I think he's all right?

So my oldest daughter works at a café to pay for university. Most of the time she enjoys it enough, but she is learning a lot about human behaviour and how to deal with people and their manners, or lack thereof.

You wonder why some people have no manners? Well, she witnessed it first hand. After a lady customer placed an order with a lot of demands (this much coffee, this hot, with this much hot water added, etc, etc.), she sends her six year old boy to the counter while she watches from her table.

My daughter: "What can I get you?"

Boy: "Glass of ice."

My daughter: "Glass of ice please!"

The mother: "I think he's all right."

I think he's all right? What kind of comment is that? Twenty years ago, the parent would have boxed that kid's ear. While I'm not condoning physical punishment, I would have never let my kid get away with this sort of behaviour, six years old or not! Six years old is certainly old enough to have manners. Heck, Barney sings to two year olds about manners.

What kind of lessons is this mother teaching her kid? That he can make demands for free stuff from an overworked, underpaid young girl and not even say please and thank you? He's on his way to become a totally self-engrossed, self-entitled jerk. Just like Mom!

Clearly, he's not all right.