Ok, not all the children, just two in particular, but they’re getting me close to thinking the whole lot of them aren’t much better.
A little back-story:
I’ve moved a month ago to India, and my first cousin has very graciously let me stay at his place indefinitely, and accommodated me very nicely. I am very gracious for that, and it has made the whole transition infinitely easier. He lives there with his wife (to be known as CW), 10-year old boy (B), and 6-year-old girl (G).
Now, i haven’t lived with children since i was myself a child and living with siblings, and maybe that is clouding my views. But i don’t think so.
These kids are brats. Huge brats. I don’t think brat actually describes it. I have other words in mind, but if i actually called a child such words, people would have my head. So i won’t say it, but i’ll still think it.
First off, they scream. All the time. And they cry and whine. All the time. And when i say all the time, i mean all the time. I mean every 2nd sentence out of their mouth is scream/cry/whine. I am not exaggerating. They want everything and they want it now. And if they don’t want it now but someone else has it, then they all of a sudden want it now. I’m trying to think which kid is worse, and maybe it’s G because she screams constantly. When i pick her up. When i try to have a little fun with her (no sense of humor). When I’m holding something that’s hers, or at least she wants to be hers at that moment. There’s no “Uncle, put me down.” or “Uncle, can i have that please.” Nope. Just a loud scream for her Mommy. Again and Again. Until she gets what she wants.
They don’t listen to their parents. EVER. One time, CW asked B to do a minor chore. And he flat out said “No”. Holy crap! I never had the audacity to say that to my parents. I would at least bug or complain or give a bunch of [I>“Do I hafta?”*s before i relented. But to them, nope. They do whatever they want whenever they want. They watch TV when they’re not supposed to. They eat junk food when they shouldn’t. One time when i was left “in charge” (as if i actually had any control), and B kept on attempting to turn on the TV but i was physically blocking it from him. I finally got frustrated and I said to him: I will tell your mom what your are doing when she gets back. And he said back to me: Go ahead, she won’t do anything.
Which is right, because they won’t do anything. There’s no sense of discipline. Sometimes CW will raise her hand threatening to strike either of them, and B or G might flinch, but they know it’s an empty threat, and will go on disobeying as they were. Sometimes G laughs right afterwards.
They hit their parents. I mean, genuinely attempt at a strike to hurt (which i’m sure doesn’t, but that’s not the point). They make huge messes, and won’t clean it up, even when told to. (Heck, when i made a mess when i was young, i cleaned it up as quickly as i could before my mom would find out and scold me). They watch TV at high volumes, and leave trails of junk in their paths. They speak in voices louder than most obnoxious cell-phone users (and that’s when they’re NOT screaming or crying).
When watching TV, they are usually in a deep trance, ignoring all of outside. One day, right home from school, they were plopped in front of the TV. And CW asks when what they want to eat. Fifteen times. No answer. And after the show, B complains he’s hungry. For the next 30 minutes. Because there’s nothing to eat that he wants.
One time G was mad, and she happenned to have a very large, heavy, metal padlock in her hand. So she threw it at CW (it missed fortunately). And what came of that? Nothing. No verbal outrage, no time-out, no grounding, nothing but a mad stare. I’m sure many of you don’t condone corporal punishment, but dammit, these kids need a swift kick in the arse.
I look forward to the times they are at school. Which is thankfully a very long 9-5 (including Saturdays!). But alas, soon enough, i’ll be gone those hours too, and when i return each night, i’ll have them waiting for me.
Because they are my cousins, i don’t won’t to think that my cousin and CW are bad parents, but, in my heart, i think they are. I try to think, maybe it’s because i’m not a parent, that i haven’t been around children, but i don’t think that’s it.
I don’t think i can accurately describe what it is living with them, and there’s so much more i have left out. It’s excruciating and driving me bat-shit insane. I know that i need to move out, but for some other reasons, i need at least another month or two.
Uggh. I just need to vent.
