It's definitely learned behavior... Like adults, kids are going to do what they are allowed to do...
my BF's sister has a 10 year old daughter and a 6 year old son... and those two kids have serious behavior issues... they curse, they hit, they scream... at their parents, their grandparents, my BF and now me... and his sister and their father just scream at them and curse back at them...
the last time we were at their house, we were in the backyard with the kids and his sister's friends 4 year old daughter... I was swinging the 4yo on the swing set and BF's nephew was on the swing next to her... and it took me a minute to realize that as he was swinging up he was trying to kick me... so I let the 4yo down and the next time he came up and kicked his foot at me I slapped his leg down and told him 'try to kick me again and see what happens?' and he stopped... I make it a point to let him know that he's not going to get away with the behavior that his parents allow him to get away with...
I agree that when kids are acting up, it's really the parents responsiblity to discipline them but IF he had kicked me in the face, as he was trying to do, they weren't going to do anything about it because they don't do anything when he slaps and kicks his grandmother... and I'm not gonna let a 6yo kick me in the face, whether he's mine or not... so, he got a slap from me and realized that I'm not one of the people that's going to accept his behavior...
my BF's sister has a 10 year old daughter and a 6 year old son... and those two kids have serious behavior issues... they curse, they hit, they scream... at their parents, their grandparents, my BF and now me... and his sister and their father just scream at them and curse back at them...
the last time we were at their house, we were in the backyard with the kids and his sister's friends 4 year old daughter... I was swinging the 4yo on the swing set and BF's nephew was on the swing next to her... and it took me a minute to realize that as he was swinging up he was trying to kick me... so I let the 4yo down and the next time he came up and kicked his foot at me I slapped his leg down and told him 'try to kick me again and see what happens?' and he stopped... I make it a point to let him know that he's not going to get away with the behavior that his parents allow him to get away with...
I agree that when kids are acting up, it's really the parents responsiblity to discipline them but IF he had kicked me in the face, as he was trying to do, they weren't going to do anything about it because they don't do anything when he slaps and kicks his grandmother... and I'm not gonna let a 6yo kick me in the face, whether he's mine or not... so, he got a slap from me and realized that I'm not one of the people that's going to accept his behavior...
