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 ...
Slightly off topic, but this statement reminds me of how rude some salespeople can be when dealing with children. Sometimes they will bypass helping them for every other customer, just because they are children. Even if they have money in hand. Guess Inoticed more as teen, since I still looked like a 12 year old. I was 18 and samplers would still ask if I had parental permission.
I bet in about nine months we'll see the names Walker and Texas Ranger pop up on the most ridiculous list. ;-)
I pray that the Lord will give me enough sense to name my children something that is not 'trendy.'
>>I don't have a problem if your autistic child acts inappropriately. I have a problem if you ignore it. See the difference?
What is inappropriate? I control my children so you don’t have to, but if you expect complete silence from my autistic child while waiting in a line at the grocery store so you can talk (loudly) on your cell phone, get used to disappointment.
Kids (handicapped or not) are not adults, and cannot be expected to behave like one. If you want peace and quiet, you should be able to go to a club or home and get it. I will not be shut up in my home like Typhoid Mary because I have kids. I am talking about behavior I consider to be “Fine” my mother would approve of kind of behavior (with some elasticity for Handicaps my mother would also approve of). I have been railed on for kids being good kids, not adults. Ever hear a child called a “crotch dropping”? These adults (I use the term loosely) have no right to be in public without a minder, let alone pass judgment on me and my children.
Sorry if I am over reacting to this, but I have a great big red button on this topic (probably because of my son)
BTW ever try to find a baby sitter for an autistic child? Get them to come back for a second sitting? If not don’t tell me how I should just get one, and leave the kids at home.
Pity we don't live in your area. My family would probably babysit. My husband used to work with autistic children and loved it.
>>You are way too polite. I would have tore them a new one.
Thanks, I appreciate the support, my wife preempts some of the responses I might make, I'm sure you understand.
The freerider thread is beyond belief.
I can't decide whether to laugh out loud or choke someone.
I think childless people are less forgiving than fellow parents. We usually sympathize with someone whose child is being a monster but who is trying to deal with it and separate them from the clueless who seemingly don't even register their child's annoying behavior.
But even sympathy wears thin if the struggling parent fails to simply remove themselves from the situation. Even if it means leaving a full grocery cart in the aisle, you should notify the manager with apologies and leave the store!!!!!!!
Leaving a store/restaurant/event a few times will hammer the point home, believe me. Especially if it's a place the child wants to go. If you can't leave (church, for example) then when you do return home, life should be as unpleasant as possible (no games, TV, swimming, playing with friends, etc...for the rest of the day).
I unfortunately have quite a few friends who are the clueless parent type. They don't even notice their kids running rampant. It happens more than you think.
Of course you have the other problem and that's the overly protective parent, who sucks in their breath dramatically each time little Precious falls, causing the child to react by screaming and carrying on way out of proportion to the injury. This type usually turns into the clueless once the treacherous waters of toddlerhood have passed.
I am Gen X, but I wonder what the heck is wrong with many fellow parents of my generation. I think it's a liberal/conservative issue.
That's what makes it so fun...
I've had a similar reaction when I've offered to get them a roll of duct tape from my car...
Mark
>> Are you serious? Do you honestly think the sound STAYS
>>in the children's section? (So many book stores put the
>>children's section next the sections I like to browse--
>>history, home decor, etc.) I go into a book store
>>looking for books, not a headache.
In the Barns and Nobel near my house (hardly a statistical representation, but you work with what you’ve got.) There is a "Thomas Table". Our children play there sometimes while one of us is browsing. The Children’s section is in a corner, and surrounds the play area. Any sound if not unreasonable (squeals of delight not being unreasonable) can only faintly be heard on the other side of the nine foot bookshelf filled with kiddie books.
If your Bookstore is not as intelligently designed, talk to the manager, not the parents.
One of my daughter's best friends, Johnny, is autistic. She has no trouble keeping him from acting out. But the cookie-cutter school system wants him in a round peg so he acts out. You know what works for him. In Johnny's case, you just give him his Gameboy or markers/paper and he is no trouble at all.
Bottom line: If you can keep him from darting into traffic in the parking lot, you can keep him from acting out in a store. It's the same principle. It's the desire of the parent, not the desire of the child.
I imagine most sitters feel the need to "intervene" where an autistic child may not appreciate that. I could watch Johnny play Gamecube for hours. I certainly can't play that well.
There is at least one theater in KC that has a "no children under 16 years of age" after 6:00pm. Another theater has a morning matinee at very low price for mothers WITH small children!
Mark
"Some "parents" get upset when I offer them the use of my belt."
You are my new hero.
The best part was that it just wouldn't die.
It was an eye-opening experience.
We made it a Badge of Honor, and when a thread gets a little over the top we do a FREERIDER HIJACK!!
Children should be seen and not heard. As per my father; good enough for me.
Some Bible names are good. Exercise caution in the case of boys, because frankly the world can do without more Eleazars and Jehoshaphats.
Cultural names are good, as long as you patently belong to the culture. I can get away with naming a child Liam or Shaun, since I'm Irish and look it. I could probably not pull off Mignonette or Brigitta.
I think it goes without saying that apostrophes are verboten, as are capital letters in the middle of the name.
The hijack really got rolling around reply #500.
Even some of the prudes got into it.
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