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Note I said nothing about disciplining other people's kids. I talk to the kid so I can see what's going on. It's a lot easier to tolerate a crying kid who's just having a bad day or isin pain than it is to tolerate a kid whining because he can't get a computer game.
[QUOTE=naiadknight;1046905]Note I said nothing about disciplining other people's kids. I talk to the kid so I can see what's going on. It's a lot easier to tolerate a crying kid who's just having a bad day or isin pain than it is to tolerate a kid whining because he can't get a computer game.[/QUOTE]
Yep.
And half the time kids scream because no one pays them any attention until they do.
I find kids don't go ballistic half as much if they know they'll be heard when they speak politely. Doesn't mean they get their way all the time by any means, but just hearing them out works wonders toward making them act more grownup.
Yes, children are part of the world, but that's no reason why people can't train their children to behave in public. While I sympathize with the parent of a screaming child in a grocery store, I absolutely don't in a restaurant. While telling us that children are part of the world, let's not forget the parents' responsibility in not making them an [I]unpleasant[/I] part of the world. Let's remember that for things like movies, all adults pay for that half price children's seat because the theatre owner has to determine based on experience how many adults:children will be in the seats and price adult prices accordingly. That goes for everything (zoo admission, museum admission, etc.). While that is the way of the world, and we're used to it, don't ask us to subsidize children and then have to listen to them scream.
Back when restaurants still had smoking sections, when asked smoking or non-smoking, my exhusband and I used to ask to be seated as far from any children as possible. Even though neither of us smoked, misbehaved children had already become so ubiquitous that we would rather put up with the after dinner cigarettes.
Oops, my gripe of the day: I'm jonesin' for a cup of coffee and it's almost 8pm. If I give in, I'll be up all night. :(
[QUOTE=JoanieL;1046953]While I sympathize with the parent of a screaming child in a grocery store, I absolutely don't in a restaurant. While telling us that children are part of the world, let's not forget the parents' responsibility in not making them an [I]unpleasant[/I] part of the world.([/QUOTE]
I hear ya. I always removed my kids when at all possible (like restaurants - having to stand out in the parking lot until Junior figures it out is just part of being a parent), but training them in the first place is really so much easier on everyone. My kids were going out to decent restaurants (and sitting with me in parking lots occasionally) since they were only weeks old.
If you wouldn't listen to a screaming adult, you shouldn't listen to a screaming child.
Most of the time, the screaming child is screaming due to poor parenting to begin with. They learn that screaming is a way to get what they want. This behaviour remains the same regardless of location because others tolerate it and parents do nothing when out in public.
There are situations where the parents expect too much of kids, in particular young ones, they drag them around on errands when the kids are tired or hungry or just have had enough stimulation. Babies are the closest to primal beings most of will come in contact with,
they don't come trained to function in the modern world so not surprising that their response is to scream when they've had enough.
[QUOTE=vtphoenix;1049311] Most of the time, the screaming child is screaming due to poor parenting to begin with. They learn that screaming is a way to get what they want. This behaviour remains the same regardless of location because others tolerate it and parents do nothing when out in public.[/QUOTE]And then the kid gets an internet connection...................
Can't get into the mood for 2013 since I'm still irritated about a lot of 2012.
In Grok times those screaming kids would have gotten eaten.
Ugh, had some wheat free, organic tamari on dinner. Nightmares that night. A week or so later, more tamari, more nightmares. No more tamari.