Venting - way OT & alittle wordy....

[CyclChyk]

Unruly kids usually tick me off, but I'm beginning to wonder if I should be ticked at the parent(s). Please let me apologize up front if I offend any kid lovers out there but.................

Why do parents let their kids play/run/ride in the path of traffic?? Not highway traffic, but for example:
1. roads in your subdivision - so just because you and your kids live here means you don't have to get out of the street when a car comes by??
I live here too. Why do I have to stop my car and inch around you/your kids when I have the right of way and you saw me coming a 1/4 mile away??

2. greenways/bike paths - so you got 6 kids (or 3, or 4, or 1, whatever) cuz you like having kids but do you gotta let them ride their bikes/trikes, skates/scooters, etc, where ever they want (sometimes 50 yards ahead of you where you couldn't do squat to prevent them from getting hurt should they smack into something/someone), so they are in my lane, and no matter where I move to they keep coming at me head on cuz they are too dumb to get out of the way?? Or have you taught them to play chicken with the bikers??

3. stores - I realize leashes for kids are a bit cruel these days, but really, do your kids have to run down the isles and whine so loudly when you say "no Honey, we have Lucky Charms; you don't need Captain Crunch". Really, you won't get thrown in jail if you teach your kid some discipline.

Geez, If let my dogs behave the way some of these kids do, they'd be taken away from me and I'd be fined out the Waa-Zoo (whatever that is).

Ok. I've vented. I think I'll go eat some peanut butter and then I'll feel much better.

Thanks for listening and again, I apologize if I've offended anyone. It wasn't my intention.

[NJBikeGal]

Think of it as practice for that big race...you'll be so much better than everyone else at weaving in and out of the pack!!!

Or you could think of it as a different type of practice and see how many you can bump into without falling over!!

[snapdragen]

I must be lucky, the neighbor kids blocked the street once - their Dad came out and gave them all h*ll! They never did it again.

I don't have a problem with kid leashes either. At least it's a way for the parent to keep an eye on their precious.

[Brandy]

3. stores - I realize leashes for kids are a bit cruel these days, but really, do your kids have to run down the isles and whine so loudly when you say "no Honey, we have Lucky Charms; you don't need Captain Crunch". Really, you won't get thrown in jail if you teach your kid some discipline.

Geez, If let my dogs behave the way some of these kids do, they'd be taken away from me and I'd be fined out the Waa-Zoo (whatever that is).

Ok. I've vented. I think I'll go eat some peanut butter and then I'll feel much better.
.

Okay, okay...I'll admit I'm a mom and I know that you said that you don't mean to offend, but I have to butt in here. Kids are kids...they don't always have control of their emotions and shouldn't be expected to act like miniature adults who do. Maybe you're better off sticking to dogs.

One more thing...I always try to withhold judgement of moms and their kids in stores. You never know what kind of day that mom or those kids have had and why they are acting the way that they are. Even the best behaved children have off days, just like we do as adults. I've been there done that with a tired, hungry, bored or just plain cranky child who just doesn't want to be there shopping at that moment. Next time give the mom a sympathetic smile...believe me...she's probably mortified and just trying to get her shopping done as quickly as possible so she can get out of there.

[Veronica]

Ahhh... but it is important to teach approriate behavior for various situations. I talk about that a lot with my students. What is appropriate with your friends and at home, is not always right for the classroom.

Asking kids to be polite is not asking them to be minature adults. It's expecting them to be considerate of others. If a child is having such a bad day that they are running and screaming up and down the aisles because they are emotional, maybe they should be home taking a nap. Otherwise it's just bad behavior and bad parenting to not correct the behavior.

We wonder what's happened to our society? We don't teach and require polite behavior, so we don't get it.

Children who are using bike paths need to be taught to ride on the correct side. That's for everyone's safety, including their own. We had to replace Thom's bike because of a kid who was not on the correct side, blind corner, head on collision, going slowly enough that no one was hurt, but it toasted his frame. Little kid bikes are heavy! Guess who paid for the replacement? Not the kid's family and he was certainly at fault.

Veronica - who has an awesome class this year! Even though they burst out laughing the first time someone passed gas.

[snapdragen]

Veronica - who has an awesome class this year! Even though they burst out laughing the first time someone passed gas.

