santonucci
If you can't laugh at yourself, please allow me to
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2005
- Messages
- 113
So here I am, father of 4 very well behaved kids (ok, 2 are infants, but they will be...) at the Beach Club. My son is 8, and getting to be old enough to start being a solo act, but my daughter is a 5 year old tag-along.
I've been letting them go up to the Pirate slide at the Beach Club by themselves (ever since I gained the confidence that she wouldn't chicken out). But I am also a big kid, and occasionally join them.
On the walk over (no running, please) I noticed there was a group of boys (10-12 years old?) coming up behind us. There is a very clear spot where the path becomes a single lane, and to get past someone, you'd almost have to push them. One boy passed us, but his friends got stuck behind my daughter and I, who were holding hands.
When we got to the top of the slide, one of the boys from behind says:
"Excuse me, I'm trying to get up to my friend in front of you."
"Not going to happen.", I reply. I can tell this is the first time an adult has ever corrected him.
The boy from the front of us says, "But he's my best friend in the whole world and I'm going to let him cut me..."
"But I'm not going to let him cut my daughter and me. If you'd like to ride with him, you can move behind me." (The line was taking about 1 minute at this point of the day, and sliders were leaving every 15 seconds.)
"Well, I'm going to let him..."
My patience ends. "No you are not going to let him", I reply in a very firm tone. "You pushed your way past my daughter and me coming up the path and your buddies tried everything they could to push past us on the stairs. Is this 30 seconds of your life so important that you'd knock over a 5 year old girl? You guys are old enough to know this, and if your not, here's your lesson. Now you can either go, or move behind me, but he's not cutting."
Sheepishly, the boy looking down at his feet, quietly moved behind me. The lifeguard smiled at me, as did the rest of the line. The rest of the time they were in the pool, the boys walked a little slower, and I didn't see them cut anyone again.
Steve
I've been letting them go up to the Pirate slide at the Beach Club by themselves (ever since I gained the confidence that she wouldn't chicken out). But I am also a big kid, and occasionally join them.
On the walk over (no running, please) I noticed there was a group of boys (10-12 years old?) coming up behind us. There is a very clear spot where the path becomes a single lane, and to get past someone, you'd almost have to push them. One boy passed us, but his friends got stuck behind my daughter and I, who were holding hands.
When we got to the top of the slide, one of the boys from behind says:
"Excuse me, I'm trying to get up to my friend in front of you."
"Not going to happen.", I reply. I can tell this is the first time an adult has ever corrected him.
The boy from the front of us says, "But he's my best friend in the whole world and I'm going to let him cut me..."
"But I'm not going to let him cut my daughter and me. If you'd like to ride with him, you can move behind me." (The line was taking about 1 minute at this point of the day, and sliders were leaving every 15 seconds.)
"Well, I'm going to let him..."
My patience ends. "No you are not going to let him", I reply in a very firm tone. "You pushed your way past my daughter and me coming up the path and your buddies tried everything they could to push past us on the stairs. Is this 30 seconds of your life so important that you'd knock over a 5 year old girl? You guys are old enough to know this, and if your not, here's your lesson. Now you can either go, or move behind me, but he's not cutting."
Sheepishly, the boy looking down at his feet, quietly moved behind me. The lifeguard smiled at me, as did the rest of the line. The rest of the time they were in the pool, the boys walked a little slower, and I didn't see them cut anyone again.
Steve
