Generation X: parents of the rudest kids ever

July 5, 12:44 PMSt. Louis Family & Parenting ExaminerAngela Atkinson

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MSNBC recently reported that today's kids are ruder than any other generation. Odd, concludes the report, considering that their Generation X parents (born between 1966 and 1977) are also touted as some of the most involved parents of the past few decades. GenX moms are often criticized by their feminist predecessors for their choice to stay home with their kids. Today's parents are proponents of attachment parenting--a form of parenting which requires extreme closeness between parents and children.

So what's happening? Why are kids so rude?

Parents may be just a little too concerned about their kids' emotional well-being, says pediatrician Phillipa Gordon.

“I see parents ferociously advocating for their children, responding with hostility to anyone they perceive as getting in the child's way — from a person whose dog snuffles inquiringly at a baby in a carriage, to a teacher or coach whom they perceive is slighting their child, to a poor, hapless doctor who cannot cure the common cold,” she says. “There is a feeling that anything interfering with their kid's homeostasis, as they see it, is an inappropriate behavior to be fended off sharply.”

So, what's a parent to do?

Teach your kids manners, and expect them to be observed in every situation. Start with basic table manners, which you can teach at home. (And, don't forget that family dinners offer many other benefits to your kids!) Move on to other basic etiquette and remember to practice good manners at home, including treating adults (and their peers) with appropriate levels of respect.

And one more thing, says Susan Gregory Thomas of MSNBC.

"It may also be easier if Gen X parents start implementing the popular campaign that they grew up with themselves: “Just say ‘No.’ ”

Some parents prefer to get a little professional help in teaching their kids etiquette. Whether you are having trouble making your point or you just want your child to have a little extra polish, you might consider etiquette classes. Etiquette St. Louis is one area establishment which offers etiquette classes for boys, girls and co-ed classes of varying ages and levels.

"Etiquette Saint Louis students learn that practicing good manners should be a way of life. Poise and self-confidence help young people feel good about themselves," says the company's website. "The child with a healthy self-esteem becomes the adult with a positive sense of self. By learning to blend contemporary manners with traditional etiquette, all participants are at ease with adults, with their peers, and most importantly, with themselves."