A very nice article. Amongst our Indian friends it is common that NOONE hires a babysitter (that word does not exist in their dictionary), so when you invite someone, you are inviting their children and we see a lot of obnoxious children. It goes without saying that the parenting is to blame, and I think this article is right on, over emphasis on grades, softness of parents on basic things are to blame. Parents will say no, they don't mean it, and then kids learn from that. They are very clever and really take the meaning of an interaction, not just the words. Parents are a bit foolish that way to just go by the words.