http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/OLDRUSTYBUCKET1/7904     Is it normal for nearly seven year old kids to just totally ignore what you tell them? What do YOU do when they just turn and walk away like you'd never said a word? Or, they continue doing something after being told to quit. How does it affect you when you hear, "Oh, alright!!" after repeated instructions to do something?    Is grandpa being unreasonable to expect obedience in  these situations? Since his return from his job away from home grandpa is skating on thin ice partly because he can't find where his l'm in  jolly good mood pills were packed..     Is it normal for nearly seven year old kids to just totally ignore what you tell them? What do YOU do when they just turn and walk away like you'd never said a word? Or, they continue doing something after being told to quit. How does it affect you when you hear, "Oh, alright!!" after repeated instructions to do something?    Is grandpa being unreasonable to expect obedience in  these situations? Since his return from his job away from home grandpa is skating on thin ice partly because he can't find where his l'm in  jolly good mood pills were packed.. en-us Having returned from a loooong day yesterday fulfilling a promise to our "unofficial" grandson to take him "Swimming with the Whales" at Sea World, you're preaching to the choir here, Bucket. At 7 Blane seemed to be a perfect young gentleman. Now, at 10, I see some of that I-want-what-I-want-when-I-want-it attitude creeping into his character. It's disturbing. One of my responses yesterday (that I consider one of my finer moments of the day) was, "Mr. Riley, you do NOT talk to your mother that way!" At least he's still civil to enough to have replied, "Yes" but had to be reminded of the "Sir" to follow. Those tactics worked for my parents. Today? Who knows.... Ernie http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/OLDRUSTYBUCKET1/7904/#c_55957 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/OLDRUSTYBUCKET1/7904/#c_55957 Having returned from a loooong day yesterday fulfilling a promise to our "unofficial" grandson to take him "Swimming with the Whales" at Sea World, you're preaching to the choir here, Bucket. At 7 Blane seemed to be a perfect young gentleman. Now, at 10, I see some of that I-want-what-I-want-when-I-want-it attitude creeping into his character. It's disturbing. One of my responses yesterday (that I consider one of my finer moments of the day) was, "Mr. Riley, you do NOT talk to your mother that way!" At least he's still civil to enough to have replied, "Yes" but had to be reminded of the "Sir" to follow. Those tactics worked for my parents. Today? Who knows.... Ernie The young people who do not listen are usually the ones who have been spoiled and that had a very easy life. They had had little or no challenges that could result in bad outcomes. I don't mean not getting to watch TV or play video games. I am talking real experiences that have real consequences to them. The root of the problem is the life experiences they are given by their parents. Providing material pacifiers are the tools of choice to provide life enrichment to their kids. There is also a cultural dogma that is overwhelming our society. The give me and it is all about me. and it is going to be worst. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/OLDRUSTYBUCKET1/7904/#c_55977 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/OLDRUSTYBUCKET1/7904/#c_55977 The young people who do not listen are usually the ones who have been spoiled and that had a very easy life. They had had little or no challenges that could result in bad outcomes. I don't mean not getting to watch TV or play video games. I am talking real experiences that have real consequences to them. The root of the problem is the life experiences they are given by their parents. Providing material pacifiers are the tools of choice to provide life enrichment to their kids. There is also a cultural dogma that is overwhelming our society. The give me and it is all about me. and it is going to be worst. It's not only the grandparents getting grief on the attitude of children these days. I as a parent get the same attitude from my own children. I KNOW I raised them better...but each day I get more attitude...more of what THEY want...and more of the attitude of that they are the only ones in the entire universe who matter and no one else does! I don't know if it is like taught in school or what...but frankly I am SICK AND TIRED of it all. My 12 year old had to be "taught" to have a totally different attitude after starting jr.high. she had absolutely NO respect for anyone but herself...and that bugged the hell out of me...I FINALLY got her out of that attitude...now my 17 yr old is worse than ever...I can tell her NO about going somewhere when I specifically told her to stay home...she finds another way to go and she JUST UP AND LEAVES!!! She says she is an adult...I keep telling her she just has no clue what an adult is...and until she grows up she NEVER will! http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/OLDRUSTYBUCKET1/7904/#c_56000 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/OLDRUSTYBUCKET1/7904/#c_56000 It's not only the grandparents getting grief on the attitude of children these days. I as a parent get the same attitude from my own children. I KNOW I raised them better...but each day I get