Franken Child

Saturday I took my protege, a sweet eleven-year old year to the circus; the "greatest show on earth."  If she enjoyed it half as much as me, she had a fantastic time.  It is an ideal outing for anyone with attention challenges.  Three rings of action!  Beautiful ladies twirling and swirling, clowns falling and running, and the ringmaster leading the charge.  The circus is truly an American production- a tribute to our ingenuity and independence.  So when I took my little friend, I had high hopes that the circus would touch her the way it did and still does me.  What caught my attention this time was the inability of parents to say no to their spoiled, rude children and the obscene amounts of cash parents and grandparents spent on ephemeral, flimsy bits of plastic that will soon be forgotten and broken with the other momentary delights in closets and plastic storage bins.  The family in the row in front of us bought thier son the $10.00 cotton candy/wizard hat combo, the elephant mug filled with rainbow sno-cone, smore on a stick and lemonade.  The boy decided he wanted the popcorn in the colorful box and mom finally said "no."  The boy slammed his little body into his seat, crossed his  greedy little arms and screwed his face up.  Dad immediately called the vendor over and bought the child the popcorn.  The interesting thing was that while all of this desiring and purchasing was happening, Jack Russell terriers were doing back flips, poodles were dancing and Maltese dogs were twirling in Kilts.  He missed the parade of ladies in the Siamese attire and the Russian guys flipping off of and onto what appeared to be snow board teeter totters.  The circus was the treat.  The other stuff was not necessary.  My fear is that these children will never accept no and will learn to whine, manipulate and bully their way into what they want.  Saying no doesn't make you the bad guy and they will recover.  We have created monsters.