Let's Talk About the "Cupcake Debating" Kid Video for a Minute...

I've been seeing this video shared for days all over Facebook.  I finally watched it and I'm appalled.  I've seen it shared calling this kid "adorable", "precious", "cutest person in the universe" and other endearing adjectives.  So, when it once again came across my newsfeed I clicked over to see what all the fuss was about.

Having watched the video a few times now, I've got a few adjectives of my own to add: brat, rude, and condescending are the nice ones...

I've seen it said multiple times that this kid should be an attorney...well, frankly, in my opinion he'll never get there.  In my opinion, with the amount of respect for his own mother that he has at this point in his short life, he will likely not even graduate high school.

Judgmental? Yes.  Harsh?  Yes.  Correct?  Maybe.  Honestly, I HOPE I'm wrong.

But, the fact that a huge part of society views this video as "cute" instead of seeing it as a child who doesn't know his place and has been failed by the adults in his world is incredibly telling.  Society is doomed!

First of all, it isn't this kid's fault that he behaves this way, really.  I feel sad for him.  The adults in his life have led him to believe that children have the right to speak to adults this way.  Maybe you think there's nothing wrong with his attitude toward his mother, too?  I disagree.  I think that this attitude of talking over her in a condescending way will only get worse as he gets older.  And then, it will expand to his teachers at school, and authority figures in society, and so on and so forth.  I've been watching this happen for several decades and I'm continually and consistently appalled.

Maybe you think I'm "old fashioned" and "backwards thinking" and that children have as much right to speak their minds as adults do.  I disagree.  And I believe in the general concept of children's rights!

I think children's rights have been stretched and distorted so badly that we need to snap back a few decades to a mindset where children's rights meant children were treated fairly and with consideration, rather than one where they are handed power they have no idea how to manage.  A time where children are guided carefully and taught respect for others and how to use their personal power in the world for good.  I believe that children should be taught manners.  I believe that children should be taught accountability for themselves and their actions.  I believe that children should be taught self-respect as well.  I believe children should be taught to feel good about themselves, but not to the point that they never feel shame.

When did we switch over to the belief that a child should never feel bad or disappointed or embarrassed or ashamed of how they behaved?  How did building a child's self-esteem get so grossly distorted?  When did we become this "everyone gets a trophy just for showing up" society?

Do you see that these attitudes set kids up for failure?  Do you see how if we shield our kids from all disappointment and sadness in their childhood they'll never be able to handle it as adults?  Do you see how we are setting kids up for failure?

We're raising them in this Disneyland everyday sort of life where everything goes their way and every meal comes with a toy and dessert and nothing ever has to be really "earned".  And then we wonder why they can't function in the "real" world.

We wonder why young adults are so narcissistic and entitled...

THIS is why!  Because a three year old who interrupts his mother repeatedly and talks to her as if he were another adult is viewed as "adorable".  I wonder, if this video were a teenager talking to his mother exactly the same way, would we view it as "cute"?  Of course not!

But that's exactly what will happen.  Because we not only permit this, we encourage it!

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And THAT'S my rant for the day!  What do you think of this kid?  Agree with me?  Disagree?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!