What is "normal" kid behavior?

Last week, Kira spent the evening at a friend's house, watching a movie and hanging out with some kids from school. When I went to pick her up, she hid in a different part of the house. Finally, she came out, said her good-byes, then disappeared again. On the way home, she admitted that she knew hiding from me was naughty, and accepted her punishment. So, even good kids aren't perfect.

But, I read this article today, and it made me question what is wrong with parents today that dismiss naughty behavior as normal. A Kindergarten student in Indiana thought it would be fun to hide from the bus driver, and wouldn't get off the bus. The bus driver carefully checked the bus, didn't see anyone, so he headed off to a different route. When the boy giggled, the driver realized what had happened. School officials re-enacted the incident to determine what really happened, and concluded the bus driver acted appropriately, and suspended the boy from school transportation for two weeks. The mother says that school officials over-reacted, because "He's just a typical 5-year-old boy that just started school."

Excuse me. The start of school is not when children begin to learn discipline. That child should have been taught at home how to respect authority. It is the parents' job to ensure their son knows to listen to teachers, principals, bus drivers, or anyone else in charge of his safety. Yes, good kids still act out (see example of Kira's behavior above), but they know there are consequences.

The good news is that the punishment creates hardship for the parents, not the child. If he truly didn't know any better, as his mother claims, then she is the one at fault. She should have to deal with the consequences, even if it messes with her routine for the next two weeks. Maybe then she will make the time to teach her son responsibility. Or maybe she'll just decide to switch him to a different school that is responsive to the needs of parents. Long live schools of choice.