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See the original image at features.us.reuters.com

An inconvenient truth -- kids aren't perfect

features.us.reuters.com — Often in the course of family life, a parent must face inconvenient ordisturbing truths about children.

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  • Shiner76, on 02/28/2008, -22/+17I could make several different comments to the author's opinion - positive or negative, but one experience just doesn't equate to a conclusion that children must have the intellectual capacity to be shallow or superficial.
    • dotlizard, on 02/28/2008, -2/+61correct me if i'm wrong, but the author's tone came off more as humorous slice-of-life writing than any kind of serious opinion piece meant to spark debate.
      • Shiner76, on 02/28/2008, -5/+9Point well taken - perhaps we all just take ourselves a bit too seriously sometimes. I was thinking about that POV as well when considering the original comment.
      • Parastie, on 02/28/2008, -1/+1No, it came off on the premise of slice of life with an undertone of an intellectual. Clearly an intellectual who had never spent time with children before having his own, nor one capable of remembering his own childhood. Oddly, he still never read any child psychology which would have easily pointed out the failures in his thoughts before his child was even born.
    • disingenious, on 02/28/2008, -0/+9The author wasn't speaking to his children's' intellectual capacity, he was speaking to the effects of biology and instincts on animals. They're not mutually exclusive (usually). ;)
    • jasz, on 02/28/2008, -2/+16buried for no photo of the hot nanny...
    • kaelyiesta, on 02/28/2008, -0/+7Well, for anyone who has survived the public school system in the US, it is pretty much obvious that most kids are. Unless you were completely isolated from the bullies and such, I couldn't imagine anyone thinking otherwise.
      • norman619, on 02/28/2008, -0/+5Just like the myth of children being honest and truthful.
  • queenmoweeny, on 02/28/2008, -2/+94I remember one time when my son was misbehaving.. my girlfriend, who had no children, looked at me and said,"My kids will NEVER act like that!!" Well, she was blessed with two devil children... Never say NEVER!
    • Buelldozer, on 02/28/2008, -0/+21The ones who say things like that are always the most fun to watch when it's their little darlings.
      • olenick, on 02/28/2008, -0/+2Their kids never misbehave. I had a girlfriend and my straight-A son with gobs of friends could do no right. One day at dinner her daughter slapped me across the face when I told her she couldn't have dessert until after dinner. When her mom told her to apologize the six year old said, literally, "blah blah blah." Her mom said "oh well ... you know it's easy to set her off." We broke up later that night.
    • gernblansted, on 02/28/2008, -1/+16It's funny but sad - people are experts at kids, until they have them. No one knows more about my children than some of my friends who have no children. It's really easy, says one. If you don't want them to do something, just say 'no' to them. When that doesn't work, says another, it's because I'm not explaining why they shouldn't do it with simple enough words. My son was 2 years old at the time.

