another angry rant about out-of-control children

You went to a kid's craft fair and got all upset when there were kids acting like kids there. Durr. You go to the Tea Lounge. Again, durr.

Like I said, if you don't want to be around certain kinds of people, your choices may be the issue, not the people.

I may not like dudes asking me for money on the street every day, but I chose to live in a city hence that's part of the deal. I may not like some guy picking through my garbage, but what can I do. I may not like stepping in dogshit, psycho drivers, Persians, people with bad toupees, fat people kissing, spinsters complaining about their vaginas, but again dot dot dot.

You choose to live in this neighborhood and like or not, there's a lotta kiddies around here. Lotta bad parents too it seems. Like I said, bad choice?

I already suggested Nebraska. You'll have all the space you need to lay out your crafts and no one will touch them.

kensingtonmom wrote: [quote=Carnivore]
Well, I think just gave all of us a perfect example of the kind of attitude BP was originally complaining about.

But Innocent X has some points. Why should those of us with children muzzle our kids? It seems one of the camps here is that kids should not be interfering with "adult space." I never let my kids act out in restaurants and as I have said, we have indoor voices, outdoor voices and restaurant voices. But as much as I need to make sure my kids aren't a nuisance, child-free people need to chill out and accept children with their limitations. Not out of control brats but kids being kids. Can't that be our common ground?

I agree that we all, parents and non-parents, need to accept that kids will be kids. Kids have high energy; they can be loud and run around nonstop, and that's perfectly normal. I won't say it never irritates me, but then I catch myself and think, Oh God, I'm getting old. And I move on, because I know I'm the one with the issue, not them.

However, can we also agree that some places are by their nature not kid-friendly, and that maybe it's not good for kids to be there? For instance, an 11 pm screening of an R-rated film, or a bar on a Saturday night. If your kids can sit still and talk quietly, then by all means bring them to a fancy restaurant. But if they can't, why not bring them to a family friendly restaurant where they can have a little more freedom?

That's really my point. When a place is not kid-friendly, adults do not expect kids to be there. Other parents don't expect kids to be there. Kids change the vibe. They may restrict the adults' behavior - but if not, the place may expose kids to things you don't want them to see.

Incidentally, I'm using the word "kids" loosely here. They don't have to be under 4 feet for this to happen. My parents are in their 50s, and my mom told me about a couple in their neighborhood who would bring their college-age daughter to hang out with their friends. This changed the vibe, and made it awkward for some of the men especially, who felt they couldn't joke as freely as they would if she weren't there.

Does that seem strange? I'm asking in all sincerity here; I was brought up with a little more separation between the kids and the adults, so it seems normal to me. But maybe that's an old-fashioned view.

I don't think a kid should be in any movie theater that's not showing a kid's movie. A baby perhaps who sleeps through it but that's it. A movie necessitates silence. Bars and restaurants are a little different as they are chatty places. Bars, yeah, most of the time, no, kids shouldn't be there. Certainly not ones over 12 months old. That leaves restaurants. "Fancy" restaurants vs. family friendly --- I don't know. Who's drawing that line? Who's putting them into the two piles? Way too hard in my opinion.

What a dork.

So brooklyngirl, again, welcome to our humble home. misquote me again and i'll be on you quicker than a kid can smash a bagel to the floor.

so..... children (and I assume we're talking toddlers here and the under 5 set) - who are LEARNING to be responsible for their own actions, can't do this, but you - who I am assuming is a grown up person, it's OK? Where does this make sense to you?

YOU were the one who said you were complaining about it because it "ruined your day"

i can find you a new place to live as well: a persian community whose obese residents can't keep their hands off each other, and where all the unmarried women talk about their vaginas.

so incredibly mature.

I keep going back and re-reading this thread. It fascinates me. Why are all the whiners the one's who emphatically state in their posts "I don't hate kids. I love kids. I hope to have them someday". Well guess what, there are kids in your world.

I hate bees, and and am horribly allergic to them, but I accept that I cannot eradicate them or control, and I might get stung and maybe die. there's a ruined day for you.

But as an adult who takes responsibility for herself and her world, I do what I do what I can about things I have no control over.

How do you expect parents to act, anyway? Like YOUR parents, perhaps?

MichaelKeys wrote: So, again, what's the point of this thread anymore?

Entertainment for the army of silent readers.

Anonymous wrote:
A kid who loses control of a kite is normal. They're thinking more about the kite and why it fell down than where it landed. A kid who loses control of a kite and Mom says, "Okay Junior, you lost control of your kite and it happened to hit a lady on the head. Let's go get your kite and say oopsies, I'm sorry my kite landed on your head and then we can fly it again." is the point at hand.

First of all, were you there? Is this how it happened? Second, what would have been an "adequate" apology? A swift and public spanking?

And third...can you tell me how to deal with the lady who was gabbing on her cell phone, smacked head on into me, and burned me with her cigarette?

and please, if anyone adds "that's what those entitled kids grow up to be".....

Hitler.

Ok ill bite

Kid haters side :
The parents of these kids would have been good members of ths NSDAP. Only caring about themself and thinking they own the world.

Kid lover side :
There was a group in Germany 60 years ago that limited kids in their natural development, you might want to look them up under "Nazis"

Innocent X wrote: I don't think a kid should be in any movie theater that's not showing a kid's movie. A baby perhaps who sleeps through it but that's it. A movie necessitates silence. Bars and restaurants are a little different as they are chatty places. Bars, yeah, most of the time, no, kids shouldn't be there. Certainly not ones over 12 months old.

Geez. So now you get to decide? I remember your posting something to the effect of my being the worst post on this thread, that people like me disgust you, that I must be an incredibly lonely person for not wanting unknown people (children or adults) to insinuate themselves into my private space uninvited (although you had misinterpreted it to read: a simple hello, I believe) - all because I don't think children should be in bars or be allowed to run around in restaurants. But, now that I know the rules - that "bars, yeah, most of the time, no kids shouldn't [sic] be there. Certainly not ones over 12 months old," well, okay. I defer to your great, good judgement.

I do miss the good, old days of "Dyke Slope."

This is a great topic. I think I’ll jump into the sandbox here.

To suggest that a childless adult can’t tell the difference between good parenting and bad is ignorant at best, arrogant at worst.