The worst parenting I ever saw in Disney was...

[kamik86]

I have seen so many moms with meticulous excel sheet itineraries in hand, dragging along a sad, tired looking family who is just fed up with ADR's and places they need to be -or else!- that I tuned them out. I used to feel sorry for both the mom and the family. She probably put a bunch of effort on planning and can't let go of it and her family is probably just there to have fun and can't figure out why mom has been turned into a drill sergeant that will only let them rest at scheduled potty breaks

But one bad parenting example still sticks out for me... it was very early at HS, just a bit after the running of the bulls to get to TSM. Crowds were filling the park, it was a beautiful morning, perfect temp, sun with a bit of cloud coverage, people seemed to be on a great mood... we started to hear some really loud and angry yelling as we walked over to TSM. A man and his family were sitting on a bench next to One Man's Dream. He was screaming at the top of his lungs using every single fowl word known to man... it was like an episode of the Sopranos, just louder and with more bad vocabulary than just the "f" word.

A teen was sitting with his head down, red as could be, tears streaming down his face, trying his best not to sob while his dad berated him over and over because he didn't want to go on Tower of Terror or any other thrill ride. His dad kept screaming and the rest of the family kept trying to calm him down saying that it was no big deal that he didn't want to ride, that he could wait outside and they could go in. The dad wouldn't hear of it, kept on screaming about how much money he had spent, how they had been there already 3 days and how long he had had to drive to get everybody there. Then began to enumerate every meal he had purchased, every souvenir and how he hated spending money etc etc (we started hearing the screaming way before we saw him too yikes).

I felt awful, the whole family (save dad), was either crying or on the verge of tears. They felt so humiliated. My DH looked at me and asked if we should do something, but I know the type and I told him that if we dared say anything we probably would make it much worse, but that we should get a CM to call security, because by then the father had grabbed the teen and was shaking him around and very close to start beating him up.

Thankfully someone had already called security, this probably had been going on a while before we came in, and they started to take care of the problem as we walked away. I still felt very sad for the family and a bit uncomfortable for a couple of hours after that.

I do not understand why a family would put up with that. Even as a teenager I probably would have just gotten up and walked away. Now if it was just Dad and mom agreed that I shouldn't be getting screamed at she would have been with me if he wouldn't calm down the first time. I can see losing your temper and yelling for about 30 seconds before you remember where you are... but to go on and on long enough for security?

 

[BamaFan121s]

I am always baffled by parents who 1) allow their kids to run in the fountains barely clothed 2) allow their kids to chase the ducks & rabbits and 3) stand idly by while their kids swing swords and swing on the line/parade ropes/chains hitting other guests.

Then again, I know I've been on the receiving end of some of the what-kind-of-parent-are-you-stairs myself. Once when DD was abound 4, she fell on the sidewalk and scraped her palms--barely enough to break skin. She was clearly OK, but one of those kids that would drown you in tears as if mortally wounded if you paid it too much attention. I told my family to keep walking and act like she nothing happened while I got her back on her feet and going. The daggers the passing woman shot me were deadly--DD looked at her hands, I told her she was OK and she went right back to skipping along.

 

[kelis]

I think the worst parenting / grandparenting that I ever witnessed was by my own father. Me, DH, DS7 (5 at the time), niece-9, nephew-11 were at DLR 2 years ago with my dad. We grabbed some burgers bear the Buzz Lightyear ride and sat down to eat. My dad ordered and paid for my niece and nephew's food, we paid for ours. We then all sat down together to eat. Niece picked her tomato off of her burger because she doesn't like them. I get it, I do the same thing. My proceeds to tell her that she WILL eat the tomato or he will bend her over his knee. I looked at him and said "You will do no such thing". He reached across the table and grabbed her arm and yelled "EAT IT NOW!" Tables near us looking on the whole time. Meanwhile nephew did the same thing with his tomato and my dad didn't say a word. Females are second class citizens to males, in his opinion. Sickening. Anyway, my niece flew in with me and my family and was entrusted into MY care so I stood up to him on her behalf and said "she didn't order it this way, you did." and threw the tomato on the ground. My dad turned to my husband, who was sitting between us and yelled "Get her out of here or this will get real ugly real fast" referring to me, his fists were balled and his face was red with anger....over a flippin tomato. My husband said "You will not touch my wife." My dad hit my husband. My son started to cry and said grandpa was scaring him. We turned away from him and nephew (we were eating at 2 tables pushed together, so we separated them) and ate silently. I couldn't leave because we had driven in with him from Vegas. We rode a few more rides after that then headed toward the gate in time to watch fireworks. Nephew needed to use the restroom so dad said he would take him and we agreed upon a designated meeting spot. They left the park without us. Took all of our belongings, everything and proceeded back to Vegas. Me, DH, DS and niece waited for an hour and a half until we took the tram back to the parking lot only to discover that they had left. We had to call beg a taxi service to come get us at 11pm and drive us to Vegas. I had to get back to Vegas to collect my 8 month old twins who were staying with my step mother or I would have taken a plane back to Dallas from LA right then and there.

