** Disclaimer to post .. I am not a parent. I do not want to become a parent. I can never possibly fathom the pressures that a parent goes through on a daily basis. ** With that said ..........

Does anyone discipline their children anymore?

I got home today, after spending the past two days in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with my brother, his two kids, and my brother's in laws. It was a spur of the moment idea to join the group at the end of their week at the beach. Also, it was free lodging and I LOVE, and I mean LOVE, Mytle Beach [everything that is tacky, touristy and beachy about it]!

For some background .. my brother got divorced in 2004. Then remarried less than a year later to a great woman [who had to be at work instead of the beach] he met on the cruise he took one month after the divorce. His kids live with their mom in Dallas, he lives in South Carolina. He has the kids on major holidays and 8 weeks in the summer.

The oldest is my nephew who is 12. This child's anger goes from 0 to 10 in less than 5 seconds. He has no frustration levels. Will not accept no. Disregards all women [his mom, my mother, his "step grandmother" and especially his sister, who is 10].

I watched him deliberately back talk my brother's in laws and "challenge" his father. The whole time I'm thinking, "If my brother or I had done that, we would have been dead." But no .. he just crosses his arms and mumbles under his breath.

Part of my nephew's behavior can be based on the fact that his whole world changed three weeks after he turned two .. his sister was born. From that time, his mother's parents carried on and on about my niece. So part off his anger began then. After that, he and my ex sister in law would have almost daily disagreements. My brother would then come home from work and have to play good cop / bad cop. And the divorce did not help things much either.

STILL! I can not believe his behavior. My brother's typical reaction is to vocally "get onto him", then try to talk to him and we start the cycle all over again. The child needs a psychologist, but for some reason. my brother will not get the message.

And do not think that my neice is that much better. Yesterday, I offered to take her to one of the touristy shopping areas [ie - seperate her from my nephew]. She had about as much interest as a wet noodle. Stood in line for 45 minutes while she got one of those "Build A Bear" stuffed animals [OK I got one too, but still -- 45 minutes!]. Bought her the toy and some clothes. Bought her a pretzel. Not one word of thank you. Not one! I finally said, "You're welcome." No response. "A welcome is usually a hint for thank you." Her response was, "oh, thanks." Are the children of today ever truly thankful?

BUT! If I thought that my family was the only strange one, I only had to go out among the other tourists at the beach and see that we were pretty normal. I saw little kids [as young as 5] talk back to their parents, throw fits in stores. Teenagers smarting off to their parents in public, etc.

You have to wonder what it is about today's parents. Are they just too overburdened with "life" that disciplining their kids is one hassel they do not want to take on? Now those same parents will scream if someone else tries to tell how to raise their children [or could their child be quiet on a plane, movie theatre, etc]. But if that child grows up and gets involved in drugs or goes on a shooting spree, they want to blame everyone else.