It is amazing how everyone becomes a freaking new age feel good hippie type when they are faced with the fact that, as parents, they are the leading factor in how their kids turn out. You can try to insult me all you want but that does not change the truth of what I said.
A lot of people are talking about how Carbo has to get the kid to shape up...and I say that Carbo has to shape up. So kill me for being the bad guy.
It is obvious that so many of you have no idea what parenting is all about--the whole "I blame society for the way my kid turned out" bs can only work in cases of extreme poverty or extreme neglect.
If YOU and your wife are not the dominant factors in how your kids grow up, who is???
You either take charge, do the best you can, and get help if you need it...or you give up responsibility and you let the school, the streets, or television/popular culture raise your kids.
You can throw insults all you want, but that does not change the facts. I happen to be a parent...I am involved with my kids, and they have turned out rather well.
My 14 year old daughter does not throw tantrums when she does not get her way. She gives me a hug every day when I drop her off at school and tells me she loves me, and the last thing she sees every night is my smiling face telling her to have sweet dreams. My 11 year old daughter is on the A/B honor roll at school, plays piano, does dance recitals, and has never given me a day of grief.
Why? Because I do not indulge their every need, I do not cater to their every whim, and I do not try to be their pal, their friend, or their apologist. I am their dad, and I love them with all my heart. I take responsibility for my parenting and I make sure they take responsibility for the things they do as kids.
These are books that I recommend to anyone with daughters. I read them and try to live by the words within them:
For all you people who parent by the seat of your pants...read this.
I also have many of the books by this author at home, I recommend you start with this one:
Time to take charge of your kids and your parenting power.
Oh, and if you have kids that give you grief, please think twice about pissing on my parenting advice.
Edit: Just an FYI, both of these books will tell you that as the parent, you are primarily responsible for how your kid turns out...if you cannot handle the truth don't buy the books. The authors of the books are just a lot less blunt than I.