Annoying

As a teacher, there are tons of opportunities to harp about how other people raise their kids. Forget the kids who act out, this is what bothers me most:

Wednesday I started a new summer class. We were going around the room doing easy English introductions - nothing difficult - when I came to one ten-year-old girl.

What's your name? I asked.

She stared at me slack-jawed, unable to say anything - clearly petrified and pretending not to understand. It's the kind of behavior that I would find only borderline acceptable from a pre-schooler, let alone a kid pushing her tween years.

Kids aren't just like that, they're allowed to act like that. You know how it goes - you ask a kid a friendly question and they burrow into their parent's side as if you've just asked them to take a ride in the back of your Ted Bundy van.

Inevitably, the parent smiles and says something like, "he's just shy," as if it's no biggie, and maybe sort of cute!

Ugh, it's NOT CUTE. And I think it's such a disservice to the kid for parents to allow it. People (namely, me) are just going to think your kid is stupid and/or lame.

I remember being uncomfortable and majorly not liking it when my parents made me speak up, look people in the eye, and say what I wanted. But now I appreciate it all the more.