“Quit that horrid screeching!”

One of the reasons children need parents is that they need someone who loves them to tell them to quit doing annoying things.

It’s a lovely time of year in Maryland, and I’m usually working with my window open. There’s a bus stop just up the hill, and one of the kids has the habit of screaming like a banshee every few minutes.

This particular kid might have behavioral problems or something …. I don’t know the details. But as a general rule, parents need to stop this sort of thing. Kids need parents to file off the rough edges, because the kids at school, or life in general, will eventually do it, but it won’t be as nice. It reminds me of the proverb.

A person often rebuked who becomes obstinate will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

Or, if you don’t get the subtle clues, you’ll eventually get some not very subtle ones. Like a smack in the head.

Jordan Peterson has a rule: “Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.”

One reason for this rule is that other people will also dislike them for it, so if parents can nip it in the bud, they’ve saved the kid some trouble down the road.