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 ...
She will just put her hands on her hips, tilt her head slightly, and you will melt like warm butter.
Oh, we did the counting thing. I counted to three, then lowered the boom. It only took a couple of times for them to realize that there WAS a consequence to my having reached three, but they got it. I gots smart kids. ;o)
Sure wish my kids grands were still here to talk loud to their friends at McDonalds.
Alas, the "me generation" seems to have several supporters on this thread, too. ;)
So true. There have been some very good things published about this new "phenomenon." Primarily the theory is that the boomers waited so long to have their precious darlings or they couldn't have them and had to spend $$ on adoption, in-vitro, etc., that once they have them, they worhsip their children. Their kids can do no wrong and well, this is what happens.
I happen to agree with this theory since I see a lot of it in some of my friends and their children. I also see a lot of well-behaved children too. Some people get it and some, well, don't.
Yeah and when he is 18 years old and pulls a gun on a convenient store clerk, she'll be whining about her poor little "baby."
I wouldn't allow my son to do it either and that's the reason why these parents are so frustrating and annoying. They have the power, they just don't use it.
Our kids probably would have done the same, had we let them. If they did try it once, they soon learned to not even think about trying it again. Fortunately, no belts or spanking were ever necessary. A quick grab and the fear brought on by "the look" they got was enough for them to stop dead in their tracks, lol. In all fairness though, our kids were/are pretty laid back, so maybe we were just very fortunate in this area.
There have always been unruly children. The difference now is that their parents laugh at their behavior rather than be appalled by it.
I love brats, with sauerkraut.
You've correctly identified the problem. It's the previous generation which was never raised properly to begin with.
I feel for you. A plane is the worst! You have nowhere to run. We were on an international flight - from Switzerland back to the U.S. and this Swiss couple had three kids - baby and two around 8 and 5; the older kids were just holy terrors. It was, without a doubt, the worst flight I ever had; of course, I am always happy when I survive any flight, so I try to keep things in perspective.
I agree. The only thing worse than a bunch of Yankees in the South is when the Yankees bring their kids.
Grateful to be a FREERIDER ping.
Yes, but during the 80's, there was also this whole thing about not interfering with the children's "creativity"--meaning that discipline was considered bad. The late-parenting theory might be the reason now, but then, it was more than just that.
Family friendly does not mean to let the little ones go wild.
I think you are missing my point. I am not saying that I think family friendly means it is acceptable to let your children run amok. I am saying that when I see a restaurant that is billed as a "family dining" restaurant, etc, then I know that there will be lots of families eating there with children out of control. Mine will not be among them. I have always avoided those restaurants because (1) I didn't want to endure the out-of-control behavior of other kids, and (2) I didn't want my children to see other kids getting away with acting like that and get the idea that it is acceptable.
I have a system set up for my jedis that if someone compliments their behavior out in public, they get points. They never know how many points they have. These points can be cashed in for minor trouble. I do warn them when their points are getting low or when they are GONE! Heh heh!
Just a couple of weeks ago, when I went to the phone company to take care of some business, as I was leaving the receptionist (whom I had hardly noticed...I went to another part of the office) commented on the behavior of my boys. She said most kids come in and start playing with phones on display and running around like the place is a playground. Instead, much to my delight and pride, my boys had sat down in the chairs next to this receptionist and waited quietly for me to finish my business. I was very very proud of them and told them so. They were also proud of themselves and I was so happy the lady commented.
They've been this way all of their lives. They're homeschooled and many times before leaving the house my husband and I have talked to them and said that they need to remember that they are representing our faith, our family and also homeschoolers, since many people know we homeschool and are watching them. The expectation is that they will not draw attention to themselves out in public and that they will make eye contact and speak courteously to those that address them.
Our church has a children's time during the worship service. We've never put our children in it. From the time our eldest was four and our youngest was a baby, they have sat between my husband and myself. After the service, we discuss the topic of the sermon with them and they've always got an opinion or a thought about it.
Our opinion is that our kids won't know how to behave out in public if we don't teach them. I view it as like teaching them to ride a bike. We're right along side them for now, catching them when they wobble, setting them straight so that someday they can ride off into the world on their own.
YUM!!!!!!
I'm not usually very popular in these threads because:
A) My kids are extremely well behaved and
B) I don't take credit for it.
Every good trait my children posess is a gift from God, including their temperments. They are turning out to be these wonderful, intelligent, moral young people despite my fumbling efforts at parenting. Anything I've done right was due to God leading me in the right direction. God has been good.
FR is crawling with UBER-PARENTS whose children NEVER misbehaved, and any variation from their definition of good parenting is seen as causing the downfall of society. Must be nice to be so sure of yourself.
They never seem to have an answer for "PK Syndrome", however.
There but for the grace, and all that...
We now return you to your regularly-scheduled self congratulation. Have fun!
LOL!
Some of them even have their Depends too, I'm sure.
They're deaf beacause of having to endure years of incessant noise due to marriage and kids, and have certainly EARNED some tolerance and respect.
> Oh, baloney. My grand nieces and nephews don't
> scream in public, for the simple reason it's
> not accepted.
And how did they learn it was not accepted? Presumably, they did it, and they were punished for it. And unless they are remarkable learners, they probably did it at least a couple of times before they figured out that punishment will always follow, and that they ought to cut it out. In other words, even if everyone applies what you consider appropriate discipline, you will always have children screaming at times, because they have to break the rules in order to learn that they exist. And I have no time for the anti-breeders who will use these occasions to slam all children and their parents, and to try and push their own child-free vision of the world on to others.
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