Posted on 08/15/2006 6:24:16 AM PDT by steve-b
For Cindy Nooney's 3-year-old twin boys, playing with the Thomas the Train set at their local bookstore in Southern California is a major thrill. Jack and Sam push Thomas, Arthur and friends down the track, they run around the table, jump up and down — and, of course, they squeeeaal.
Nooney expects as much in the children's section of the store. But on a recent afternoon, she was surprised by an employee who confronted her, calling her darling Jack a tyrant.
"He was a little loud but this is a children's section," says Nooney. "They run a noisy, cavernous bookstore but they don’t want kids to make any noise? It just seems ridiculous and leads me to believe that they don't want kids, they want silent kids."
The bookstore is not the only place that likes quiet, controlled children — and isn't afraid to say so. Across the nation, there are signs of a low-burning uprising against children supposedly behaving badly in public.
Eateries from California to Massachusetts have posted signs on doors and menus saying "We love children, especially when they are tucked in chairs and well behaved" or "Kids must use indoor voices." In North Carolina an online petition was started last year to establish child-free restaurants — the petition loosely compared dining with children to dining with cigarette smoke....
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Have you ever seen the "Everybody Loves Raymond" episode with the bratty kid who rearranged the fridge magnets to spell "Ray Stinks"? Those coddling parents were very realistic. Made you want to jump through the screen!
Meanwhile, my husband likes to say how well behaved our oldest was. Yet, I remember otherwise.
LOL--I do remember that one!
"Waiters introduce themselves at Denny's? "
I wish we had a Denny's here. I miss my daily allotments of grease and salt.
A 'nice' restaurant is a non-McD's type establishment.
Do you ever get those compliments and wonder where those people were the last half hour? I think a lot of it may be anticipation of what I know they are thinking of doing, even if they never actually do.
You're exactly right. Check the video posted at #13 (if you haven't already) and see the look of defeat on the father's face.
I think you're mixing your de-humanizing metaphors. I understand and agree kids should be reared properly and I suppose it's their own fault if parents are mocked when they don't do so, the filthy pigs...
How I survived my rugrat phase is a miracle. Dad didn't take me to many nice restaraunts... though I occasionally got to go to the NCO club. Bob's Big Boy was about as high up the "fancy-ladder" as we went (at least when I was along). :)
Well, they're not perfect...they occasionally loose all their points! LOL! But generally, I enjoy their company...they are interesting people to be with. They converse with me. They're funny! My youngest is a hoot, because every time he comes to an automatic door at a store or something, he strikes a pose, extends his hand and pretends he's using the Force to open it...every single time and he's so serious you almost believe it! LOL!
Thanks for the ping!
This is pretty funny....
Too many "again"(s) in there followed by a "finally" act.
NO KIDS = FREE PASS EVERYWHERE!!!!
"This is better than a PITBULL thread!"
I've seen many pitbulls that are much better behaved than some kids!
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Having raised four children, currently involved with helping raise six grandchildren, married to a psychologist for eighteen years and a psychiatrist for eight years I can categorically state that parents who believe their children never misbehaved in public fit in one of the following patterns:
All humans push the envelope to learn where boundaries exist. Much more so when they are young because they do not think rationally as an adult, or rather as an adult should think. How many in here have watched a 15 year old do something stupid. I mean something really stupid and you ask them... "Why on earth did you do that?" and got the answer... "I don't know." Then asked, "Didn't you know it was wrong?" and got the response, "Yes I did." Even fifteen year old children are yet to fully develop the ability to rationalize cause and effect. People can recite as many anecdotal stories of perfect children as they want... it didn't happen that way in reality and you are experiencing yet another human condition. The ability to remember the good things in life while forgetting the bad. |
Finally the childless get their way......muahaha
LOL. I was a much better parent before I actually had children. God sends them to us to keep us humble. ; ).
I think the difference is, if other people see you TRYING to control your child, or if you are just letting them run wild.
I feel sorry for those parents trying and not succeeding, but angry at the "enablers".
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