Things Parents Say That Make Your Cringe

[cleo]

What if the kids had been angels on the 'trial run'? Those parents must have been pretty darned sure they were going to turn around shortly!

I have to laugh when I read "I would never allow MY child to do that!" Those of us who already have children are smiling at your comment, rolling our eyes just a bit, and thinking "yeah, that's what I said, too". Trust us, YOUR child is going to think up some strategy that's going to make you stand there like a deer caught in the headlights, and everyone around you is going to watch you as you gape in astonishment, unable to move a muscle. Then they're going to say "I'd never allow MY child to do that!" (but they're thinking 'Glad it's you this time and not me!')

Some parents need us to cut them a bit of slack. Some should just be ashamed of themselves. But I always try to remember: it could be me next time.

 

[frayedend]

So memo to the parents of the 8+ yr old child in the SW Airlines line leaving Orlando on Dec 9: I'm sorry your child couldn't have his way and I know you're ok with him pushing, whining and yelling at you, but you were out in public and there were other people who were trapped in line for 45 minutes listening to this. If you don't mind being treated this way yourself by a small tyrant, that's up to you, but assuming your child doesn't have some horrible neurological disorder, he is old enough to control himself, and you are doing him no favors by letting him believe he exists right smack dab in the middle of the entire world. There. Off my soapbox.

I honestly feel bad for the parents of that 8+ year old. How could they handle that in a public place with no real escape from the line. They could yell at the kid, but that doesn't usually work. They could threaten a time out but where would they put him. Waiting in line is just as much a punishment as a time-out. Spanking, hitting, or anything like that and someone would report them for child abuse. And for the kid on the bus, same thing, where and what could a parent do with no escape until the bus ride is over. At least with my kids, 5 and 2, I can just pick them up and make them stay with me and the worse thing is they cry for a while. But I couldn't hold an 8 year old in my arms for very long. Sometimes we do have to look at the situation and grin and bear it.

 

[Syrreal]

I have to laugh when I read "I would never allow MY child to do that!" Those of us who already have children are smiling at your comment, rolling our eyes just a bit, and thinking "yeah, that's what I said, too". Trust us, YOUR child is going to think up some strategy that's going to make you stand there like a deer caught in the headlights, and everyone around you is going to watch you as you gape in astonishment, unable to move a muscle. Then they're going to say "I'd never allow MY child to do that!" (but they're thinking 'Glad it's you this time and not me!')

I have no illusions that my kids are going to be perfect angels. In fact, odds are that they will not only find ways to do evil things in public but will ben able to do them very dramatically and in different languages. I just hope that we can teach them well enough to not have these kinds of things happen as a habit. I know that my parents (this was from my mom not my skewed sense of perfection ) said that neither my brother nor I ever gave them much trouble in public places. I think it was because if we did we knew there would be consequences (going home or something) because they would always follow through. I am trying to make sure that I do that....follow through.

 

[cleo]

I'll bet if you asked your Mom she'd tell you it took dozens of times telling you to stop it before you actually did. That's not being a 'bad kid', it's just being, well, a kid!

My son is what most people would call an 'easy kid'. But I have to tell him some things dozens of times (and he knows darned well I mean it!) before it sinks in. All I'm saying is, just because we see a parent not doing what we think they should doesn't mean we necessarily know where they are in that process of 'telling him/her dozens of times'. And frankly, sometimes it's better just to ignore it (if no one will die or be maimed). Sometimes it's really our reaction the kid wants and the behavior ends when they don't get one.

 

[isyne4u]

I have to respond to the part where the parents were ignoring the child's behavior. I have a severly ADHD kid (5 yo) who is thankfully medicated, but Disney does tend to bring out some other issues he has. So there were times when he was being a total brat and I appeared to be ignoring him (now I will say this...it was never on a bus or on a ride...this was usually out in the open walking). I was not ignoring him...I was either contemplating leaving him in the kennel the next day or counting to 10 so that I didn't lash out inappropriately. But trust me there were many a time when he was yanked up short and had promises of punishment for his behavior.

