We were shocked at the parks

[JillandFamily]

Ok.........ok........ so no one flame me. I just had to get this out. We were just at WDW and in the parks were absolutely shocked at all the parents screaming and I mean screaming at their children. Don't get me wrong I understand that everyone needs to raise their child the way they see fit, but when you are at the Happiest place on earth it gets a little old after a while. We had to listen to one gentleman tell his young son that if he dripped his icecream one more time he was going to kick him into next week.Mind you it was 92 degrees out I had a hard time from keeping mine from dripping
That is just one of the many examples I could give you. Has anyone else ever noticed this or is it just me?

 

[grinningghost]

Yep. Seeing it more and more. It's terrible. You just want to hand these people a valium and tell them to get a grip already. Kids will be kids - jeez.

 

[Paul in TX]

Hey its not just parents to kids--lots of adult on adult as well---we've noticed it so much in our last couple trips that we have our own "Disney family of the day award"
sometime family reunions can be great wars
sometimes your embarrassed just to be stuck in line next to them

lol---takes all kinds

Paul in TX

 

[C.Ann]

Sad, isn't it? I've seen people slap their kids in the face; drag them by the arm when their little feet weren't even touching the ground; heard them scream at them and call them horrible names; and even WALK AWAY from them in a crowd and just leave them standing there sobbing..

Child Protective Services could have a field day in the parks..

 

[goofy4tink]

If it had been Thanksgiving Day, 2004 you were talking about, that parent would have been me!!!! We had arrived that day, were waiting to get into our BW villa. So, we walked over to MGM. We immediatly headed for RnRC. We had been to WDW the previous August, and dd had really wanted a RnRC sweatshirt, but they didn't have her size. But, I figured that since we were headed back for Thanksgiving we could get one then. Ahh, nope. They had only a few left and they were toddler sizes. My gf had gone down two weeks previously, and they had the sweatshirts on sale, so got one for her dd then. Well, long story short, my dd went ballistic. You would have thought I had told her that we had to leave WDW right then and there. She told me, and I quote..."You promised me I could have one, and now look what happened. Nothing left. You should have gotten one when we saw them, you should have made a bigger deal and asked them to look for my size. this is all your fault!!!" And on and on she went. The CM looked in the backroom, even made a few calls. But nothing doing...and that's when dd's tirade started. We left the giftshop, with her berating me. She just gnawed on my very last nerve, and I stopped talking to her, I wouldn't walk with her. I told her that if she was going to do this on our first day in WDW then I just didn't want to be with her. She started crying even harder, yelling..."Mom come back, don't leave me behind. Stop walking away Mom, I'm not evil!!" OMG...the people around us were staring, my dh was mortified. I just sat on that stonewall area, as you leave RnRC and tried to collect myself. I had turned into one of those screaming meemie parents we all talk about on the DIS!!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

Sad, isn't it? I've seen people slap their kids in the face; drag them by the arm when their little feet weren't even touching the ground; heard them scream at them and call them horrible names; and even WALK AWAY from them in a crowd and just leave them standing there sobbing..

Child Protective Services could have a field day in the parks..

Oh no....that's me she talking about....I'm really not a bad mom, really!!!!! And dd was 11 at the time...it wasn't as if she was a toddler, and I was never more than 10' away, and her dad was there with her. Oh man...now I feel like a heel!!!

 

[Quinn222]

Oh no....that's me she talking about....I'm really not a bad mom, really!!!!! And dd was 11 at the time...it wasn't as if she was a toddler, and I was never more than 10' away, and her dad was there with her. Oh man...now I feel like a heel!!!

You did the exact right thing. You knew you were on edge and you removed yourself from the situation. As you say, she's 11 and her dad was with her. It's not as though you abandoned her somewhere.

 

[C.Ann]

Oh no....that's me she talking about....I'm really not a bad mom, really!!!!! And dd was 11 at the time...it wasn't as if she was a toddler, and I was never more than 10' away, and her dad was there with her. Oh man...now I feel like a heel!!!

---------------------------

Nope - I don't think it's you I'm talking about.. This was a very small child and the Mom just walked off and disappeared into the crowd leaving the child TOTALLY alone!! I grabbed a CM and they took over from there.. Have to admit though, if I ran into the Mom after that I probably would have slapped her in a cricle!!!!

 

[mitros]

Ya' know, some people, and kids, just shouldn't go to WDW.....

 

[littleladykaty]

Goofy4tink your story had me laughing so hard! It's amazing how kids can absolutely belittle their parents sometimes...it's astonishing how they know just which button to push! I am social worker and I am totally against physically discipling kids, but walking away when your child is having a tantrum is a very good thing to do...takes all the air out of their sails! But the "DON"T LEAVE ME BEHIND, I"M NOT EVIL..." Oh lordy, your little girl is GOOD! Children can be very calculating. They aren't stupid and they know what to say to garner sympathy for those around them!

I will very soon be the step mom to a DD7 and a DS4...while they are both extraordinarily good kids, DD7 is a champion sulker and DS4 can drive you to madness with the repeated naughtiness...DD7 said to her mom last week after she tripped while she was stomping away from something her mom said (they sure don't do this at our house) "If you had taken better care of me I wouldn't have fallen and now I might be CRIPPLED! I WANT DADDY AND KATY!" Ouch...low blow!