      As a parent, you don't get to choose the genes that make your kids tick. Yet.
    • samurailynn, on 02/28/2008, -1/+3I know that my kids will never act like that. I just won't have any.
    • zatrix, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1dugg for saying "never say never" which is a recursive absolute which may or may not be true.
  • perkonis, on 02/28/2008, -9/+62I actually have succeeded in convincing all my kids that Barney is evil. It's a beautiful thing to hear a toddler say "Barney is evil."
    • sanotaan, on 02/28/2008, -17/+7congratulations on your pointless brainwashing
    • flashingcurser, on 02/28/2008, -17/+4I'm glad you could teach your kids to hate feminine, happy characters, who teach politeness. Good job.
    • dondara, on 02/28/2008, -4/+8Wow, the fun police are pissed at you.
    • HaloZero, on 02/28/2008, -1/+7Wait..... Barney is still on TV?!
    • mike17032, on 02/28/2008, -2/+6What did you do, sodomize them with a Barney doll?
    • MindStalker, on 02/28/2008, -0/+3AH? alt.barney.die.die.die ?
      • WoollyMittens, on 02/28/2008, -1/+2The last person familiar with usenet died 5 years ago peacefully in his sleep.
    • yeti22, on 02/28/2008, -0/+4Why is that a beautiful thing? Inane != evil.
      As a side note, does the toddler have a clue what he's saying? Or is he just repeating the words to make mommy happy?
    • scallon, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1Well, I for one commend you.
  • ToeCracker, on 02/28/2008, -2/+27The truth is kids and adults are not perfect and people can have unrealistic expectations. Kids make mistakes like all adults did themselves as kids and continue to do. This is all part of learning and the most important aspect is allowing kids to become mistake breakers too and grow from their mistakes.
    • wit21, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1Agreed. In fact, a lot of people think kids' innocence makes them nicer, but I've always thought the opposite. Part of growing up is learning that you have to control your natural selfishness (which is ingrained for survival, in my opinion) to live productively in society. Of course, we all learn these things in different ways and to different degrees...
  • homedaddy, on 02/28/2008, -3/+36Here's the simple rule for parents. Good behaviour is all from good parenting. Bad behaviour is from their inner nature. ;)
    • Miche1987, on 02/28/2008, -5/+9Bad behavior is also from bad parenting (not to play down inner nature at all).
      • ThE0eNiGmA, on 02/28/2008, -0/+7He is referring to the blame game. If a child behaves well, the parents takes credit. If the child misbehaves, the parents blame it on their child's inner nature, not themselves.
        • candafilm, on 02/28/2008, -0/+3And video games.
          • scallon, on 02/28/2008, -0/+2ooh ooh! And violence in television. And music. And newspapers.
            Oh and sex. Sex causes all sorts of problems. Its a big no-no!
    • jm4847, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1That's what the author forgot.
  • alihaq717, on 02/28/2008, -9/+3REALITY BITES
  • zentehflash, on 02/28/2008, -3/+45Can we get all the journalists together and tell them to stop putting "an inconvenient" in front of truth all the time.
  • aaaleman, on 02/28/2008, -4/+15Bill Hicks had been saying this for years.
    He had the truth and then he died.
    Only now are people listening to him, even if it is by proxy.
    R.I.P.
  • scooterbaga, on 02/28/2008, -1/+16Love the 'toy truck baby' bit. That's a gem.
  • swaddict, on 02/28/2008, -13/+8wow, this is way off on so many points. You can't force kids to like the crap you like. You have to expose them to as much as possible and let them pick. And yes, boys will be boys and girls, girls, but not 24/7. Kids explore.
    As for the babysitter, making assumptions about people based on looks is nothing new, and does not make them shallow. Shallow people do not understand that it takes effort to look past the image, which needs to be taught over time.
    Plus, it sounds like he has given up. Personalities do not really gel until you are 25, and then they are still malleable. You still have time.
    • Buelldozer, on 02/28/2008, -3/+10Wow, you've managed to pretty much repeat the points of the article! Good Job!
    • scallon, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1Its more like 19-20 not 25. Usually by the age of 19 a person is set for how they will think and act the rest of their lives. To change that is rather difficult.
  • tmaiden, on 02/28/2008, -4/+10This really made front page?
    • fredmv, on 02/28/2008, -0/+3Ya know, I've been saying that to myself _a lot_ lately.
  • TheAtomicMoose, on 02/28/2008, -1/+41"an inconvenient youth" would have been better.
    • kleptomaniac, on 02/28/2008, -0/+10That's what my parents call me.
      • TheCasablancan, on 02/28/2008, -0/+2Mine called me "Mistake".

        Kidding.
  • sidewalksurfing, on 02/28/2008, -14/+9wow! an article on digg not about iphones or Ron Paul... and a good one at that! i agree with the article... there are so many things i want my kid to be exposed to and experience.... and he only wants to play with Thomas. Thomas this, Thomas that, and if it's not Thomas it's TRUCKS! this is a great article that makes you realize you just have to go with the flow in life, esp with kids.
    • scallon, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1The article really wasn't all that great. Its just the musings of a random middle aged husband and father of two. Not that rare or insightful.
  • snurfle, on 02/28/2008, -8/+3ordisturbing

    Does no one understand the use of the 'Check Spelling' feature?

    I can at least understand people ***** up there/their/they're, and I can even see how a stupid person would have trouble with to/too/two.
    But for crying out loud... can't we even check to see if we have any glaring spelling errors?


  • je12u, on 02/28/2008, -6/+64That gender neutral garbage is ridiculous.
    • njaguar, on 02/28/2008, -0/+18Glad someone said it. Almost as naive as the "my kids will like Alaskan scenery" crap.

