Behave...

Back in the day, when we kids left the house, the last word was heard was 'Behave!'
Now, that word had a myriad of meanings.. First and foremost, it meant "don't embarrass me in public." Other than that, we knew that it also meant 'don't cross the highway,' 'don't play in the creek' and 'do not bother the neighbors'..
I'm thinking that people are now forgetting to remind their kids to behave.. It's like we're becoming a nation of people who have decided that whatever it is that they want to do is just fine and dandy.. And if it bothers someone, well, tough.. That's your problem..
Personally, I think it's because people have become lazy.. It's easier to just ignore bad behavior in kids than it is to correct it.. Maybe that people have taken the 'don't provide negative reinforcement' to heart.. Ignore them and they'll stop.. This works for things kids do designed to get your attention.. But, if it's simply bad behavior, isn't it proper to explain that to the child, then if necessary, remove the child from the situation? For instance, a 5 year old whining and screaming at the grocery store or Wal-mart because they want a toy should be told to stop. If they don't, then take them out of the store. If they still don't behave properly, then they start losing privileges/toys/whatever.. I mean, parents have to take action. Even if it means that you don't get to do what you want/need to do..
There's a kid that lives on my street.. This kid is about 4.. She has an electric Barbie car that she drives 'in the yard'.. However, with her father outside supposedly watching her, she drives that car out into the road.. Every time I've seen her in that car, she drives it into the road. She's rolled out in front of me more than once.. Yet, all her dad does is yell for her to 'get back into the yard!' Eventually, she drives to one side or the other of the road.. Not once have I seen him get up and actually do anything. I worry that kid is going to get run over.. I also worry that she will grow up without boundaries on right and wrong.. Merely the 'if I want to do it, i'll do it'..
Oh, hell.. Maybe I just expect too much from people..