adult would lead us to tip our drinks on their obnoxious heads? I know they're learning. I know we need to encourage them to be independently minded but did we confuse that with letting them do whatever they want?
So obviously I am making sweeping generalizations. I am basing my comments on snapshot views of parenting but I do feel we need to bring sensible back. (When it's a hit Justin - I'll be happy with 20%.)

That's my goal for 2012. Let's reactionary, more sensible. I'll let you know how I do.