Kids behaving (very) badly

[1Prince2Princesses]

I was in Wal Mart last night, and there was a man there with 5 boys, ranging in ages from about 8 to about 14. As I was walking near the deli, I first noticed them. Two of the kids were running circles around a display, playing tag. The others were looking at cheese. I saw one of the older kids open a pack of sliced cheese and eat a piece. He said "That's gross." The dad told him if it was gross, not to get it. He then tossed the open package back into the display case. I moved on, slightly in shock at what I had seen... I saw them a few more times, throughout the store, and ended up in line behind them(which was unavoidable, seeing as there were TWO registers open at 8 PM).

So I'm standing in line, and the two that had been playing tag now have a ball and are racing up and down the length of the store behind me, bouncing the ball and throwing it to each other (while the dad watches). Two of the kids waiting in line are eating bananas (which are a weighable product ) and the other kid and the dad are tearing into bags of skittles and more cheese. At this point, I just want to get out of the store. Then out of the blue... BLAM! Ball right upside my head. The kids HIT me with the ball. The dad SAW it happen, and didn't say a word. Well, I did. I mean, are you kidding me?

So as the cashier is ringing up like the 10th bag of candy, she looks at the dad and says, "That's a lot of candy. No wonder your kids are hyperactive brats." It may have been out of line for her to say that, but it was SO true.

It was a relief when the six of them finally made their way out of the store.

 

[ilovejack02]

Did you high five the cashier??? .
I swear, Im usually pretty good about keeping my mouth shut, but i think I would have had to FLIP out on the father and the kids.

 

[agnes!]

She just said what every single SANE person in that store was thinking. The behavior of these particular customers would have a tendency to make me NOT go back to WalMart, but I think the clerk's remark would tip the scale...I'd have to at least consider going back, just on the strength of her remark alone.

agnes!

 

[M 'n C]

Ugh that must have been horrible to deal with. I was at Nordstroms 2 weeks ago with my mom and there was a dad letting his brats (about 10yo and maybe 7yo) run around the ladies department while his wife tried on jeans. The one older kid kept running into me so on the last run by I left my elbow a little more out than normal and she smacked into it. At least then she acknowledged that she'd been running into me, apologized, and quit running around. It made me so mad because like you said the dad saw her running into people and said nothing!

 

[ilovejack02]

She just said what every single SANE person in that store was thinking. The behavior of these particular customers would have a tendency to make me NOT go back to WalMart, but I think the clerk's remark would tip the scale...I'd have to at least consider going back, just on the strength of her remark alone.

agnes!

LOL. Im not a huge fan of Wally world, but I swear in all my years of shopping there I have NEVER run into any family that crazy .

 

[The Mystery Machine]

When I see people like that I run away....

 

[CEDmom]

I was in Wal Mart last night, and there was a man there with 5 boys, ranging in ages from about 8 to about 14. As I was walking near the deli, I first noticed them. Two of the kids were running circles around a display, playing tag. The others were looking at cheese. I saw one of the older kids open a pack of sliced cheese and eat a piece. He said "That's gross." The dad told him if it was gross, not to get it. He then tossed the open package back into the display case. I moved on, slightly in shock at what I had seen... I saw them a few more times, throughout the store, and ended up in line behind them(which was unavoidable, seeing as there were TWO registers open at 8 PM).

So I'm standing in line, and the two that had been playing tag now have a ball and are racing up and down the length of the store behind me, bouncing the ball and throwing it to each other (while the dad watches). Two of the kids waiting in line are eating bananas (which are a weighable product ) and the other kid and the dad are tearing into bags of skittles and more cheese. At this point, I just want to get out of the store. Then out of the blue... BLAM! Ball right upside my head. The kids HIT me with the ball. The dad SAW it happen, and didn't say a word. Well, I did. I mean, are you kidding me?

So as the cashier is ringing up like the 10th bag of candy, she looks at the dad and says, "That's a lot of candy. No wonder your kids are hyperactive brats." It may have been out of line for her to say that, but it was SO true.

It was a relief when the six of them finally made their way out of the store.