      Kids != Adults. Treating them as such is a travesty.
    • DoubtingThomas, on 02/28/2008, -0/+20Welcome to, as George Carlin put it, the "Pussification of America."
      • Railz, on 02/28/2008, -1/+2mmm, that would sound a lot better if it was literal.
    • LCmidas, on 02/28/2008, -0/+4Yes, it is. My girlfriend's daughter adores everything pink and frilly, but I still buy her toy guns (which she does play with sometimes), doctor sets, and toy balls, too, in hopes that she doesn't grow up thinking boys are stupid, immature, and obsessed with sports. It makes sense to me somehow...
      • vuke69, on 02/28/2008, -2/+2"It makes sense to me somehow..."

        Well, that makes one of us.
    • RobotBuddha, on 02/28/2008, -1/+2Especially the machine Vs. doll angle. There's a huge male/female preference already in place almost as soon as babies are even able to distinguish between the two. Societal conditioning can account for a lot, but there's a large amount that has been confirmed before they're ever exposed to their culture.
    • jibii, on 02/29/2008, -0/+1It's more important to be gender neutral with your thinking. Don't prefer one over the other but don't neglect either side. Buy your kids dolls *and* trains. Encourage them to be creative, constructive, and nurturing all at the same time.

      That being said, I laughed really hard at the little girl with the truck in a blanket!
  • yanksphan, on 02/28/2008, -5/+4So let me get this straight - Everyone is different?

    Shocker.
    • drachemorder, on 02/28/2008, -0/+2Everyone is different. No two people are not on fire. Awww....
  • noahhoward, on 02/28/2008, -1/+13Here's a more useful fact for any would be parents (ha ha ha) on Digg. Infants can contain more liquid than a jug of similar volume, this liquid will not be held back by any object known to man.
    • Buelldozer, on 02/28/2008, -0/+7That "Geeks don't get sex" meme is really old and tired. I'm already a parent and I've been a Geek since at least 1981.
    • Hetman, on 02/28/2008, -2/+1Pic or its not true. And how would one test this hypothesis without exploding a baby?
      • noahhoward, on 02/28/2008, -0/+2I'd photograph his onesy and bedsheets for you but I imagine they'll have been washed by the time I got home. I may need to clarify they put out more liquid than goes in. Completely mind-boggling.
  • Dumbledorito, on 02/28/2008, -2/+14The "mope rock" part made me think about what I'm seeing parents my age doing to their kids. Not wanting to be the "uncool" parents like THEIRS were, they're letting their kids listen to hard-core gangsta rap, death metal, or whatever it was that they felt they were denied as kids, and it's really making their children defective when it comes to behavior (a 9-year-old nephew whose father lets him listen to rap does a "raise the roof" and starts quoting quite explicit lyrics whenever he wins at a board game. We've had to have quite long talks about the words he's picking to express his joy).
    • o0joshua0o, on 02/28/2008, -0/+11Totally agree. I have a newsflash for these people trying to make their kids hip. If you have to work so hard at being cool, you're not cool. And your kids aren't cool, either. Just let them be kids, for Pete's sake.
    • tsbardella, on 02/28/2008, -1/+6***** that author for saying Elliot Smith is Mope Rock. Elliot Smith is singer song writer, if anything he is therapy music because he makes me feel great about my life.... I censor what my kids hear they do not need to hear Elliot Smith, they do not like that stuff, they like movie OSTs and the Wiggles. My thirteen year old listens to more books than music and she likes classical stuff and Zelda sound tracks,. she cannot stand Elliot Smith and I doubt she ever will because he is not for her generation. Also my boy like bionicles he is like a freak for them and they are just little steel dolls. He does not like guns at all. At his age I would make a machine gun out of a toothpaste tube and toothbrush if I had to.

      My littlest girl has a great deal of love for pink and her purse and she is waiting for the day I take her shopping in the mall that I think is going to be the best day of her life - and she has never been in the mall because I avoid the mall - Let Kevin Smith have the Mall I say.