I have not spoken to him, not one word, since that trip.

 

[deegack]

While I have been that mom with the screaming child that everyone stares at (we take considerable mid day breaks, but DD3 seems to hit some sort of sensory overload thing on day 3 of our trip)...and I'm far from perfect ...I do try and move to a spot so she's at least less disruptive for others (except for that one time we were trapped on a bus and she opted to flip out...and to this day, I'm still thankful for the man who showed her pics of his dog to help her chill)...the worst I've ever seen is this...

We were doing BBB in early Dec of 2010. We stopped by to see if they'd let our girls change in their dressing rooms, but the place was a madhouse and they decided to only extend the rooms to the people doing the castle pkg. So, we headed over to the family bathroom by Pinocchio's Village Haus. If anything, I think it afforded us more space. So, on our way back to the castle I see this mom and her daughter standing right in the middle of the castle walkway- i.e. right in between CRT and BBB just changing her daughter (and we're talking full change) into her costume. It was about 38 degrees outside w/a nasty wind chill!!! The poor girl was FREEZING and she was standing there, in the middle of the open park with crowds milling about in nothing more than her underwear. I don't think the poor girl was any more than 6 years old. I was so shocked that I stopped in my tracks, went totally slackjawed, and shot the woman a look of shock and anger. She sneered back at me and went about her business. I overheard her later on griping about the lack of changing spots. I wanted to say something, but at this point- DD5 (who was 4 at the time) was fully immersed in the magic and DD3 (who was 2 at the time) was needing extra attention b/c she was pretty jealous- so I just dropped it. PRobably a good thing b/c one of the staff did say something about just going to a bathroom. So, they got to make her look like an even bigger fool and I didn't ruin our experience.

I jut want to point out that those are not family bathrooms but companion bathrooms for use by people whose disability or other situation prevents them from using the regular restroom. By using them as a changing room you could be preventin someone or more than one person from using the bathroom. If you need to change your child in the parks please use the regular restrooms so the companion restrooms can be kept free for those who really need them. There are only a few in each park.

 

[AshleeH]

I am always baffled by parents who 1) allow their kids to run in the fountains barely clothed 2) allow their kids to chase the ducks & rabbits and 3) stand idly by while their kids swing swords and swing on the line/parade ropes/chains hitting other guests.

Then again, I know I've been on the receiving end of some of the what-kind-of-parent-are-you-stairs myself. Once when DD was abound 4, she fell on the sidewalk and scraped her palms--barely enough to break skin. She was clearly OK, but one of those kids that would drown you in tears as if mortally wounded if you paid it too much attention. I told my family to keep walking and act like she nothing happened while I got her back on her feet and going. The daggers the passing woman shot me were deadly--DD looked at her hands, I told her she was OK and she went right back to skipping along.

Lol! I can well imagine those looks - I am that type of parent too! If I don't see blood or bone, "You're fine" is the standard response. I'm sure passing strangers have been appalled, but when my oldest DS was younger, he would act like the world was ending when he stumbled, so tough love is absolutely necessary in some situations .

 

[Hoosier37]

My daughter had a total meltdown when we went to Haunted Mansion. I mean she started sobbing that it was scary. This was an 8 year old child who rode EVERYTHING else without an issue, and who had been told the basic premise of the ride. I don't know what got into her.

The CM dressed as the housekeeper actually broke character and whispered to her that it wasn't scary, it was all just funny. A toddler told her it was fun and her favorite ride. Well, my DD can be a diva so with all the attention she just continued her sobbing.

When we got on the ride I leaned down close to her and said something along the lines of "I-paid-a-lot-of-money-for-this-trip-and-I-would-never-make-you-do-something-that-would-terrify-you-and-you-are-acting-horribly-and-it-stops-now-or-you-are-riding-nothing-else-all-day." Something along those lines, anyway. She said okay, and by the end of the ride was laughed at everything we were seeing.

I know my kid, I know she was doing the whole sobbing terrified act mostly for attention, and I wasn't going to put up with it. It wasn't my finest moment as a parent but at the same time, I was done with her drama queen act...

 

[DisneyB]

Ok my wife actually witnessed this one but I had to share. She was in line with our kids and her mother at the Tomorrowland Speedway and a little boy needed to go to the bathroom. Rather than get out of line and visit the restroom directly across from the ride entrance the boys mother told him to just use a bush right there in line. To this day I still can't imagine telling my kids that.