You can only hope the kids get sick in the car on the way home .

 

[Glinda64]

Isn't it amazing what parents will let their kids do? This is exactly the reason I avoid WalMart as much as possible. I know it probably isn't PC to say it, but you can always count on some sort of "child" issue. It might be an incident like you experienced last night or it might be a parent screaming at their kids. It is just too stressful for me. I'd rather pay a little more and go somewhere else.

 

[epcotfan]

I want to hug your cashier

 

[1Prince2Princesses]

Did you high five the cashier??? .
I swear, Im usually pretty good about keeping my mouth shut, but i think I would have had to FLIP out on the father and the kids.

I told her I thought it was funny that she said that. Her response? "You can't believe how many kids like that come through here."

Thank goodness I usually miss them!

 

[KristiKelly]

Good for her!!!

You know the truth is, the dad was probably hoping that the kids would get hurt so he could sue.

ETA: What was the Dad's response? I would have been so embarrassed but some people are of a different breed.

 

[ADisneygirl]

I find this a lot at Wal Mart. Why is that? If kids were as out of control as that, I would have avoided them any way I could, even if it meant changing lines and being in a longer line elsewhere. No way could I have stood there silently, having witnessed their antics all over the store, and been hit in the head with a ball.

It may take energy and conviction to discipline your children and teach them manners, but it will pay off for you as well as the rest of the world in the long run. That Dad probably feels he can't do anything to control them, but he is really only hurting them and himself.

 

[1Prince2Princesses]

ETA: What was the Dad's response? I would have been so embarrassed but some people are of a different breed.

He LAUGHED. Some people. If my kids acted like that in the store, I'd snatch them up and leave everything right where it was, and we'd make a trip outside to discuss appropriate behavior in public.

 

[1Prince2Princesses]

I find this a lot at Wal Mart. Why is that? If kids were as out of control as that, I would have avoided them any way I could, even if it meant changing lines and being in a longer line elsewhere. No way could I have stood there silently, having witnessed their antics all over the store, and been hit in the head with a ball.

It may take energy and conviction to discipline your children and teach them manners, but it will pay off for you as well as the rest of the world in the long run. That Dad probably feels he can't do anything to control them, but he is really only hurting them and himself.

Up until the point I got hit with the ball, I figured it wasn't my place to say anything. When I got hit, I spoke up. Neither the child nor the father even responsded to me. And there was no avoiding them in line. As I said earlier, there were two lines open, right next to each other.

 

[Planogirl]

I see brats everywhere. I think it's only more noticeable at Wal-Mart because they're always so crowded. I doubt that Wal-Mart patrons are worse parents than others.

 

[sweet angel]

I avoid Walmart at all costs.

Some people just think the old rules of etiquette simply don't apply to them. I agree, had the kids gotten hurt, Walmart would get sued.

 

[cybrkitn]

Ewwww, gross! After the opening of the cheese package, I would have let an employee of the deli know about it (discreetly) or talk to a manager so that it could be taken off the floor. The other incidents definately needed the managers attention b/c what those kids did is considered stealing. I had a neighbor who would open packages and eat the contents before paying for it . That is definately not right.

DS4 will ask me if he can open up a package while we are shopping and I tell him no, not until it's paid for. If he can't wait then I'll either move it out of his reach (if it's something we need) or I tell him I will put it back if he can't wait.

 

[Glinda64]

I see brats everywhere. I think it's only more noticeable at Wal-Mart because they're always so crowded. I doubt that Wal-Mart patrons are worse parents than others.

I wish that were true. In my area of the world, the "bad parents" are consistently at WalMart more than other stores.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

I would have carried the cheese up to the register, put it on with the rest of the idiot's purchases, and told the cashier, "I think they forgot this...one of the kids already started on it".

 

[Luv'sTink]

It really doesn't matter what the cashier said to them because they didn't care she said it. If they cared they wouldn't have been doing it in the first place. He laughed so he let it roll of his back.

I try to avoid Wal-Mart around the first of the month. Stores are packed and lots of stuff is sold out.