      My Thirteen year old girl thinks that shopping is the activity of another group of which she has no truck with only some passing interest. I did explain Dungeons and Dragons to her and she was extreamly interested. She does not seem to be an average thirteen year old girl for instance She came up to me excitedly explaining that a friend of hers at church had a bound Mark Twain complete works - she will say things like "Dad do you think it is right for kids to complain about their parents?" What do you say to that? I almost laughed I had to stuff a chuckle because I mean at thirteen I had nothing but distane and dirision for my parents. We had a long discussion about how growing up because unlike when I was a kid I actually talk to my daughter about growing up and about social situations and how to handle them we have a relationship that is based on me as the father who wants his children to succeed in the world the real world not University Land or Diversity Villiage but out in the freakin world with real people. We have conversations and we do role playing. It helps that she is smarter than me so she knows I am just trying to impart experience not some weird theory of interpersonal relationships. I am not trying to indoctrinate I am trying to father

      That is my life as a Dad - Three different children I am very proud that my oldest daughter is a gamer, that is my greatest accomplishment, at this point I could care less how the other two come out.
      • tightscrummy, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1Dugg for use of "distane" and "dirision" within one word of each other.
    • loopis, on 02/28/2008, -3/+2So you are with Tipper Gore that types of music cause bad behavior? Stupid. How about teach the kid manners to not act like he is on the Jumbotron when he wins a board game and be respectful winner. Music whether it has curse words or bad messages does not control a kids behavior. Maybe it is the best parenting in the world to let your kid listen to all of the same music you do, but knowing the kid saying some curse words here and there doesn't equal bad behavior. Children are defective or imperfect they are kids.... Now go get me a beer little Johnny.
      • Dumbledorito, on 02/29/2008, -0/+2No, I'm not advocating Tipper Gore censorship. I'm saying there's a big difference in becomming a curse-music afficionado all on your own or having your 'rents play it in the car when they're dropping you off at daycare.

        But if you insist on using that thar broad brush, can I assume you're for the showing of soft-core porn on the ol' minivan DvD player with the ankle-biters in the back seat?
  • grapfx, on 02/28/2008, -5/+6I tried to convince my two year old that anything Disney is evil. He really doesn't know anything "mickey mouse-ish" except for Winnie the Pooh, but he really doesn't care about that. I try to steer away from Disney, but I do allow him to watch Little Einsteins which is a really cool show that shows art and teaches classical music songs. I tried to do the Wiggles are evil too, but he loves them and every evening you can find the both of us dancing along with Captain Feathersword and his Friendly Pirate Crew. I can say that he is a big fan of PeeWee's Playhouse and enjoys watching SchoolHouse Rock. At least he has some good taste.
    • ModernDayDarwin, on 02/28/2008, -0/+4I spend at least 30 minutes a day (sometimes hours) dancing to the Wiggles. My 2 year old has every live performance they made.
      I survive on the small joys of the hot backup dancers.
    • tennman, on 02/28/2008, -1/+4I don't understand why people try to brainwash their kids that Disney is evil. Sure it is a big corporation that is far from perfect, but they do kid stuff very well. I grew up in Tampa and had Disney in my backyard, so I got sick of it as one might expect. But the first time I took my kids there, you could see the joy and magic in their eyes and I have a wonderful memory of our first Disney vacation. I wouldn't give up those memories for the world. Sure, they could certainly change some things for the better, but they are far from evil.
      • Vapor17, on 02/28/2008, -0/+4but its so hip and now to bash "the Man"
    • yeti22, on 02/28/2008, -0/+2Astonishing that something so evil led to a parent and child dancing together every evening. I hope you're doing your best to let your child know that this is evil and should be avoided.
      • RobotBuddha, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1To be fair, the morality of something isn't impacted by the ability to increase or decrease bonding. There's a lot of pretty evil groups out there that excel in family coherence.
    • loopis, on 02/28/2008, -1/+1Brainwashing is harsh term trying to steer them away from characters which are mainly used to get your kids to beg you to buy ***** for them is mellow. A kid that has never seen Micky Mouse will love Disney land just as much as the kid who is seeing it for the first time.
    • jm4847, on 02/28/2008, -3/+2Just don't let them watch tv, that's lazy parenting.
    • Railz, on 02/28/2008, -1/+2The more you try and control kids, the bigger their unruliness in their teen years will be.
    • zedstream, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1The Wiggles ROCK LIKE ATLAS!
    • jibii, on 02/29/2008, -0/+1When I took care of my niece and nephew I *loved* the Wiggles!!
  • lukas88, on 02/28/2008, -0/+10I must have missed the memo that said we were all going to overuse the phrase "inconvenient truth" just to see how annoying it can get.
  • kelly, on 02/28/2008, -2/+11It seems that this is a hard truth for a lot of lift-wingers as it is they more than any other that are of the opinion that gender roles are taught rather than ingrained within each os us.