 

[jennyjinx3]

I think the worst parenting / grandparenting that I ever witnessed was by my own father. Me, DH, DS7 (5 at the time), niece-9, nephew-11 were at DLR 2 years ago with my dad. We grabbed some burgers bear the Buzz Lightyear ride and sat down to eat. My dad ordered and paid for my niece and nephew's food, we paid for ours. We then all sat down together to eat. Niece picked her tomato off of her burger because she doesn't like them. I get it, I do the same thing. My proceeds to tell her that she WILL eat the tomato or he will bend her over his knee. I looked at him and said "You will do no such thing". He reached across the table and grabbed her arm and yelled "EAT IT NOW!" Tables near us looking on the whole time. Meanwhile nephew did the same thing with his tomato and my dad didn't say a word. Females are second class citizens to males, in his opinion. Sickening. Anyway, my niece flew in with me and my family and was entrusted into MY care so I stood up to him on her behalf and said "she didn't order it this way, you did." and threw the tomato on the ground. My dad turned to my husband, who was sitting between us and yelled "Get her out of here or this will get real ugly real fast" referring to me, his fists were balled and his face was red with anger....over a flippin tomato. My husband said "You will not touch my wife." My dad hit my husband. My son started to cry and said grandpa was scaring him. We turned away from him and nephew (we were eating at 2 tables pushed together, so we separated them) and ate silently. I couldn't leave because we had driven in with him from Vegas. We rode a few more rides after that then headed toward the gate in time to watch fireworks. Nephew needed to use the restroom so dad said he would take him and we agreed upon a designated meeting spot. They left the park without us. Took all of our belongings, everything and proceeded back to Vegas. Me, DH, DS and niece waited for an hour and a half until we took the tram back to the parking lot only to discover that they had left. We had to call beg a taxi service to come get us at 11pm and drive us to Vegas. I had to get back to Vegas to collect my 8 month old twins who were staying with my step mother or I would have taken a plane back to Dallas from LA right then and there.

I have not spoken to him, not one word, since that trip.

So sorry

 

[ars0525]

I think the worst parenting / grandparenting that I ever witnessed was by my own father. Me, DH, DS7 (5 at the time), niece-9, nephew-11 were at DLR 2 years ago with my dad. We grabbed some burgers bear the Buzz Lightyear ride and sat down to eat. My dad ordered and paid for my niece and nephew's food, we paid for ours. We then all sat down together to eat. Niece picked her tomato off of her burger because she doesn't like them. I get it, I do the same thing. My proceeds to tell her that she WILL eat the tomato or he will bend her over his knee. I looked at him and said "You will do no such thing". He reached across the table and grabbed her arm and yelled "EAT IT NOW!" Tables near us looking on the whole time. Meanwhile nephew did the same thing with his tomato and my dad didn't say a word. Females are second class citizens to males, in his opinion. Sickening. Anyway, my niece flew in with me and my family and was entrusted into MY care so I stood up to him on her behalf and said "she didn't order it this way, you did." and threw the tomato on the ground. My dad turned to my husband, who was sitting between us and yelled "Get her out of here or this will get real ugly real fast" referring to me, his fists were balled and his face was red with anger....over a flippin tomato. My husband said "You will not touch my wife." My dad hit my husband. My son started to cry and said grandpa was scaring him. We turned away from him and nephew (we were eating at 2 tables pushed together, so we separated them) and ate silently. I couldn't leave because we had driven in with him from Vegas. We rode a few more rides after that then headed toward the gate in time to watch fireworks. Nephew needed to use the restroom so dad said he would take him and we agreed upon a designated meeting spot. They left the park without us. Took all of our belongings, everything and proceeded back to Vegas. Me, DH, DS and niece waited for an hour and a half until we took the tram back to the parking lot only to discover that they had left. We had to call beg a taxi service to come get us at 11pm and drive us to Vegas. I had to get back to Vegas to collect my 8 month old twins who were staying with my step mother or I would have taken a plane back to Dallas from LA right then and there.

I have not spoken to him, not one word, since that trip.

I don't even know what to say but I am sorry.

 

[luvmyguyz]

I think what bothers me the most about these reports of witnessed abuse is that they took place in public - it makes me wonder what these parents do to their children in private. So very sad.

 

[luvmyguyz]

I don't even know what to say but I am sorry.

Agree

 

[AshleeH]

I jut want to point out that those are not family bathrooms but companion bathrooms for use by people whose disability or other situation prevents them from using the regular restroom. By using them as a changing room you could be preventin someone or more than one person from using the bathroom. If you need to change your child in the parks please use the regular restrooms so the companion restrooms can be kept free for those who really need them. There are only a few in each park.