I'm telling you, if it's not over indulgence it's outright abuse...how bout some BALANCE people!!!

 

[tinkerbell60]

I have a DD 12 so I can totally relate to the situation you were in - they seem to be on that edge between expecting Mom to fix everything and realizing sometimes things are out of our human control. I agree, you did the right thing and as you said, she was never "in any danger".

 

[puggymom]

A few years ago I was in Epcot, near Morocco, and it was well over 90 degrees. This poor kid was crying so hard and his father was yelling, no screaming, at him becuase the kid wanted something to drink. The father was yelling that he didn't work that hard to spend that much money on a bottle of water. I just hoped that kid didn't get dehyrated with that kind of attitude.

 

[QueenT]

You know, it's funny, WDW is such a magical place, but at the same time, sometimes all that "togetherness" is just too much for some families. I think it is UG that has that chapter, "The vacation that fights back", I have found that to be so true. But planning helps!

Maybe the next time you see a family spazzing out, hand them a copy of UG, tell them - try this next time! Or hand the out-of-control parent some chocolate!

Also different families & cultures communicate differently. I certainly don't advocate abusive behavior, but on the other hand a small snapshot in time when it is 90 & everybody is tired & the kids are running amuck & all the poor parent can think of is the blood sweat & tears it took to provide this Wonderful Treat which nobody is appreciating is not necessarily a great time to pass judgement.
Hey, I know, next time you see a family out of whack and want to give a reality check, just take their picture, with flash! I bet they would be startled out of their dilemma (of course they could then redirect at you....). Now there's a bonding experience.

 

[DISUNC]

UGH! I HATE when I see this! It's not just @WDW, its also in the Malls, other parks...etc! I call it the Burn out factor!

This is when Parents loose it from being burnt out!
Kids will always test you....NIP IT ASAP!

In Disney...Afternoon NAPS help!

 

[pezpam]

Man, did we see a winner last time..... We were waiting to be seated at Cape May for breakfast. A woman came down to sign in. She had one child in a stroller (3 or 4....) and a DD and DS who were around 11 or 12. Well, boy did the atmosphere change when the huisband came down. He started yelling at her, telling her she was stupid fro wanting to do a character breakfast. Character breakfasts were not what Disney is all about and they should be going to the parks. She tried to say that for the youngest, the characters were what Disney was all about, but he just continued to throw his hissy fit. It was awful and you could just see the kids cringing. The older daughter was hanging on to mom in *that* way.... where kids are scared and also trying to protect mom, you know? She even suggested splitting up so he could head to the parks with the older kids, but he just kept yelling. It was awful..... certainly the worst I've seen at WDW.

 

[Pats Dragon]

I really applaud the honesty of the mom who walked away. Is there a parent anywhere who hasn't said or done something that would have looked bad on tape. A friend has a little grand daughter who loves negativity and at DW she was at her worst. All day she pouted, sulked, complained, whined, messed, dawdled, spilled, refused to budge etc. By the end of the day patience was wearing so thin it was transparent. The friend says she lost it and threatened to clobber the girl back in the hotel. The girl began howling and immediately 2 cm's appeared looking askance at my friend and offering to placate the child. The kid loved it and my friend says she felt ashamed but the amazing thing is how much crying children are protected by DW. Cool!!

 

[Laurajean1014]

I just came back from an 11 day trip and I did not see what these other posters saw, and I wasn't looking for it, either. I had a great time and I'm assuming others enjoyed their trips, as well.

 

[irishbosoxfan]

Just because Disney is the happiest place on earth doesn't mean only the happiest people on earth go there----And that the people who don't fall into the happiest people on earth category shouldn't go there per one of the above posters is just wrong===I AM NOT ONE OF THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE ON EARTH!!! But just try to keep me and my 5 nerve wracking obstinate willfull attitude out the butt kids from going!!!

 

[DeeDeeDis]

I hate when I see this type of behavior.

Parents spend days,weeks, and months getting thier kids all hyped to go to WDW. Mom and dad get the kid up at the crack of dawn So by the time the kids get to the park they are so wired and they're trying to take in all the stimuli. When they get thru the gates and are trying to take in some of the sights they're immediately stuffed into a big blue plastic carriage where they are not allowed out except to stand very still in a longggg line of people where they are again being pumped by mom and dad about how excited this rides gonna be.

So they are now at the happiest place on earth but they're not allowed to participate. and parents are surprised at 10pm at nite when their kid is off the wall and crying like a banchi or just plan off the wall.

when will parents realize that cammando style and kids just dont mix. This is suppost to be a special place for children, if you cant go at their pace ---stay home.

My son just finished CP, he worked where he was in close contact with familes as they left the park. he said some days it got real uncomfortable, he couldn't beleive how some people talked to their kids.

 

[2nd childhood]

Ya' know, some people, and kids, just shouldn't go to WDW.....

Some people just shouldn't go out in public anywhere.