    As is common throughout nature, there are exceptions to this rule, but it seems that this exception to the rule is the justification so often used as an example to suggest that THESE kids were the ones that managed to not be influenced by a gender rolling society.

    I'm always surprised at people's reactions to this as if it's something new. If anything, the idea that gedner roles are assigned by society is something that has influenced people to a negative. It's what's caused people to try to justify the acceptance of an idea which suggests that kids don't need both a father AND a mother to be properly molded human beings.
    • VSLOATHE, on 02/28/2008, -2/+2Whether or not gender roles are ingrained or not is irrelevant. As rational human beings, we have a choice on whether or not to follow those gender roles. Those roles were evolved in a world that catered to it much more than the modern day does.
      • zedstream, on 02/28/2008, -1/+2Evolution and environment both play a significant role. It is very relevant.
    • zedstream, on 02/28/2008, -4/+2>It seems that this is a hard truth for a lot of lift-wingers as it is they more than any other that are of the opinion that gender roles are taught rather than ingrained within each os us.

      Sorry, this is old school, even for left-wingers. You see, left-wingers are flexible and can accept empirical research, which has had a lot to say lately about the sexes and behavior.
      • Smaulz, on 02/28/2008, -1/+3[citation needed]
        • zedstream, on 02/28/2008, -2/+1http://www4.vindy.com/content/national_world/32279 ...

          FTFA, "The brain region in question helps people shift gears when their usual response would be inappropriate, supporting the notion that liberals are more flexible in their thinking."

          If you're unaware of (American) conservative disdain of science, then try http://www.amazon.com/Republican-War-Science-Chris ...
          • zedstream, on 02/28/2008, -2/+1Scientific American's review of The Republican War on Science states,

            Thomas Jefferson would be appalled. More than two centuries after he helped to shape a government based on the idea that reason and technological advancement would propel the new United States into a glorious future, the political party that now controls that government has largely turned its back on science. Even as the country and the planet face both scientifically complex threats and remarkable technological opportunities, many Republican officeholders reject the most reliable sources of information and analysis available to guide the nation. As inconceivable as it would have been to Jefferson--and as dismaying as it is to growing legions of today's scientists--large swaths of the government in Washington are now in the hands of people who don't know what science is. More ominously, some of those in power may grasp how research works but nonetheless are willing to subvert science's knowledge and expert opinion for short-term political and economic gains. That is the thesis of The Republican War on Science, by Chris Mooney, one of the few journalists in the country who specialize in the now dangerous intersection of science and politics. His book is a well-researched, closely argued and amply referenced indictment of the right wing's assault on science and scientists. Mooney's chronicle of what he calls "science abuse" begins in the 1970s with Richard Nixon and picks up steam with Ronald Reagan. But both pale in comparison to the current Bush administration, which in four years has: * Rejected the scientific consensus on global warming and suppressed an EPA report supporting that consensus.
          • these3remain, on 02/29/2008, -0/+2Was right with you until you injected the "consensus on global warming" bit. There is no consensus on global warming being attributable to man. Furthermore, this year alone saw a drop in global temperatures by 1 degree - effectively wiping out global warming for the last 100 years - at least according to those who claim the earth's temperature has risen 1 degree - you know , the "consensus".
        • zedstream, on 02/29/2008, -1/+1So I supply the citations and you mod me down? Wus.
      • RobotBuddha, on 02/28/2008, -0/+3I've seen a heavy backlash against gender studies which come from a biological base. Very large segments coming from people and institutions that would be considered on the ideological left within the US. And isn't someone by definition inflexible if they're set in either a left or rightwing view?
        • zedstream, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1There may be a backlash from some quarters, probably left of center, but they're not getting the same play they used to get in the mass media.