There was one day that he was an angel. I had to pinch myself that this was MY kid...when my mom told him how much she enjoyed the good behavior and how nice it was to not have to yell or scold him. He just grinned. So she asked him why he was being so good...his answer?? "Because mom promised me that she would buy me a light up thing if I was good today!" Sure enough the day before I refused to buy it because he was being a brat. I never expected him to be so good for it!! Needless to say, all his souvies came this way! !!!

 

[Ashes8380]

Meantime, a friend of my sister's did something terrific -- she has 2 small kids and they would constantly fight. So the parents said, if you fight on the drive to Florida (WDW), we are going to turn the car around and go home. Within 30 minutes in the car, the kids, not taking the threat seriously, started fighting, So the parents turned the car around, unpacked the suitcases and told them the trip was cancelled. A week later, the parents said, "ok we we will try it again.". They loaded the suitcases and the kids, having been devastated, were perfect angels. The punchline? The parents never intended to go the first week -- they booked the second week all along.

That's hilarious! I love it!

 

[Syrreal]

I'll bet if you asked your Mom she'd tell you it took dozens of times telling you to stop it before you actually did. That's not being a 'bad kid', it's just being, well, a kid!

Your kid is lucky.
We really did only get told once. I had really strict and overprotective parents. Until I was in 5th grade my mom always went with me to my friends houses and I could play while she was there and when she was ready to leave I had to go too.

I'm not saying my brother and I were angels. We were the masters of fighting without being caught. (memories of my parents asking if we were fighting and we would say No..we're playing wrestling <or any game>.

I'm not planning on being that strict with my kids. I think a little room to run around is o.k.

I actually saw something kinda funny today. There was an absolutely beautiful little girl with her mom at the mall today. Well, this very beautiful little girl proceeded to throw the hugest tantrum I have ever seen. The mom looked at her kick and scream for about 30 seconds and then started applauding. Well, after another 15 seconds the people around them started applauding too. This made the little girl stop and be all embarrased. It's funny, had the girl been about 20 years older it might have been considered performance art!

 

[pyrxtc]

On our last trip:

We were in line for BTMRR and their was a father with his son who looked like he just got tall enough to ride. The little guy was sweating bullets about riding, and when it came to just before loading (we were in the back of their car) the boy starts wailing about going on the ride, big old crocodile tears streaming down his face. The father kept saying "it's just ride, now come on" load into the car, kid is terrified and tries to walk through car, father grabs him from his shirt collar seats him in the seat and pulls the lapbar down. Poor guy wants nothing with the "runaway twain" Its to the point the whole half of the station is watching and a CM comes over to see if everything is ok. Father just deadpans "He's fine, I swear, he'll love it" calm as a cucumber and holdin his son's shoulders. Well, off on our trip we went, and as soon as we get through the tunnel with the bats and are outside, the kid is starting to stop sobbing, dad's saying "see, it's okay" and by the second lift hill the little sport is raising his arms in the air! The kid was all smiles when we got back in the station and the CM who asked gave him a high five on the way out. We saw the family meet up with their DM and little sis (to short to ride) by the exit and we saw sport just drag DM back in line for the parent swap

It just goes to show that sometimes you have to see the whole story, some people may have thought the father was horrible for making him go, when really he knew his son would love it after he went on.

This was my 4 yr old all week we were there. he loved the rides. I was a bad parent when i tried to get him to go on Soarin'. he cried the whole line and even when we all lined up to go in. i made him a promise that he had to walk in and if he still didn't want to do it, he could just say no. Well, maybe I was a good parent after all cuz we walked in after almost an hour wait and he looked around, said No, and I left with him. My DH went on alone that time.

 

[lucincia]

This was my 4 yr old all week we were there. he loved the rides. I was a bad parent when i tried to get him to go on Soarin'. he cried the whole line and even when we all lined up to go in. i made him a promise that he had to walk in and if he still didn't want to do it, he could just say no. Well, maybe I was a good parent after all cuz we walked in after almost an hour wait and he looked around, said No, and I left with him. My DH went on alone that time.

Same thing here I took my DD3 to Dumbo ride. She was whimpering in the line, saying she's scared. I said we'll try. She didn't look too happy there in line. After 15 min, when we finally got to our turn, she stood there by the dumbo and did not want to get on. I picked her up and we left the ride and went back to It's a Small World ride (again). I think we rode that darn Small World ride and the carousel like 1,000,000 times that week.

Pass me a beer.