TinkerbellMama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2005
- Messages
- 3,055
I know many people have complained about "bratty" kids on this board, and I thought I would throw in my fresh (it happened today, folks!
) perspective on this issue...
I was shopping at the mall with my son (see ticker for precise age
) and took him to the little indoor playground they have. Some older kids, who were definitely too big to be in there (height limit) were running up to the bench seats and jumping on them like trampolines, and when no adult presented him/herself to chastise the hooligans, I had to say something myself. TWICE. It was only then that I noticed "Mom" sitting there completely silent, as if she just could not possibly be bothered to comment on the situation. I was pretty appalled, as they were so rowdy and out of line that security probably would have escorted the entire family out of the mall had they witnessed the incident.
But it seems "Mom" was okay with it, or at least at peace enough not to tell them to stop.
She wasn't even glaring at them! Meanwhile, I had to get onto the kids AND prevent my toddler from copying their behavior, which wasn't easy. We ended up leaving, and for all I know they continued their party, ruining it for everyone else.
Then we ventured into Gymboree. There were several children in there who were behaving inappropriately--stacking the little kids' chairs on top of each other rather than sitting in (or letting other children sit in) them, blocking the TV playing cartoons so that no other child(ren) could see, rolling around on the floor shouting, and generally running around acting like wild animals. Now, for those of you not familiar with Gymboree, it's a smallish store--definitely not the place for running, yelling kids (even if such things were generally acceptable in stores, which they are not, lol). My problem was not so much that they were annoying and interfering with my ability to shop, but that my TWO YEAR OLD was trying to behave himself as these older kids carried on inappropriately, and their mothers did absolutely nothing to stop them--BAD EXAMPLE. At one point I finally corrected one of the children as his mother didn't seem to be anywhere nearby...and lo and behold she was standing RIGHT THERE watching him do all of it, saying nothing.
She didn't even comment that I had to get onto him. Apparently she is used to other people having to discipline her child, since she won't.
And she is okay with it.
Anyway, I just wanted to vent about how hard it is to try to teach MY child how to behave in public when other people couldn't care less how awful their children's behavior is. A store employee had to say something to the chair-stacker (these chairs were not designed to be stacked and it was a dangerous thing to be doing, as well as being rude since other, younger children wanted to sit and watch cartoons). Meanwhile, his mother pawed furiously at the sale rack, her arms bulging with bargains. I guess her priorities were clear enough! Her little prince WAS very well-dressed, but out of control! Mine was wearing cheaper clothes but a great attitude as he tried to whip those older kids into shape by telling them not to do the things they shouldn't be doing.
So there you have it. It really ticks me off when I am busting my butt trying to make sure my child behaves himself in public, but it's hard with people turning a completely blind eye to the wrongdoing of their own offspring.
I know kids do crazy things at times. Mine does. But the difference is that you will ALWAYS see me addressing the situation. I don't let anything go. It's my JOB not to let this stuff go!
RANT OVER!
P.S. I have nothing against Gymboree shoppers or bargain-hunters. Why do you think I was there in the first place?
) perspective on this issue...I was shopping at the mall with my son (see ticker for precise age
) and took him to the little indoor playground they have. Some older kids, who were definitely too big to be in there (height limit) were running up to the bench seats and jumping on them like trampolines, and when no adult presented him/herself to chastise the hooligans, I had to say something myself. TWICE. It was only then that I noticed "Mom" sitting there completely silent, as if she just could not possibly be bothered to comment on the situation. I was pretty appalled, as they were so rowdy and out of line that security probably would have escorted the entire family out of the mall had they witnessed the incident. But it seems "Mom" was okay with it, or at least at peace enough not to tell them to stop. She wasn't even glaring at them! Meanwhile, I had to get onto the kids AND prevent my toddler from copying their behavior, which wasn't easy. We ended up leaving, and for all I know they continued their party, ruining it for everyone else. Then we ventured into Gymboree. There were several children in there who were behaving inappropriately--stacking the little kids' chairs on top of each other rather than sitting in (or letting other children sit in) them, blocking the TV playing cartoons so that no other child(ren) could see, rolling around on the floor shouting, and generally running around acting like wild animals. Now, for those of you not familiar with Gymboree, it's a smallish store--definitely not the place for running, yelling kids (even if such things were generally acceptable in stores, which they are not, lol). My problem was not so much that they were annoying and interfering with my ability to shop, but that my TWO YEAR OLD was trying to behave himself as these older kids carried on inappropriately, and their mothers did absolutely nothing to stop them--BAD EXAMPLE. At one point I finally corrected one of the children as his mother didn't seem to be anywhere nearby...and lo and behold she was standing RIGHT THERE watching him do all of it, saying nothing.
She didn't even comment that I had to get onto him. Apparently she is used to other people having to discipline her child, since she won't. And she is okay with it. Anyway, I just wanted to vent about how hard it is to try to teach MY child how to behave in public when other people couldn't care less how awful their children's behavior is. A store employee had to say something to the chair-stacker (these chairs were not designed to be stacked and it was a dangerous thing to be doing, as well as being rude since other, younger children wanted to sit and watch cartoons). Meanwhile, his mother pawed furiously at the sale rack, her arms bulging with bargains. I guess her priorities were clear enough! Her little prince WAS very well-dressed, but out of control! Mine was wearing cheaper clothes but a great attitude as he tried to whip those older kids into shape by telling them not to do the things they shouldn't be doing. So there you have it. It really ticks me off when I am busting my butt trying to make sure my child behaves himself in public, but it's hard with people turning a completely blind eye to the wrongdoing of their own offspring.
I know kids do crazy things at times. Mine does. But the difference is that you will ALWAYS see me addressing the situation. I don't let anything go. It's my JOB not to let this stuff go! RANT OVER!
P.S. I have nothing against Gymboree shoppers or bargain-hunters. Why do you think I was there in the first place?
). It is even harder when a close relative parents different and your kids wonder why they aren't allowed to do something that their cousin is allowed to do.