          I was using the original poster's term. It's my experience, however, that people fall to the left or right of center, but certainly not consistently on all issues. It's not about being set left or right.
          • these3remain, on 02/29/2008, -0/+2" It's not about being set left or right." That's correct. There are issues that conservatives fall on both sides of the fence, so to speak. Some believe in torture, capital punishment, etc. Others do not. It's only those who wish to stereo-type that have misconceptions about both.
        • zedstream, on 02/28/2008, -1/+1>And isn't someone by definition inflexible if they're set in either a left or rightwing view?

          I believe you intended this post for kelly, the thread's originator.
    • gudnbluts, on 02/28/2008, -3/+2"It seems that this is a hard truth for a lot of lift-wingers as it is they more than any other that are of the opinion that gender roles are taught rather than ingrained within each os us"

      You mean right wingers? They're the ones who always seem to think it's a "choice"
      • kelly, on 02/28/2008, -2/+2Gender roles aren't a choice. Boys are ingrained to be like boys and visa versa for girls. When you go against that... that is when the choice is being made. It's the left wingers that keep stressing that they were born gay.

        Wouldn't a pedophile (for example) say the same thing? "But I was born this way. WHo are you to tell me it's wrong"
        • zedstream, on 02/28/2008, -2/+1>It's the left wingers that keep stressing that they were born gay.
          Oh really? I'm thinking the Log Cabin Republicans would disagree. http://online.logcabin.org/

          But pedophiles are born that way. When they dream of sex, they dream of pedophilia. Doesn't mean it's ok and we can tell them they're wrong to act on their desire.

          You don't get out much, do you?
          • kelly, on 02/29/2008, -0/+2We can indeed tell them that its wrong. There are certain absolutes in morality that can't be altered. You wouldn't know this today because the left-wing agenda is to remove any understanding of these absolutes. Thankfully, society still regards pedophilia as a taboo practice which at least still helps me illustrate my point which is, just because some of us have certain desires doesn't mean we should act on them. Just because you were born with an immoral desire doesn't mean it should be acted upon. If the left wing continues on that agenda then they won't have a moral stance against the pedophile, the rapist or the mass murderer, because they "were born with it"
  • pentak, on 02/28/2008, -4/+26"Which also helped explain the kids' stubborn refusal to conform to the carefully constructed gender-neutral world my wife and I had assembled for them, painting their nursery a neutral shade of avocado and providing each with unisex playthings."

    WTF? unisex playthings!? This guy is an *****.

    • Mothrog, on 02/28/2008, -2/+12No. This guy's a douche.
    • olenick, on 02/28/2008, -0/+3When my son was about five, he wanted a Barbie doll really bad. I tried to keep an open mind but really wasn't comfortable w/ the idea. Finally, his mom bought him one. He smiled, grabbed it, and went to his room. He came back about five minutes later w/ Barbie naked: he said he just wanted to see her boobs. The naked Barbie went into the toy box, never to reappear until a girl was over and he gave it to her. Sometimes boys will just be boys, and girls will be girls, and there's not a whole mom and dad or teachers can do about it.
  • Hetman, on 02/28/2008, -1/+28All kids are perfect. And if yours are not. I recommend you run out get a psychiatrist and get that kid on some anti-depressants. Being unruly is a serious problem and should be dealt with in a serious manner. Kids are not supposed to get angry mad or upset. They are supposed to be use full little automatons that go to school come back and tell you how great a day they had. If yours does not do that, I was you I would immediately seek medical attentions. Their is a cure for this behavior and the talking box in front of me is always telling me about these cures.
    • tennman, on 02/28/2008, -0/+6I just sent my kids to Tom Cruise. He's the only one that could help.
    • loopis, on 02/28/2008, -0/+3As a doctor I prescribe that you leave the TV on 24 hours a day. Especially kid centric channels that have mostly commercials. Oh and lots and lots of sugar including soda and juice.
  • IdleBullet, on 02/28/2008, -2/+8"Even as I disciplined him, I found a way to justify - or at least reconcile - the occasional outburst of savagery. He was, I mused, simply expressing the innate impulses of his primate forefathers."

    Hey maybe you weren't doing a good job disciplining your kids. If you caved in to "reconcile" then these primate kids found weakness and exploited it! Stand your ground.
    • FordSVT1, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1You're right, every outburst must be met SWIFTLY and RUTHLESSLY in order to make sure they NEVER DO IT AGAIN.

