Screaming kids thread on the adult board...

[tjmw2727]

Unfortunately GEM when it comes to your movie question the answer is unfortunatley YES. I agree with you 100% and still try and strive for the same "common sense" you seem to be striving for.

Since you mention movies and with a 23 month old have probably not taken him yet I hate to burst your bubble but....

My girls are 7 and 9 I am now certain there there are many parents that think that it is ok to bring baby and toddler who are obviously not ready for a movie but because darling 5yo "needs" to see this one we bring them and are totally unprepared. We have been to more movies G and PG where the siblings must accompany the 5-7 yo set and sit in stroller, careset and cry or wander the theater "non supervised" and disrupt the movie for everyone else. No kidding I have been kicked, spilled on, have kids yelling and crying but no attempt at order - don't even try to ask for another seating or get your money back - and ftr they let 2 and under in for FREE.

Don't even get me started on the PG-13 movie that I pre-screened and decided that my almost 10 yo could watch with me and the toddlers and little kids in that one......

Discretion please, yes children absolutely belong in WDW but you don't leave your manners at home on any vacation.

TJ

 

[lenshanem]

This restriction also includes the LEISURE POOLS at these resorts.

So it looks like Disney is trying to change the perception that these pools are to be considered "Quiet" pools.

I saw this too Stimpy!



Anyway... It is really great there are so many perfect parents and perfect kids in this world, isn't it?

 

[GEM]

Originally posted by lenshanem
Anyway... It is really great there are so many perfect parents and perfect kids in this world, isn't it?

If by "perfect" you mean that they do their very best to make sure their children are not bothersome to others, why, yes, it is. I certainly hope I run into a lot of them on our next Disney trip. I think "considerate" and "responsible" are better adjectives than "perfect", but if you think they're "perfect" then I guess I won't argue.

Honestly, I don't understand why this is such a hot point for you. I understand what you are saying about one of your children having a very different (and sometimes difficult) personality. And, I am sure that must be very hard sometimes. Nobody here has said that they don't like children or that they blame parents when kids get upset for whatever reason. All we have said is that, when that does happen, we would appreciate it if parents acted in a responsible manner to make sure that everyone in the restaurant, show, etc. wasn't made miserable. Why is that so bad?? If your child has a meltdown because the waiter gives her the wrong colored balloon, I won't think badly of you (or your child at all). If you continue to allow your child to cry and carry on (loudly) about the balloon all through dinner, then I still won't think badly of the child, but I will not have such a great opinion of you. That makes sense, doesn't it? I'm honestly trying to understand your side of this . . .

 

[lenshanem]

Yes, it must be great to have only one child who is "very laid back and easy going" and yet to hit the terrible twos. Makes that parent a child expert for sure on more challenging kids.

 

[GEM]

Alright. I'm done with this. I tried to be nice and understand. If you think it is accecptable to let your child cry and scream and disturb everyone within a 500 yards of you, there really isn't anything anyone can say to reason with you. I just hope to God I'm never unlucky enough to be seated next to you. And, I don't care if my son magically becomes the anti-Christ himself at age two, I guarantee you will never find me seated in a restaurant eating while he screams his little lungs out. Never gonna happen. Bye.

 

[lenshanem]

GEM, you're the one that went back and edited your earlier post to soften it up as I was replying back.

And where did I ever say I don't take my child out when they are having a tantrum? Please find that post for me cause I don't remember saying that...

My whole point all along was that not all kids are "very laid back and easy going" like you said your son was. I have learned that from experience and I sympathize with any parent having to deal with a tantrum. I don't automatically give them condescending looks or attitudes.

 

[GEM]

Originally posted by lenshanem
And where did I ever say I don't take my child out when they are having a tantrum? Please find that post for me cause I don't remember saying that...

My whole point all along was that not all kids are "very laid back and easy going" like you said your son was. I have learned that from experience and I sympathize with any parent having to deal with a tantrum. I don't automatically give them condescending looks or attitudes.

Yes, I did go back and edit my last post a bit, but only in a last ditch effort to make myself clear to you. (I added the balloon example.)

And, no, I never saw any post by you that said you wouldn't remove your child if he or she was having a meltdown. In fact, I saw where you posted that you WOULD. That's why I don't understand at all your problem with my stance on this issue!

NOBODY on either post, that I could find, said they would give a parent condescending looks or attitudes because their child was having a tantrum. Nobody has said that! Many people have said, as I have, that it is all in the way the parent handles the situation. If you can't get the tantrum under control, you should remove your child. You seem to agree with that, or at least you have said that you would do (and have done) the same thing.

That is why I am genuinely confused about why you keep rolling your eyes and belittling my opinions on this thread. If anyone has been condescending, it has been you, with the way you have responded to my posts. Evidently, I don't have enough children, or old enough children, to know anything about proper behavior in public.

By the way, we're planning on seeing the Candlelight Processional on our December trip. We're taking Paul with us. Now, I admit that I wouldn't even have attempted this if he weren't usually so easy to deal with, etc. However, you can bet that Paul and I will be out of that theater like a shot if he so much as starts to squeak loudly. Would you really expect the people sitting around me to just let it roll off their backs if I kept him there and let him scream, cry, screech, wail like a banshee, or even just talk and jabber really loudly through the whole concert? Surely you wouldn't? Then don't we really agree??

