BeBe's Kids!

So the other day I logged onto my Facebook account and found myself on my 14 year old cousins Facebook page.  My 14 year old cousin lives in Buffalo with her mother.  She is one of those kids that you would see on Maury talking about, "Yea, I don't listen to my mother.. and what, bitch?"  Anyway, I go on her facebook and see her in a picture bent over with some girl behind her.  As I continued to go through her album I saw pics of her and all her friends sticking their middle fingers up.  I read the captions.  "My Niqqaz," "My Bitchez."  So being the person that I am, I commented under every single picture.  I made sure to let her know that young ladies don't conduct themselves in this manner and she is to takes these pictures down IMMEDIATELY.  Then to make sure I got my point across, I called her.  I explained to her that she is 14 years old and is to act her age.  Boysdon't respect women who act like birds.  Respectable boys anyway.  My little cousin then told me that she is just "tired of following rules."

That comment boggled my mind.  At 14, what are you responsible for?  Going to school and getting good grades.  Not a bill in the world. Not a worry in the world.  But the bigger question is, who is to blame for this kind of behavior?  I have no children.  I shouldn't have to call someone else's child to tell them about their behavior.  What stand do parents take on their children's behavior?  There have been plenty of times that I've seen a parent and their child on the train or bus.  The child has no respect and the parent just can not be bothered.  I know I'm not the only person who says to them self, "I wish my child would act a damn fool like that in public." Have parents stopped caring? 

I think of how I was raised.  I wasn't allowed to wear nailpolish until I was 16.  No cell phone until I was 17.  I was one of the few people who waited until I was 21 to enter the club.  I was raised to say please and thank you.  Give your seats up for the elderly, disabled and pregnant.  Respect your elders.  Speak when spoken to.  Are we instilling these values in our children?  Seems like we are raising a bunch of Bebe's kids.  To all the parents out there that are working hard to raise scholars and instill respect and responsibility in your children, I SALUTE YOU.  To the other parents, I implore you to stop allowing the TV, rappers and hood celebs raise your children.  If your child can recite a Nicki Minaj song, but doesn't know who Angela Davis is, you should really look at your parenting skills.

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