Similar Stupidity Part 2

Today's installment is about parenting or the lack there of among cultures. All of these styles have been witness numerous times by myself while trying to do my job in a place of business. I submit the following:

White people are an interesting group to watch with their kids. I understand that there are a million different parenting style, but one that belongs almost exclusively to white parents is the "Put a cute little leash on your children" technique. Ironically, the parents that leash their children like animals are usually the same parents who think they can "negotiate" with a screaming 2 year old who is pissed off at the world because their mommy and daddy didn't buy them that Hanna Montana inflatable singing cereal bowl/doll stage. Talk about sending mixed signals.

Black parents tend to be more old school in their approach to child rearing. I am a HUGE believer in spanking, but there is a time and a place...and time is not right now while you are shopping in my store. Do you know how awkward it is to be reaching out to take some one's credit card only to have that hand swiftly redirected to the a$$ of a child standing less than two feet away?! And it only gets better when they hand you the card that was just used as an instrument of punishment. "Alright ma'am, here's your receipt and your tool of infant gluteus destruction. Have a great day."

The last category of parenting has been observed in every culture, but seems to run rampant in Asians, middle eastern families, and Mexican nationals. I am speaking of the hands off approach. You've all seen these people. There kid is tearing a store to shreds or just as often peeing in a fitting room, and the parents act as though they are no more responsible for the child than they are the weather. My favorite part is when I have repeatedly asked the kids to stop whatever socially unacceptable behavior they are engaged in numerous times (my max is 3) and after seeing no change in actions or attempts to reign in unruly youngsters by the parents...I kick them out of my store. The parents always look shocked and incredibly offended that I would be so brazen as to ask their child to please not defecate on the jeans. How rude of me.

I want to make sure not to leave out a parenting group that also spans all races and genders...the one's that actually do a good job. I saved them for last because they aren't very funny and also...they're pretty rare these days. I go out of my way to tell kids what a great job they did shopping and compliment the parents as well when I encounter the rarest of all beasts...a well behaved child.

Well that's it for this episode, but stay tuned for the next installment of Similar Stupidity.