My wife tells the (true) story of what happened when she had my toddler son with her in the grocery store one day. All was quiet and the boy was seated in the basket, while she was looking at some products on the store shelves. After turning her back on the boy momentarily, she heard him utter, in his deepest voice, "HEY, Baby!" She wheeled around to see that another lady had entered the same aisle they were on. Horrified, my wife apologized to the lady, who took it all in stride and was somewhat bemused at the event that had just unfolded. I have no idea where the child picked that up as I have never said anything like that to his mother or anyone else.
That young boy just turned 16 and is the perfect gentleman. It seems to me adults need to learn to cut kids a little bit of slack in understanding they, especially boys, lack the sophistication and wisdom necessary to behave as adults are expected to behave. And if no one else acknowledges it, God Himself knows what we men have to deal with when younger and younger girls are wandering around in public dressed like prostitutes. Boys usually have an additional impediment as their verbal skills are not as mature and well developed as most girls' of the same age.
It really seems to me like the teacher in this recent case of "harassment" from the young boy calling her "cute" was just looking for a fight. She should be fired because of her inability to deal with her students. There are very effective and legitimate ways adult women have of disciplining, shall I say "training", young boys in what is an appropriate vs. inappropriate way of expressing themselves. This teacher failed at her job as an adult female, and as a teacher.
M.