      Anyways, back to reality. You have no kids.
  • signal15, on 02/28/2008, -0/+26When I get a 19 year old yoga instructor to babysit for my kids, I won't want to go out either.
    • Railz, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1Imagine this parents disbelief when his boy is 'of age'
  • aaapples, on 02/28/2008, -7/+7First he failed at breeding, then he failed at writing an article that I could stand to look for more than 30 seconds. Poor guy.
  • pjpark, on 02/28/2008, -2/+20How old was he when he learned this stuff? And he writes an article about it as if what he has just learned is news to someone? I can't wait for his next articles in the "inconvenient truth" series:

    "An inconvenient truth -- the zipper goes in front"
    "An inconvenient truth -- some things are hard to eat with only a fork"
    "An inconvenient truth -- shoes come in 'left' and 'right' varieties and are more comfortable on the correct foot"
    • michael43, on 02/28/2008, -4/+3I like where you're going with this...everybody should add a few...here are a few to start
      "An inconvenient truth -- When in Asia, using chopsticks doesn't make you fit in, you just look stupid"
      "An inconvenient truth -- That hot 19 year old you "cutie" who likes older men you met in the chat room, is not hot, 19 or cute and is an older man"
      "An inconvenient truth -- That receding hair line your wife said isn't noticable, IS"
      and last but not least:
      "An inconvenient truth -- When she says she "likes you, but as a friend" she is already humping your best friend."
      • supporter12, on 02/29/2008, -0/+1wtf it is not possible that u got the whole point wrong,
        ...or is it???
  • IHaveIssues, on 02/28/2008, -0/+16God, these articles are a dime a dozen: new parent finds out that his carefully laid plan of being the ultimate parent raising the ultimate kid is derailed by reality. Been there, done that, got two great kids.
  • craftycorner, on 02/28/2008, -3/+4An AVOCADO GREEN nursery? Those brats are DAMAGED!
  • Sinick, on 02/28/2008, -2/+0"Elliott Smith" has two t's in his first name, not one! :(
  • anodos, on 02/28/2008, -1/+10It's funny... he thought kids were naturally good and only learned "badness" from their surroundings... then, when they are bad, goes on to figure it must be evolution. This is one of the contradictions of our society that is hard to escape. On the one hand you have evolution telling you it is all survival of the fittest, and on the other you have humanists telling you we are basically good. It's hard to see any kids movie or show these days without hearing that message. I think humanism is a bunch of crap. Kids are born selfish. If you want them to be different, then be prepared to teach them.
  • NYC10004, on 02/28/2008, -1/+6I remember something like this unfolding a couple years out of college with two friends who got married and had kids. It was always hilarious to see their gender neutral world go up in flames under the nozzle of Mother Nature's flame thrower.
  • badenglishihave, on 02/28/2008, -2/+7Heck, it's biblical: "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." - Psalm 51:5
  • cgomez, on 02/28/2008, -4/+4Children are terrible. I've been saying this for years...
  • MrCobaltBlue, on 02/28/2008, -0/+2Yes they are! I have a bumper sticker that says so!
  • Aticper, on 02/28/2008, -1/+8Let's face it: the primary difference between a five year old and a chimpanzee is a matter of hair.

    Humans of any age do what benefits them - it's called human nature, and it's not a learned behavior. Your kids will not be what you want them to be. They will be no more perfect than you are, and the tiny fraction of their lives that you control will probably not influence them in the slightest.

