A few years back, I responded to a letter to the editor in the Standard-Examiner regarding obnoxious parents who goad their children into collecting bagfuls of candy at parades. I commiserated with the writer, and also addressed similarly shameful parent behavior at Easter Egg hunts. So, in light of the upcominig holiday, and because I've been contemplating the concept of self-interest vs. altruism, I thought I would share my edited and embellished response to the original letter:

...I’ve witnessed such unbridled greed from parents and children alike. I’ve heard parents hollering at their toddlers because they are too cautious to join in the tussle of taffy-grubbing tots, scrounging the blacktop for that last sugary crumb. I’ve seen 10-year-olds knock down kindergartners for a Pixy Stick, and the parents do nothing about it! Not to mention the fact that parents are sending mixed signals on street safety. I’m not about to undo years of patient training for a measly Laffy Taffy.

And don’t even get me started on municipal Easter egg hunts. I brought my (then) two-year-old to the annual event in Syracuse. Each age group was lined up around an assigned taped off area; parents were instructed to stay on the perimeter while their children scavenged; but at the starting bell, most parents scrambled into the melee, practically leaving their toddlers in the dust, and were grabbing up eggs and filling their childrens' baskets before my toddler even had a chance to collect one egg. The entire event lasted less than two minutes. One parent, after seeing my child’s empty basket, offered to give us some of hers. Another parent laughed, "You've got to be pretty aggressive at these things."

Obviously, these parents were unclear on the concept of ""Children's Easter Egg Hunt." After this distasteful display of greed and gluttony, many parents congratulated their little ones on their "accomplishment" of a full basket. Thankfully, most of this asinine behavior was lost on my daughter, who didn't really care if there were eggs or grass clippings in her basket; but I was sorely disappointed, not because she left empty-handed, but because I had envisioned a far different scenario for her very first egg hunt, one in which I could leisurely observe her adventure, capturing pictures of the magical look of discovery on my child's sweet face; unfortunately, had I had time to take any pictures, the pictures would have mainly consisted of a sea of bent-over adult backsides.

Shame on these parents. They are setting a lousy example for not only their own children, but other children as well. At home, most parents repeat over and over the importance of sharing; and in some homes parents may even discuss the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf, and how important it is to emulate his example; but when these parents actually get a chance to demonstrate this behavior in a community setting, all of their empty rhetoric goes out the window.

As far as community egg hunts go, I wish parents were explicitly forbidden to pick up eggs for their youngsters; but even if there is no such prohibition, I wish more parents would try to act like grownups; and let their kids enjoy their adventures at their own pace. The kid may not come home with a basket full of jelly beans, but they'll certainly come home with a heart full of happy memories.