All I'm Saying there's a joke in here somewhere

When we came home from the park yesterday, we stopped at Albertson's while Grandma and Grandpa got a few necessary items. Matt, Freya and I sat in the parking lot and waited for them.

As we sat there, a family came out of the store. I couldn't say exactly what their dynamic was, though they were clearly on the poor side of the scale. There was a woman, a man and two boys. They cranked up the hood on their old pickup and put some oil in it. As that was going on, the boys played in the back of the truck. I'm guessing they were around five and seven years old. Since the truck was old and just had the one bench seat, it was clear they were definitely in violation of Idaho law, which says kids have to be in child seats until 8 years of age. But you know, some folks can't make that work, and that's just reality, I suppose.

What killed me was how verbally abusive this woman was to the boys. They really were just playing quietly in the truck, but it was clear that they could do nothing right in her eyes. She hogged down an ear of corn as she stood there yelling at them, while the man looked on as he ate some jerky. After cleaning out the truck and putting the trash on the ground in an empty seat cover box, the little boys laid down in the back of the truck and pulled an old sleeping bag over themselves so that no one could tell there were children riding in the back. It was clear this was an old routine for them.

As they left, I realized something important. This parenting competition that I sometimes find myself in truly doesn't matter. The women who breast feed should respect those who bottle feed, and vice versa. Those who stay at home with their kids should acknowledge that working outside the home can be a good choice too. The bottom line is that we love our children and try to do the best we can for them. We give them our hearts, our love and our support.

Not all children get that. And that's where we need to focus our attention. We shouldn't try to talk one another into doing it our way: the right way. We need to pay attention to make sure that every kid has a safe seat in the family car, that they have adequate nutrition, and most importantly, that they are treated with respect. Otherwise this cycle of poverty and discontent, and the raising of unhappy kids will carry on for all the generations ahead.