Hi Kyle,
I read your post and had to laugh... not really because what you describe is funny, but because it's so ironic.
Everything you say, is dead on. How many of us have seen these same kids in the grocery store, or at the park, or anywhere in public, acting like the classic BRAT? And the parents always react the same way, pleading with their kids to hush, or be good, or settle down.
And then... these same parents always say the same things... "I dont know how to get thru to him" or "I just can't seem to settle him down".
When I was a kid, 30 years ago, and I went out in public with my mom, not only did we not dare scream and yell for the spaghetti-o's, instead of the choice she made for our lunch, most people my age now, as kids, never even
considered screaming and yelling. We were better kids, smarter, or somehow more angelic, than the kids today?
No... we were unregenerate little people - just like the kids today, but the huge difference is, we knew where the line was, we were taught respect for our parents, and we (for the most part) did what we were told. Sure there was always that 1 kid that we all knew, who did all the really dangerous stuff, like yell at his mom (then run before dad got home) or stole the candy from the corner store, but this kid was the exception to the rule, most of us sinned vicariously

through that 1 kid we all knew, we didn't dare do the stuff he was doing.
Now? The opposite is true. In any age group of kids, the kids that are well-mannered and polite in public, that hardly ever get into trouble, that are the GOOD example in the group, they're few and far between.
Some months back, my husband and I were in the grocery store, and there was a little boy, maybe 2, there with his mother (we assume she was the mom)... anyway, this kid and his mom were about 2-3 aisles over, and we could hear this kid screaming something. I dont know what he was saying, he was just very loud. We heard them all the way through the store, and finally by the time we were almost done shopping, they were in the same aisle as us. He yelled something again, then got a huge smile on his face as his mom smiled back at hime and "hushed" him. He was a really cute kid, and I mentioned to Kev (my husband) how cute the kid with the loudmouth was.
Kev says "cute!?! did you hear what that kid was saying!?!" I didn't, I wasn't really paying attention. I listened to him again, and what he had been screaming through the store the whole time was "f___ you!!"
Honestly, I wanted to throw up. It blew me away. Our own son is about the same age as that kid, and it just rocked my boat to hear another little boy, saying that - not to mention, the mom, condoning it.
I wont even go into my thoughts and my husband's thoughts, on proper discipline for the MOTHER...
But this is the kind of thing that goes on, and then 15 years down the road, this is the mother sniveling and crying to someone about what a rotten brat her adorable son turned out to be. DUH... hello?
Raising kids isn't a game, and we're not given children so that we can be their "friends". Sure it's great to have a close relationship with your kids, so that when they need to trust someone and get honest, reliable answers, they can come to you - but they have friends, they need PARENTS.
They need people willing to sacrifice their time, their heart, their money, their good night's sleep, the last cookie, and yes, the smack on the hand, or the swat on the hind end, when need be.
All anyone has to do, is take a hard look at society today, to see the difference in the lack of respect that young people have for their elders, and ask "what is different about this generation?"
The next time you're driving down the street, and a kid of around 10-12 years old, is crossing the street in front of you, slowly, slouching, staring at you, with an "I'll take my sweet time crossing this road" look on his face (you know who I'm talking about, you've seen these kids), you can bet, that kid's parents are either busy with their jobs - or just so want to be his "friend" that they can't be bothered to properly discipline him.
Kev and I have talked about this so many times. He commented that when we were kids, if we dared do that, the guy driving would stop, get out, swat the kid's hind end, take him home to his mother, and then she'd swat the kid's hind end, and demand he apologize to the neighbor.
Thing is, we didn't DO that kind of thing when we were kids. What was different?
Respect for authority - fear of getting spanked - and knowing there was a line that we had no business crossing.
Kids today, by and large, do not have this in their lives.
Ugh... just a few thoughts, by a parent who desires to be a friend to my children, but knows it's more important to be their PARENT, first.