More to the story?

Last night, Thak was outside talking with Urkle's stepdad while the kids played. I was in our yard with Orren, so I wasn't there for the actual conversation itself, but Thak gave me the highlights. We'd been debating what to do about Urkle for the past week or so, just because he's just such a pain, and Thak said he could talk with the dad, whom he semi-knows, but it probably wouldn't do any good because it seemed to us that he wasn't "allowed" to discipline him or anything, so we didn't bother. Talking with the mom wasn't an option. If you met her, you'd understand.

So anyhow, last night, they ended up just standing out there talking, and as it turns out, Urkle's stepdad knows that the kid is wild and doesn't listen very well at all, but he thinks that the other kids provoke him and make it worse. I can kind of see that end of it. The fact is, the kid is out of control. Thak didn't say anything about it, and I agree with that decision. The fact is, if the stepdad at least knows that this kid is a little crazy, then all we can hope is that he'll somehow be able to assert some form of discipline and figure out how to get a handle on him. I don't really see it happening, but we can hope.

I do kind of see his point about the other kids kind of making it worse, though. Most of the other kids in the neighborhood can't stand Urkle. Erin and one other girl are the only ones who are willing to play with him, and even they don't particularly like him. He screams like a girl 24/7 (which, funny enough, even annoys a couple of elementary school age girls), the dogs hate him so they can't take their dogs out to play because if they bite him we'd be screwed, and he just generally doesn't listen. Like Thak had to tell him 10x at least to get off one of Erin's toys when we were going in for the night.

I still don't like the kid at all, but I kind of feel for the stepdad. It seems like he's in a difficult position, in knowing this kid needs something, but not being "allowed" to do it. I get the feeling it would be a different story if he were able to kind of run things his way.