Uncle will scold you !

This is the most irritating, most irresponsible statement I always hear, especially on the shop floor where I work. Mind you it happens also at places like supermarkets, foodcourts and where children run amuck.

Uncle will scold you ! What a bloody cop out by stupid parents and child minders. What I hate about this is the irresponsible parent or grandparent who make me out to be the boogeyman. Uncle will scold you!

Instead of trying to make their child understand what is right or wrong, they instill fear into the child and push the blame to others who happened to be nearby! No wonder so many children grow up so misguided nowadays. I am not the boogey man, I do not scold children, nor have I scolded them for being children.

Children are naturally curious. They touch things, they feel stuff, they make a mess of displays but they are learning, they are growing in their curiosity and intellect. Instead of teaching proper values like "you shouldn't take what is not yours.." they say "Uncle will scold you!"

This is so typical of singaporean parents today. I have heard this once too many times, and yes, there was once when I really told off the mother. "I do not scold children but I think you should teach them the proper things instead of telling them that I will scold them!" I said.

So parents please. Uncle does not scold children but Uncle will scold the parents instead.