Being a Good Kid.

There was this girl that I used to play with as a kid. Her name was Erin, and she was adopted. Like most adopted kids, she was smothered with love from her adoptive parents, and treated like any other spoiled child. Unfortunatly that where our similarities end.

I may not keep in contact with her 20 years later, but my Ma keeps in contact with her parents and catchs up from time to time. Erin is now my age, with a son. She got pregnant at 16, has yet to finish grade 10 while other people our age are into their 3rd year of university. She is irresponsible, doesn't care for her son, throws parties and leaves the baby alone to crawl around amongst drunks. She had the police called to her house because she told people that she was being 'held against her will', even though she had at that time run away for a week without telling her parents where she was going.

Now, I am not one to lecture people on how they parent their children. God knows, these parents tried their hardest to discipline her. What do you think? Is it an adoption thing?All adopted kids in my age group that I know are quite wild, but that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with them being adopted, just spoiled.

My brother and I were brought up very well off. We had a nanny to take care of us until i was about 12, a cleaning lady, etc etc. We still grew up more grounded and normal than any kids that I know of, the worst I've ever done was come home with tattoos, and the worst he's done is come home with an eyebrow ring. Everytime my Ma goes to meet with these parents, she comes home crying and hugging me, thanking me for being a good kid. If my Ma is bawling over a kid that isn't even hers? I can't imagine what these parents go through.

The only thing i attribute to being a good kid is good old-fashioned guilt trips. I know, it sounds horrible, but we were kept in line by Irish guilt. My Granny used to be the master of it, saying things to my Da like, "Are you feeling better dear?" "Yes, " My Da would reply, "but I wasn't sick?" Then the kicker from her, "Oh, but you hadn't called in a few days, I thought the only reason would be that you were ill." Oh, she was the master.

The reason I never swore off to my parents? The reason I never came home drunk/stoned/pregnant? The reason I got good grades? Apart from coming from a smotheringly loving family, I felt guilty if i did any of the above. And you know what? It made me a better person in the end.

For any potential parents out there? If you plan on spoiling children, without giving them so much as a dishwasher-unpacking duty? Don't be too surprised when years from now it's impossible to correct their holyier-than-thou attitude. My StepDa's children have a sense of intitlement bigger than the Pope himselves.