 

[GEM]

On a side note, I am quite sure that this thread is destined to be locked eventually. I'm actually quite excited about it. In five years on the DIS, I've never particiapted in one of those hot "locked" threads.

Oh, and it's too bad we seem to be divided on this issue, lenshanem. I've been admiring your "Anyone But Bush" banner for days now.

 

[wasabi girl]

I have maybe a different perspective on this. We have a couple of restaurants and we see so many parents with children of all ages and personalities. There are a number of very well behaved very mature children, there are a number of ordinary fidgety type kids, some hyper type kids. The thing that is very difficult to deal with are the parents of hyper, fidgety or very young kids (toddlers) that are so caught up in having a good time with their friends, partners, whoever, that they expect their children to sit quietly for hours (I wish I was exaggerating) while they talk. Eventually the kids act up by screaming or running aroung the dining room (which is really unsafe) and too often the parents ignore them and continue their lengthy conversations....I feel like Miss Ogre Person if I have to tell parents that their child is disturbing other customers but I never know what to do, It is unfair to allow one group to ruin the experience of ten others....
My kids are older now but I have been there, crying, fidgeting, tantrums....I think really that people (including little ones) are under such huge amounts of stress that it really is harder to be a parent or child. It is a tough issue to handle. How would you all suggest handling things? Is there really a nice tactful way to say something? Just for the record...I expect children at WDW, that is why I go. I get to be a child myself there!

 

[lenshanem]

GEM, I'm tired debating anyway. We're starting to repeat the same things over and over again. Truce? I got particularly fired up about this topic.

I have to debate enough at home with my Republican hubby who sits on his butt every night watching FOX news - fair and balanced... NOT!

He has W stickers on his car. I ordered an Anyone But Bush sticker for my car the other day. I can't wait to see him driving the kids to school in it!

And I wouldn't worry about the Candlelight Processional. I took both my angel and my lovable devil to it last year and they were both out like a light before it had barely started. I think they found it boring in a sleep inducing sort of way.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Originally posted by lenshanem
Yes, it must be great to have only one child who is "very laid back and easy going" and yet to hit the terrible twos. Makes that parent a child expert for sure on more challenging kids.

Now that is kind of snotty, Shan. How about giving it a rest.

 

[lenshanem]

Yes, I will give it a rest. Moving on...

 

[GEM]

Originally posted by lenshanem
I have to debate enough at home with my Republican hubby who sits on his butt every night watching FOX news - fair and balanced... NOT!

Oh my gosh! You married a Republican? That makes me question you much more seriously than anything you've said on this thread so far.

Oh, and we're taking Paul to see Cirque, too. I purposely asked for an aisle seat so I could make a quick get-away if I need to. No way and I letting him disturb anybody in that theater! The guy I talked to when I ordered the tickets said he couldn't specify an aisle seat, so I had him get his manager on the phone. He got somebody from the "Cirque Help Desk" and I explained that I would have an almost 2 year old on my lap and I wanted to make sure I could get out if he was being loud. Needless to say, the manager was VERY happy to find an aisle seat for me.

 

[lenshanem]

Oh my gosh! You married a Republican? That makes me question you much more seriously than anything you've said on this thread so far.

Don't worry. I question myself everyday on this one!

My excuse is we were young...

 

[daystar]

Bye

 

[GEM]

You're right.

I did mean it.




Really - it sounds like you're doing everything right. Bully for you. Keep up the good work. You did the best you could. You dealt with the problem, even if it took some real doing on your part. Seriously, that's all anybody could ask. That's all this whole mess boils down to. Three cheers for you and for all other responsible parents who truly care.





Going away now. For real. Goodnight guys!

:space:

 

[JamesMom]

Speaking of 'only child, laid back and relaxed'. Our son is like that now - which is why we want to hit Disney BEFORE he hits the 'terrible two's' in January. While he does have his onery moments, they are manageable now.

And this trip to Disney is for us, the Parents, not James. He is way too young to truly appeciate it, remember it, etc. But we because we are a family we are willing to spend our mornings entertaining him (ohh, what a sacrifice (hehehe)) so on our solo afternoons and nights we can enjoy ourselves! We were never park commandos and I just want to soak up Christmas Disney-style. Just visiting the resorts all decorated is enough of a reason to visit Disney!

