Last night, I was at Walmart with my family. We walked out, and the Churro trailer was open and serving Churros. well, my son asked if we could get some. I winced a bit, but said "ok". So we went over and checked em out. The prices were reasonable.....The vendor asked how many we wanted...I said "ummmmmm" My son says "Dad, we can get 75 for like $15.00!!" I said "NO WAY! Thats too many....and you'll just get fat...How's that going to work for you getting into the military?"

Then I had an idea to get some desired "respect" from my kid. I turned to him and said "If you act like you're in the military every time you talk to me for a week, I'll get you 100 of them." He quickly says "OK!" With a big grin on his face. I explain to him that he must address me as "sir" before and after EACH AND EVERY sentance. If he deviates from that....EVER within the next week, he looses. So far, he has been keeping it up pretty well. Even when he gets mad, he still adresses me as "sir". I get some weird looks when we're in public, but it's great. People act as though I'm asking too much from my son, and he must be afraid of me, to be acting like that. Little do they know it's just a little bribery in motion. My hope, is that after it ends, he will forget it's over and he will continue to address me that way.

What do you think? Am I just "mean"?


*edit* I need to mention, that my son is almost 12, and has had a strong desire to join the military since 9-11-01. He was little, but he understood that people were trying to destroy our way of life and possibly take our lives as well....So he said (even back then) that he wanted to help protect our country when I was too old to.

 

not mean at all.

 

its not mean for children to respect parents and elders. i address older members on here as sir, even in person. ppl nowa days are fuckin rediculous with all the bullshit about u cant hit ur kid. my father b4 he died had no problem takin me or my brothers behind the barn and woopin our ass's if we misbehaved. but we grew up in a diff society and time then.

 

You're not just merely mean...
You're most sincerely mean!

Ummmm, no. To tell you the truth, I haven't seen one kid in the last 30 or 40 years who couldn't use some of that.

 

Not mean at all, its called parenting. some people need to look it up.

 

not at all sir! Could definately use more in society. Tell anybody who disagrees to F off....

 

It was always expected to address my parents"yes sir ,or yes maam" when told something.

 

Nothing wrong with teaching respect..Too many parents out there have forgotten to pass this on while raising their own..I hope everything works out for you son if he does stick to joining the service..I enjoyed my career and had a chance to see the world too........No civilian job has ever come close to the way I felt about being in the ARMY.........

 

i dont think it's mean really. but if i had ever said that i was asked if i saw star's and stripes on there shoulder. and i would only say sir to be a smart ass.

 

needs to low crawl through the front yard too