    Honestly, by the time they hit seventeen or so, most kids are as bright as their ever going to get. From then on, it's just a matter of education. Children do not pick up information along a gradient from 'child-safe' to 'adult'. They pick up information wherever they find it, and they learn inconvenient behaviors and facts that their parents would rather they not know. The idea of an 'innocent child' is laughable to anyone who has spent ten minutes listening to third graders talk.
  • akatherder, on 02/28/2008, -1/+5I married a girl who had a kid, so I was starting off with a 4 year old who was already partially molded. I spent a while blaming my wife for every tiny little flaw the kid had. Then I rolled up my sleeves and got to work teaching manners and how to clean up. After two years, I've finally succeeded in coming to the conclusion that my expectations are completely unrealistic and kids actually have minds of their own. Damnit.
    • Hetman, on 02/28/2008, -0/+1Yea that is true. But they are able to be taught how to behave better. They never will be completly good but who is. I will give you credit because it is hard to enter a relationship with a person who has children already. Espiacially if they women will not allow you to discipline them. I do not think any kid should be beat but they do require some authority to keep them under control.
  • Deanblackoak, on 02/28/2008, -0/+3I've always known kids were monsters. And painful.
  • jm4847, on 02/28/2008, -3/+7One of the several reasons I will never have children: They will never live up to my expectations and be what I want them to be, so why bother?
    Plus they're annoying, expensive, needy (more than a dog) and end up growing up and hating you, and they're probably right when doing so.
    • Hetman, on 02/28/2008, -2/+2I agree. And I also do not buy into this im so noble for raising a kid. It such a sacrifice. No its not. A sacrifice is trying to live your life with out inpregnating a women. And that is a sacrifice that will actually help the earth. Overpopulation will be a problem and the sooner we realize the better.
      • jibii, on 02/29/2008, -0/+1Actually a lot of countries are concerned about their low birthrates already because so many people are following their careers or concentrating on their own lives. Not to say these things are bad, but it's a fact that less people are breeding already.
    • jibii, on 02/29/2008, -0/+1They *are* annoying, expensive, needy, and may grow up to hate you. But they are still so worth it.
  • saska, on 02/28/2008, -0/+7At the end of his kindergarten year my son vowed he would never, as an older student, make fun of kindergarteners because of how awful it was for him during that year. He's stuck to that vow.

    Unfortunately, this kind of compassion and leadership is for naught among 7-year-olds, and at the end of almost every day I have to revert back to the simple fact that most kids his age are mean, cliquish, and unfair, and that I admire him for being different, and I hope that counts for enough for him not to become like them.
    • jibii, on 02/29/2008, -0/+1Your son is an amazing boy because that takes vast amount of courage to be different. Keep supporting him and he'll grow up to be a wonderful person! :)
  • Lythium, on 02/28/2008, -0/+7Four words: "Lord of the Flies."
  • DrummerAndrew, on 02/28/2008, -0/+3How about some pics of this babysitter?
  • superherogirl, on 02/28/2008, -0/+4i dont think i could appreciate alaskin scenery if there was a plate of cookies behind me....
  • wishninja, on 02/28/2008, -0/+4Should be titled "how parents screw up their kids by going against nature"
  • reflect23, on 02/28/2008, -0/+0I've got three kids - 1 boy and 2 girls, ages 4, 3, and 2 (13 months apart). My kids may be crazy at times (a lot of the time!) but they are also have good manners. They almost always say "Please", "Thank You", and "Bless you"(if you sneeze). They even say "Excuse me" if they burp or pass gas. My wife and I started teaching them well before most people felt that they would understand - and in the beginning they didn't. Don't listen to people who try to tell you that your kid is x months old, he/she should be at x level on x skill or behavioural factor. Kids are kids, everybody grows at different rates and develop differently. My son didnt talk until he was 2, one of my daughters could say words, very clearly and some pretty big words, before she was one. They are both extremely intelligent and now that my son is 4, he is top of his preschool class in certain areas. But when he was a baby, everybody said that he wasn't developing to the "standard" and blah blah blah.
  • studiocitizen, on 02/28/2008, -3/+0Buried as gay, and by gay I mean lame (and a little gay for a guy to be writing stuff like that).
    • bryik, on 02/29/2008, -0/+2Oh *****, he better stop writing for fear of your judgment.
  • VinnieDaMac, on 02/29/2008, -0/+2Summary: Two lucky kids got a hott babysitter.
  • markxs, on 02/29/2008, -2/+0"otherwise unconditionally loving parents lavish more attention and praise on prettier kids than goony ones."

    It is NOT normal for loving parents to "lavish more attention and praise on prettier kids than goony one." I'm glad my parents weren't that way. Thanks Mom and Dad.
  • Metasquares, on 02/29/2008, -0/+1Children are not their parents. They are not going to like everything their parents like. This is perfectly fine.

    I loved nature as kid. My parents did not. The author of the article seemed to have the opposite experience.
  • nardo510, on 02/29/2008, -0/+2Kids and perfect should not mix. Plus no one is perfect such this is such a stupid ass article..
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