Kids today..........

So...can anyone tell me what is going on with kids today?

Wait, what I actually mean is can anyone tell me why in recent years adults have this compulsion to treat small children like adults? The fact is that kids really haven't changed. What has changed is adults attitude towards kids.

Don't get me wrong here. I am as irritated as the next person is with the crying, tantrum producing, snotty nosed little heathens running around in public places as the next guy or gal. However.............

There is this story of a 6 year old boy sexually harassing a 6 year old girl. Say What!?!
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/6-year-old-boy-accused-of-sexual-harassment-for-repeating-pop-song-lyric/
Fortunately there are some laws in place that will prevent this 6 year old from getting the Pedophile label (since he IS a prepubescent child himself  and by definition the victim must be at least 5 years younger before it could be considered a pedophelic.) So, what are we left with here.

A 6 year old boy quotes a song line (albeit an inappropriate song line) to a 6 year old girl who what? - feels sexually harassed? Do either of these children know what sexual harassment  is or means? The first thought that popped into my head when I read these articles (besides WTH, are you kidding me!?!, etc ... see Wednesday Rant) is did the girl feel sexually harassed? If the 6 year old girl felt sexually harassed how did she know or understand what sexual was? Has anyone checked into her home life if this is the case? The other thing that crossed my mind was why was the school deeming this sexual harassment? Shouldn't this just have been a case of inappropriate behavior in general. You know...the kind that used to get you sent to the office with detention or something? Someone else gets to determine if something is sexually harassing to you or just plain harassing?

Then there is the who is going to explain to these two kids and probably the rest of the school now that a 6 year has been expelled, what sexual harassment is and why this was sexual harassment. And what the difference is and how to recognize the difference between feeling uncomfortable with a behavior or feeling sexual about a behavior. Who is going to be answering all their questions about this? Is this the schools job? Should the school be held accountable for the situation they have now caused with their over-reaction (yeah, that is my opinion) to this situation?

Yes, I also agree that this song is probably not the best song for a 6 year old to be listening to but stuff happens. Kids hear things when they are out and about. I had the dickens of a time trying to explain to my four year old son why the gyrations along with the verbiage of  "body language" of the evil octopus Sea witch Ursula,  in Disney's Little Mermaid was not an appropriate action to be performed in the middle of a mall. If you don't know what I'm talking about - watch the movie "Body Language" is pretty graphic and took me by surprise coming from a Disney G rated movie that I was watching with my 3 toddlers back in the day.

Then there is the out of control 6 year old who was hauled out of school in handcuffs. Say what?
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/police-handcuffing-a-child-is-our-last-alternative-when-theyre-putting-others-in-danger-mre

Yes, 100% I agree that this child was out of control. Was this the very first time this kid acted like this? This happened well into the school year so everyone in the school would have had plenty of time to know if this were an ongoing behavioral issue. If this was the first time this child acted like this it should have been red flags, alarms, bells and whistles going off. Did something happen at school or at home that would cause a sudden violent outburst like this? Was being hauled off in handcuffs to the police station appropriate or even necessary? Don't teachers have training on how to deal with children?

The case of the 6 year old going berserk in school brought this story to mind: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/25/11389266-dad-wires-up-autistic-son-10-to-expose-bullying-by-teaching-staff?lite

The point of this rambling rant I guess would be basically outrage that along with zero tolerance there is zero common sense or actually sense of any kind. Outrage also about there fact that the stupid behaviors we did as a kid that used to be chalked up to "just being kids" (t'ping trees, ringing door bells, etc.) are now offenses that will get a kid a juvenile criminal record. Yes, bad behavior should be corrected but is it really up to the court system to do the parents job? Zero tolerance I fear will soon mean that 90% of kids will be classified as criminals and juvenile offenders. I am not talking about gun toting, drug dealing, shoot somebody in the head kids here either.

I'm in my mid sixties and I can remember what it was like to be a kid. Is it really that easy for people to forget?