With parents like these...

...no wonder they have bratty children.

As a father of an almost 4-year-old, Amy Alkon is completely in the right. What did she say? Just a very proper, It's very disturbing that you allow your children to scream like that.

When I finally said something to them, they were aghast. Hey, ladies (and I’m using that term loosely), if I wanted to hear screaming babies, I’d go read my newspaper and eat my breakfast in a nursery school. Commenting on their oblivion to the presence of anyone but themselves in the place, I noted that my mother and father didn’t bring us anywhere until they were sure we didn’t disturb others. The mother giving me the finger repeatedly called me “ugly” and a “bitch” for suggesting they could be more considerate. She continued: “What do lonely, angry bitches like you know?” Well, a little something about public consideration, just for starters. I thought it was particularly funny that she suggested I look in the mirror (at my "ugly face") -- as if this would help me put a cork in her kid.

The other night, we went out to a local restaurant. A family of four - girl about three and a boy about 5 - comes in and takes up two tables for eight. Both kids are placed in high chairs. Personally, our daughter has refused a high chair since about two and sits at the table like a normal adult. The parents also placed shower curtains under the chairs to contain the mess. And what a mess. Small kids are expected to make somewhat of a mess, but when a 3 and 5-year old are throwing more food then they're eating, this is a serious behavioral issue.

Did I mention the high chairs were placed at opposite ends of the two tables? This was so there would be enough room in front of each child to hold their own personal DVD players. God forbid the parents have to interact with their own children. Which, they had no intention of dong...or of interacting with each other. While the children watched their movies and tossed the dinners on the floor, the parents read their own papers and sucked down their own alcoholic beverages. These are the kids that will be given Hummers upon turning 16 and will complain because it's the wrong color.