Why is it that parent's feel that is it OK for their children to pitch a fit when they can't get their own way AND that is it OK to allow them to pitch this fit in public??

Now I am a mother, granted my kids are older now but it hasn't been THAT long since they were little. I have 2 nieces, 8 nephews and a multitude of little cousins that I spend time with and have spent time with and NONE of us (meaning the parents) ever allowed this behavior to occur. Now don't get me wrong, there are times when child get hurt and cries in public or a baby is over tired or hungry or whatever. That is one thing. I am speaking about kids that want a drink, or candy or book or toy or whatever and proceed to wail as if they have had a limb forcibly amputated while the parents just stand there and ignore them...or even worse, give them exactly what they are asking for so they do it over and over again.

Now I will admit that I am tired today and that we have been jam packed and short staffed at work and there is a level of stress induced annoyance speaking here but good grief! Not only would my children NOT have gotten what they were wailing for but they would have been taken out into the car until they could behave.

We worry so much about NOT diminishing a child's self esteem now that we have created children that walk all over us and everyone else.