On another topic - we have only taken James to 2 movies: Nemo when his was about 5 months in a car carrier and he slept the whole time and the second was about 4 months ago to Shrek. We went to the noon show on a Tuesday (kids in school) and there were like 12 people in the theatre. When James acted up I picked him up and moved to the rear of the theatre where there was a walkway and paced back and forth to finish the movie in peace and quiet (and I got a workout to boot!) If James was still loud, we would have left the theatre. We are planning to see Invincibles the same way. Notice all these movies are 'kiddie' movies to begin with. What I don't understand are the crazies who brought their 2 years olds to Passion of the Christ or some Gore fest/ violent movies. Do these parent not think about what their children are seeing?! *off soap box*

 

[vhoffman]

Here's another 2 cents to throw in. What about other people who just won't leave your children alone until the kid is so wound up he pitches a fit? I'm talking about complete strangers, not someone else we kinow in our group. I have twins, a boy and girl. I do share the general opinion that my kids are cute, charming, etc., however, it seems that everywhere we go someone wants to make over them. I've had complete strangers come up and coo over them. That would not be so bad in itself, but then they want to take take the kid over. These
admirers" never bother to ask me if its alright to coo over my kids. Then the kids get the idea that they're in charge and want everyone to fuss over them. Just yesterday we were in Toys R Us. I had a headache and just wanted to buy a birthday present for my nephew and get out of there. Well, one of the sales ladies had other ideas. She spied my "cutie pies" and immediately started telling them about an arts and crafts project in the store. I told my kids not today, we're in a hurry. Well, you think the sales lady would have gotten the hint. But no, she just kept on, telling my kids about the birthday club and did they want to sign up for it? I told her we already had. She then asked my son (like she had to double check with him) if he was receiving stuff in the mail. He said he wasn't. She then proceeded to get forms for my kids to fill out. I didn't want to stand there all day while they painstakingly filled out he forms. I told her again, "Not today. We're busy". Well, by then, it was too late. My kids whined all through the store. "We want to do the crafts project. We want to sign up for the birthday club. We want to get the prizes." I could give example after example of things like this. Several years ago, we were in a restaurant. My then 4 year old wouldn't eat his food. He kept standing up in the booth and staring behind him. I finally turned around and saw an elderly couple a few tables over waving and cooing at him. No matter what I did, ds wouldn't eat and kept blowing kisses, waving, etc. to them. I finally asked to be moved and for the waiter to bring ds another hot meal, since his had gotten cold while playing cutie pie. My kids are usually well-behaved, until someone comes along and wants to entertain themselves through my kids. I had a waitress actually take ds out of his highchair and hold him until I had to scream at her to put him down. DS was waving and cooing at her, so she thought it was her cue to play with him. Never mind asking me! Well, once back in his highchair, he screamed at anyone who walked by, thinking he could get them to let him out again. The worst was about a year ago. I had to take DH to the ER for a ruptured hernia. We stopped at the information desk in the hospital lobby to ask directions. The ER was on the other side of the building. I had a man in so much pain he could barely stand up. Rather than get a wheelchair and try to get my husband into the ER, the two ladies at the information desk spied my kids. We had to pick them up from school before heading to the hospital. They both had their lunch boxes with them. They asked them "Well! And what do you have in your lunch box? " At which point ds felt obliged to start showing them his lunch. At this point I screamed at them "My husband is having a heart attack (gets better results than a hernia). Forget the lunches and get us to the ER." Well, they did, but looked confused and insulted that I interrupted their cooing over my kids. Well, from that point on, I could barely control ds. He felt that everyone there was going to make over him because those ladies did and strained to get everyone's attention. You can imagine how stressed out I was trying to negoiate my husband's care with a screaming kid in tow. Yes, I did get many hate looks from the others in the ER. However, I had the kids under control upon entering. They got out of control when they thought they could steal the show. I'v learned to tell people to just mind their own business and stop fussing over my kids. If they get offended and leave, so much the better! Most of the meltdowns my kids have had in public were prompted by someone who couldn't min his own business making over them until they felt that they were the center of attention and should get their way from everyone they saw.

 

[Mainebound]

Originally posted by vhoffman
I personally never could understand parents who take babies or small toddlers to Disney. Yes, I know, Disney is for children, but really not for babies. I wonder at the parents dragging diaper bags, etc., all over the park. A baby or small toddler just can't handle an intensive park experience like Disney.

As you say, it depends on the child. I think each parent has to decide for themselves. But we had a great time with our then 1 and 3 year olds two years ago, and have been back every year since.

My husband and I MUST have a vacation in the winter. We are both full time employed and we live in central Maine - -winter is LOOONNNGGG. Why did we choose WDW? Well, we went to Bermuda first. Rained every day. Nothing for the kids to do on the island except beach stuff. Even if it had been sunny, I can't see them sitting on a beach all day every day. My boys are VERY active.

For our family, WDW was a godsend for vacation. Rain or shine, there is plenty to do. LOTS to entertain small children. LOTS of other families and children to meet. SAFE. EASY. LOW STRESS. Everything is GEARED to families with children, from the safety features in the hotels, to the changing stations, to the zero depth entry pools to the varied kids menus -- as you know, having been to WDW, I could go on and on and on.

My husband and I have traveled all over the world. We very much want to return to our vacations abroad someday with our kids. But I just am not sure where besides WDW that would work as well for us at this point in our lives.

Just my two cents!

 

[7thdwarf/dopey]

Sure Disney is for kids. It is also for adults too. So isnt it ok for an adult to behave like a kid when at the most magical place on earth?
We raised our kids on Disney and planned for our first trip in 2001. I was the biggest kid in the bunch!
I really felt like a little kid again numerous times. It did my heart good, and my kids (15,15,19,20) all had a blast with Dad being a kid again.
Arent we all kids when were at WDW?