Not trying to start anything, but it has been stated (by Disney CMs) that the bathrooms are for anyone who needs assistance - whether that be a person with a disability or a child who is too young to go by themselves. They are Companion bathrooms, not handicapped bathrooms. And I don't say this insensitively - my mother uses a wheelchair, my 40 year old sister uses a walker, and my nephew is severely disabled (Muscular Dystrophy affects all of them) so bathrooms like that are precious, but none of them would object to waiting for a mother to finish helping her toddler go (as my mom says - she's stood to wait in hundreds of women's bathrooms - she doesn't mind sitting to wait for one now ). While I don't personally think changing a child into a costume would be an appropriate use of the bathroom, I would wish she wouldn't change the child in freezing weather.

 

[tralin]

"Patience.... Something parents have when there are witnesses!"

 

[deegack]

Not trying to start anything, but it has been stated (by Disney CMs) that the bathrooms are for anyone who needs assistance - whether that be a person with a disability or a child who is too young to go by themselves. They are Companion bathrooms, not handicapped bathrooms. And I don't say this insensitively - my mother uses a wheelchair, my 40 year old sister uses a walker, and my nephew is severely disabled (Muscular Dystrophy affects all of them) so bathrooms like that are precious, but none of them would object to waiting for a mother to finish helping her toddler go (as my mom says - she's stood to wait in hundreds of women's bathrooms - she doesn't mind sitting to wait for one now ). While I don't personally think changing a child into a costume would be an appropriate use of the bathroom, I would wish she wouldn't change the child in freezing weather.

Um if you read what I wrote I didn't say she should have changed her child out in public but in a regular restroom. Last I checked changing costumes isn't going to the bathroom. If there are only four or five places some people can use to relieve themselves and everyone uses them to change their children into costumes, well it can be a long wait and that is just not right.

And I have changed a child's clothing in a regular stall. Tightbut can be done, even with another child in the same stall.
Also if you read what I wrote is said they are for people whose disability or other situation prevents them from using the regular restroom. So a da with a young daughter who is too young to go alone and too old to go into the men's room etc.

 

[Ramsfan28]

In Feb, we were walking down the Streets of America in DHS. We rounded the corner and saw a family sitting on a bench...with their young son peeing in the street. Pants around ankles, peeing in the street. So classy. My DD6 even knew that was nasty.

I LOUDLY say, "It's not really New York City, y'all."

Why the shot at New York City? Terrible behavior like that isn't about a particular city - it is about terrible parenting which could happen in Michigan as well.

 

[sharadoc]

Seems that he has trained his mother well.

Reminds of autistic behavior that I have seen. My DS went to school with a little boy who screamed at the top of his lungs about every 2 minutes. Extreme, but definitely possible.

 

[Ramsfan28]

It does contain water.

+1.

Nanny Bloomberg would love this thread - perhaps he can get Disney to ban large sodas so parents don't have to parent.

 

[sharadoc]

Why the shot at New York City? Terrible behavior like that isn't about a particular city - it is about terrible parenting which could happen in Michigan as well.

Because it happened on the "fake" New York streets in DHS! I'm sure the comment was just meant to mean - "hey, this isn't a real city with sewers" - or at least that's how I took it.

 

[Mom2aJessieGirl]

And I say LOUDLY-why the New York City bash?

I'm pretty sure it's because they were on the Streets of America. Which is made to look like NYC.

I don't think it was said as a bash.

Nope. Not a bash. It looked like we were in NYC (or some other big city) so I said something snarky to address the kid peeing in the street.

 

[KCMiller]

I've seen lots of bad parenting in the parks, but I have to 'fess up' - I was a rotten mom one time. This is going back about 6 or 7 years. We were at Disneyland, and you know how their Fantasmic is just sort of in the middle of the park, and people just cram in anywhere they can? Well, I had read on this board that people waited on the rail for hours to get a good view - and so by gum, that's what we were going to do. Actually, I generously offered to sit and wait by the rail and hold a space for my family (DH, DS17, DD15 and DS12). My DD waited with me, and my DH took the boys on a few rides, and got them some food. About half an hour before the show, my DH and the boys joined us. So far, so good - I didn't even get any flak from anyone about saving spaces. But about 10 minutes before the show started, my youngest son started telling me he felt sick. Then he started telling me he was going to be sick. And then . . . well, luckily there was a garbage can right there. This is where I turned into a terrible mom. I turned to my husband, and said 'take him to first aid - I'm staying for the show'. And he did, and I did, and I still feel like a lousy mom. After the show, me and the other kids tracked them down in first aid, and there was my little boy, all pale and sweaty and sick. And my DH took great delight in welcoming me, since he had told all the nurses and staff people that I sent my sick son on ahead so I could stay to see the show - the looks they gave me! And I deserved them.

By the way, if you ever go to DL, DON'T bother sitting right by the railing. Because once the show starts, you can't stand up, because everyone behind you is sitting, so you watch the whole show with bars in front of you . . .


KC