Well, they are kids after all!

admit it, you snickered too.....

[salsabike]

Maybe you're better off sticking to dogs.

Don't think CyclChyk deserved that. And I agree with Veronica. I know plenty of parents who agree with that too.

[Brandy]

Ahhh... but it is important to teach approriate behavior for various situations. I talk about that a lot with my students. What is appropriate with your friends and at home, is not always right for the classroom.

Asking kids to be polite is not asking them to be minature adults. It's expecting them to be considerate of others. If a child is having such a bad day that they are running and screaming up and down the aisles because they are emotional, maybe they should be home taking a nap. Otherwise it's just bad behavior and bad parenting to not correct the behavior.

We wonder what's happened to our society? We don't teach and require polite behavior, so we don't get it.

Sometimes your very happy children turn into little monsters halfway through a shopping trip and there's nothing that you can do but hurry up and get it done as quickly as possible. I agree that children should be taught to be polite, but at the same time...they are kids and no matter what you've taught them, sometimes they'll have have a bad day/hour/minute, most always in public, and always in front of judgemental strangers who don't have kids.

[snapdragen]

Don't think CyclChyk deserved that. And I agree with Veronica. I know plenty of parents who agree with that too.

One being my sister - who is an excellent mom if I do say so myself. If either my niece or nephew started to throw a conniption, she'd leave whatever she was doing, shopping, whatever, and take them home. They learned pretty quickly - if I misbehave in public, we go home and I don't have any fun.

[Trek420]

kids these days. kids and dogs.

Take my neighbors kids, puhleese.

The littlest one wants a dog in the worst way, his response? Tease my (lab/pitbull mix) dog.

The first time I caught him throwing dirt clods at my window .... Mae barking like a nutso dog then I realise what is happening and storm out like Old Man Mcfeerson "you kids get off my lawn" picture Trek shaking her cane. Dad came out we discussed what's happening. Dad says it'll never happen again.

Flash foward one day Mae and I are going shopping, Mae's in my car and the kid comes up to the fence and is barking at the dog through the fence (Mae is in the car hee hee) I get out, very nicely but "you see I just observed this...." Dad "it'll never happen again"

He really seems sincere.

A couple weeks ago there's a party at there place Mae and I are back from a walk at least 3 of the kids come running full speed at Mae "Aieeeee, lookit the cute puppy does she bite?"

wait a minute wait a minute wait a minute kids.

I've talked to the Dad "you see the pattern is if your kid teases my dog but it's ok, dog's behind the fence so he teases the dog again but it's ok, dog is inside the house so he teases the dog again, it's ok, dog's behind the fence an so on. Then one day I'll be out walking the dog and here's your kid right there the kid who has been teasing Mae and we'll both be shocked "why'd she do....?"

I've emphasised I like kids, I would like Mae to like kids, I want his kids to learn safe behavior around dogs, don't want anyone hurt or even scared if she barks.

My sense honestly is this is the youngest kid and he gets teased so animals are what he can tease. But I can't allow him near Mae because I can't have her not like kids.

[Brandy]

One being my sister - who is an excellent mom if I do say so myself. If either my niece or nephew started to throw a conniption, she'd leave whatever she was doing, shopping, whatever, and take them home. They learned pretty quickly - if I misbehave in public, we go home and I don't have any fun.

Yay for perfect parents...I must be doing it all wrong. Society needs to watch out for these kids I'm raising.

[jobob]

Yep, I've come across parents whom I wish stuck with dogs.

And dog owners whom I wish stuck with pet rocks

[Brandy]

Don't think CyclChyk deserved that. And I agree with Veronica. I know plenty of parents who agree with that too.

When you have to state in your post that you're sorry if anyone is offended or that offending isn't your intention...you pretty much know you're going to offend some people and you should expect some heated replies.

[jobob]

Well, I've been offended by unruly kids and parents who won't do anything about them, so we can call it even.

[snapdragen]

Well, I've been offended by unruly kids and parents who won't do anything about them, so we can call it even.

Yes! If I hear another "Sunshine, you're making mommy very sad. You really are making me very very sad" while Sunshine is flailing about the grocery store isle at full volume, I may demand parental licensing.