So, then. What were you ruling when you were eight months old? Like Constantine, and like most other people, the roost, would be my guess. Hollering loudly, ordering people around, whenever you were hungry, or wet, or generally aggravated with life itself.
In all fairness, it should be noted that the child was crowned co-Caesar with his father, Heraclius.
Like many of you, I am a parent, and thus shared with their mother the responsibility of raising several children. It is right and meet that the infant express his* desires and expect his demands to be met. The demands are reasonable, and can usually be met, barring extreme poverty and illness.
But. Here I pause to mount my soapbox
It is my belief that it is the responsibility of the parents to teach the child as it grows and develops that he is not Caesar, and that the world does not exist for the purpose of gratifying his every whim.
Dismount.
And believe me, I could go on and on.
*Note that the masculine pronouns in the tirade
are to be considered gender-neutral in the
grammatical sense. Humor me. That is how
I was taught. In school. By licensed teachers.
6 comments:
That teaching responsibility was abandoned long ago by many a parent. They apparently do not realize that what they think is "so cute" at two is "narcissistic" as an adult.
Next time write about the rude things kids say and do that adults in their lives laugh about. If rudeness and gross comments about body orifices are laughed at and repeated, children will never understand appropriate conversation in polite company.
More people with high standards for behavior should have soapboxes.
Vee, fewer soapboxes than instructors these days, and a paucity of both. I hope you and I aren't the last two people on the planet who care.
"he is not Caesar"
Here here. My grandchildren are becoming teens and my daughter is learning how hard these lessons are to teach.
KC Bob, teaching these lessons to youngsters in today's world is an extreme challenge, which is why, I suppose, so many are derelict in the responsibility. Kudos to your daughter for making the effort.
I'm with you, but too many do not agree.
Sharkey, way too many. By far.
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