more attitude...more of what THEY want...and more of the attitude of that they are the only ones in the entire universe who matter and no one else does! I don't know if it is like taught in school or what...but frankly I am SICK AND TIRED of it all. My 12 year old had to be "taught" to have a totally different attitude after starting jr.high. she had absolutely NO respect for anyone but herself...and that bugged the hell out of me...I FINALLY got her out of that attitude...now my 17 yr old is worse than ever...I can tell her NO about going somewhere when I specifically told her to stay home...she finds another way to go and she JUST UP AND LEAVES!!! She says she is an adult...I keep telling her she just has no clue what an adult is...and until she grows up she NEVER will! No its not normal but is the rest of this world.  We have lost control.  and you know why?  when we were coming up, what happened if we ignored mom or dad?  we bent over and grabbed the old ankles and took a busting.  Same thing with school principals.  It really sad how this generation has gotten so far out of hand, but then its all foretold.  The bible speaks of children rising against parents in the final years.   Some times I wonder just how many parents even have a bible.  BTW.  Christ the Victor LUtheran Church has a time of prayer for youth every tuesday at noon.  you may join in person or pray remotely from where ever you are.  http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/OLDRUSTYBUCKET1/7904/#c_56207 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/OLDRUSTYBUCKET1/7904/#c_56207 No its not normal but is the rest of this world.  We have lost control.  and you know why?  when we were coming up, what happened if we ignored mom or dad?  we bent over and grabbed the old ankles and took a busting.  Same thing with school principals.  It really sad how this generation has gotten so far out of hand, but then its all foretold.  The bible speaks of children rising against parents in the final years.   Some times I wonder just how many parents even have a bible.  BTW.  Christ the Victor LUtheran Church has a time of prayer for youth every tuesday at noon.  you may join in person or pray remotely from where ever you are.  I'm not a parent...but I hope to become one someday. All I can say is, you need to meet some common ground with your grandkids. I don't know the entire situation...so I can either speculate that either (ONE) these children are so babied or spoiled that they have no awareness of respect to their elders (including their parents) which means that they get to do whatever they wish despite their parents rules or guidelines. Or (TWO) the parents of these children asked these kids to not pay attention to their grandpa for whatever reason that it may be. My solution is to find something that they enjoy doing and ask them to join in with you. Make it fun but at the same time, try a bribe to go along with it. Example if they enjoy playing video games buy a used xbox or used Nintendo (you don't want to buy anything pricey if it doesn't work out) and say "hey kids, i bought this used xbox and this game called Fusion Frenzy for it...because the doctor says i need to play video games to stimulate my brain and eye coordination skills...do you think you can show me how?" but before you all join in to play Fusion Frenzy...say "oh but i need to take out all the trash from the house" or "i need help raking the lawn before it gets too dark out"...maybe after all that chore stuff, make some ice cold lemonade and it's game time! I think this should do the trick. If not, sit down with an open mind, and calmly have a talk with their parents. Maybe there's a problem at home or with the other grandparents you don't know about. http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/OLDRUSTYBUCKET1/7904/#c_56338 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/OLDRUSTYBUCKET1/7904/#c_56338 I'm not a parent...but I hope to become one someday. All I can say is, you need to meet some common ground with your grandkids. I don't know the entire situation...so I can either speculate that either (ONE) these children are so babied or spoiled that they have no awareness of respect to their elders (including their parents) which means that they get to do whatever they wish despite their parents rules or guidelines. Or (TWO) the parents of these children asked these kids to not pay attention to their grandpa for whatever reason that it may be. My solution is to find something that they enjoy doing and ask them to join in with you. Make it fun but at the same time, try a bribe to go along with it. Example if they enjoy playing video games buy a used xbox or used Nintendo (you don't want to buy anything pricey if it doesn't work out) and say "hey kids, i bought this used xbox and this game called Fusion Frenzy for it...because the doctor says i need to play video games to stimulate my brain and eye coordination skills...do you think you can show me how?" but before you all join in to play Fusion Frenzy...say "oh but i need to take out all the trash from the house" or "i need help raking the lawn before it gets too dark out"...maybe after all that chore stuff, make some ice cold lemonade and it's game time! I think this should do the trick. If not, sit down with an open mind, and calmly have a talk with their parents. Maybe there's a problem at home or with the other grandparents you don't know about.