Venting - way OT & alittle wordy....

[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.

[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.

[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.

[snapdragen]

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

There is always time to learn.

[Brandy]

There is always time to learn.

Absolutely. Maybe all of the people without kids could get together and charge the big bucks to school all of us horrible parents.

[snapdragen]

Absolutely. Maybe all of the people without kids could get together and charge the big bucks to school all of us horrible parents.

Good. Let's start right now. The first step is admitting you have a problem.

[Kitsune06]

Absolutely. Maybe all of the people without kids could get together and charge the big bucks to school all of us horrible parents.

Possibly, but for most of the population, it takes more effort to *not* breed than *to do so* so maybe it should be a situation like bike commuting, etc... gov't grants for not having children.
6 billion people on earth, people. When do we say 'when'?

Further, yeah, I want to *die* every time some teenageish mother is whining at her kid "Stop (doing x, y, and z) to (your brother/sister/that poor dog/cat/stranger), sweetymushypie, you're making mommy sad." ...when the kid is really, really young.
When they're younger than, say 10, everything in the world is black and white, right or wrong. There need to be definite concequences (I'm not talking physical, but what's wrong with "You get over here right now and sit down. You're going to have an X minute time out when you get home." these days?!)
Making so-and-so sad is not a concequence for *the kid*. Only when they learn guilt will that be a proper punishment, and how can it be good to teach your children with guilt?

...then again, maybe I should just stick with dogs and cats. At least when they act up, I can spray them with the water bottle and tell them "NO!" in a good, authoritative tone, without worrying about paying for therapy later.

[DebW]

Possibly, but for most of the population, it takes more effort to *not* breed than *to do so* so maybe it should be a situation like bike commuting, etc... gov't grants for not having children.
6 billion people on earth, people. When do we say 'when'?

I've often thought that miniature stop-cocks in the vas deferens installed before puberty would be a good solution. Gov't license (if they can require a marriage license, why not a breeding license?) to switch them to the "on" positiion, back off after conception, lifetime limit of 2-3. With the current population, the default needs to change.

[SadieKate]

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.

My mom, too! I learned the lesson pretty darn quickly, especially at the dentist's office. The calm statement made by "The One who must be Obeyed" was "the more still you are the faster it will be over." The English Teacher dad also ran a democratic classroom (according to him). You had full freedom of choice: do what he said or get out. We were just taught appropriate behavior for the situation or everyone went home to sit it out.

If I have one more kid plow into me at the grocery, there will be a dodge ball tournament in the isles.

[donnambr]

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.

She's cast from the same mold as my own mother. I remember so many aborted shopping trips and restaurant meals...

[lph]

Okay... heated topic, and here comes my 2 øre.

(btw, I've never been particularly fond of or good with kids in general, but I have a 9 year old son whom I adore more than anything. Even my bike )

Here goes. While I admire parents able to just abort a shopping trip when little so-and-so has a meltdown, I never felt I had the time to do the same. If I was there, in a store, with my son, you can be sure it was because we *really* needed to buy food that very day. Lord knows I'd have left him behind if I could.

So my solution when he went insane was just say: "Too bad. I know you don't like this, but we'll be here until I'm finished" and then just ignore him. When he was older and more whiny than meltdowny I told him in advance than whining for some sweets or an ice-cream would automatically insure that he did not get it. (Which led to some very sweet hints... "oh, wow, that ice-cream looks good. Doesn't it, mommy? *big smile*")

And I can honestly say that apart from the first few tantrums he did get it, and was in general very well behaved. And he still is! He's learned that adults respond to politeness, whether he really means it or not.

And whenever I hear childless friends griping about screaming kids in stores I remind them that that kid is screaming, not because he's a spoilt brat, but because he is NOT getting whatever he wants. It's all hell to listen to, but the parents are in fact disciplining the kid right in front of your nose, and because of it will behave better another time.

[Brandy]

Here goes. While I admire parents able to just abort a shopping trip when little so-and-so has a meltdown, I never felt I had the time to do the same. If I was there, in a store, with my son, you can be sure it was because we *really* needed to buy food that very day. Lord knows I'd have left him behind if I could.

So my solution when he went insane was just say: "Too bad. I know you don't like this, but we'll be here until I'm finished" and then just ignore him. When he was older and more whiny than meltdowny I told him in advance than whining for some sweets or an ice-cream would automatically insure that he did not get it. (Which led to some very sweet hints... "oh, wow, that ice-cream looks good. Doesn't it, mommy? *big smile*")

And I can honestly say that apart from the first few tantrums he did get it, and was in general very well behaved. And he still is! He's learned that adults respond to politeness, whether he really means it or not.

And whenever I hear childless friends griping about screaming kids in stores I remind them that that kid is screaming, not because he's a spoilt brat, but because he is NOT getting whatever he wants. It's all hell to listen to, but the parents are in fact disciplining the kid right in front of your nose, and because of it will behave better another time.

Thank you! I feel exactly the same way. Believe me, I don't enjoy shopping with three children in tow, it's not fun for them, it's not fun for me, and if I didn't HAVE to do it, I wouldn't! I honestly don't think that people will get it unless they've been there.

[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.