PKs aka Pastor's Kids

For a long time, there has been a joke about pastor's kids, that they are always the "bad" kids and I think I have figured it out!!!

Last night I volunteered at our church for VBS and had a staff member's kid in my class. Now, it wasn't the pastor's kid, but you can only imagine how much more magnified it would have been had it been. So, this kid was a little feisty, although she was pretty young, I could see where this would go if it continues. I don't know the parents at all, so I can't comment on their parenting style, discipline or maybe lack there of. But I really don't think that is what it is necessarily. I have come to the conclusion that pastor's kids are like mini-celebrities, BG thinks I am crazy for thinking this, but he didn't see the hard evidence like I did. This is how it went...

We rotated from classroom to classroom for the different activities and everywhere we went, this kid was fawned all over. I mean the sure-fire way to get to the parents is to play nice with their kids, right? This happened from adults, high school kids, regular church workers, pretty much everyone. Add to that the fact that this kid is probably up there quite a bit, so kind of knows the ropes and thinks she can roam all over the place. No one really wanted to be firm with her, but being strict and probably a little over the top, I thought that was ridiculous. So, I got on her level and had her make choices. She barely started talking until the end of the night, instead she would go limp like a wet noodle when she wasn't getting her way. That does not pass muster in my book, so I would pick her up and we would have a little conversation. The funny thing is, that by the end of the night, she didn't hate me, she was actually sitting in my lap. I think she appreciated the structure, or at least that is what I am telling myself!

I know a lot of people probably disagree with this, but I firmly believe that children should obey adults, regardless of if they are their parents or not. Granted, this is all within the limits of the child's safety, etc, so don't freak out on me. I know that not everyone agrees with this because there was a time years ago when we were at a baseball game with a group from church and some kids behind us were hitting our seats with those thunder sticks. When I turned around and asked them to stop, which obviously the parents were not going to do, my friend couldn't believe that I would have the guts to do that. Do you think that is maybe what is a little wrong with our world? We are too worried about offending someone or actually expecting something of children? Maybe that is why children don't respect adults, I don't know, call me crazy!

So, off my soapbox and back to the PK, I really think that these kids start thinking that they are the center of the universe and that they can do no wrong. I am not taking all responsibility away from the parents, but I also don't put all of the blame on them! I think this also goes for Principal's kids that go to the same school, or even are in the same district, maybe even down to the teacher's kids, also for kids of the higher=ups in your company. Just a thought...