[LisaCA]

sorry, but I've just about had it. I tried to shop today with my daughter in the baby bjorn and went insane. folks had their kids running wild everywhere and these kids kept getting in the way. I can barely see what i'm doing trying to shop and tend to dd and kids kept darting in and out of clothing racks, throwing balls down the aisle (yes i tripped with dd over a kid's ball today in target). What really irked me was that the parents didn't even seem to care, no punishment, no rebuke, nothing. There is no way my mom would have let that happen, let alone let me get away without apologizing to those I harmed. And the punishment at home...ugh. Anyway, I really get frustrated because I have to worry about dd too and these kids are dangerous. and since i'm pushing a cart, I can hurt these kids too. Even if the parents don't care about me and dd, they should at least care about their own kids.

okay, I'm better now, just had to vent. What really kills me is that these kids will be "taking care of me" in my old age. this is why old folks complain about things full time i think. And at 43, this is closer than I prefer to believe:-). I guess on the plus side this type of behavior will give me plenty to complain about on my porch!

LisaCA

[BrandyHagz]

Next time contact the store manager…

I can almost guarantee of one of those little monsters fell and hurt themselves, those same uncaring parents would instantly turn into “parent of the year” while mentally mapping their legal options.

Just tap on the shoulder of an employee and say, “Please ask the manager to come to Aisle X and ask the customers to control their children, they are making the store unsafe for patrons.”

It also gets my goat when I go to a public place and the kids are running around acting like idiots…

[34andhopeful]

That has totally happened to me. Except I am a bit more assertive. I stop the kids and ask them where their parents are. That usually calms the kids down.

But I do HATE it when people cannot control their kids...

Although, I do understand. My son, who is now almost two has mastered the art of the tantrum...

[Kelli]

Originally posted by LisaCA
There is no way my mom would have let that happen, let alone let me get away without apologizing to those I harmed. And the punishment at home...ugh.

Lisa, I know what you mean. My mom would have given us a look that would have stopped us dead in our tracks. I'm working on perfecting that look with my three year old I think many parents today are way too passive when it comes to disciplining their children and as a direct result you see more kids that have no respect for themselves and for others. Strong discipline in public to them is a virtual no-no, for fear that someone will falsely report them for child abuse. And then there are the parents who just think that sort of behavior is cute.

Peace and blessings,

Kelli

[Volfe]

I have had the kids playing ball in the aisles in front of whatever I want. Last time, I told them, in no uncertain terms, that I was there to shop and they would be moving. My daughter got a good chuckle at the kids whispering and pointing at big old bad me.

Unfortunately people's attitudes here are "Kids will be kids"
Yes, they've told me that.

It gets my goat, and I use those unlearned children to teach my own how to behave, and why it is better to behave well.

I'm gonna remember Brandy's idea (I honestly hadn't thought of that before).

What is this world coming to! I'll have to join everyone on the porch to complain...



Maia

[qs mom]

I'm with ya. Some of the kids out there are out of control.

Although, I'm almost certain, my son will be one of them all too soon. I'm keeping him in a shopping cart as long as I can.

But, I must have a look. I've just looked at some kids, and they just take off looking for their moms.

I have a fairly low tolerance for this kind of stuff. My mom is disabled, so I'm often pushing her in a wheelchair with my son in tow. I've yelled at more than my share of rude people - kids and adults. The adults are sometimes worse.

[sugarbabysmommy]

While shopping one night at ToysRUs, a kid, about ten years old, was riding one of the store's display models, a giant low big wheel. He was literally screeching the wheels as he spead around the corners yelling anyone in front of him to watch out. There was dad, just watching as the kid passed him by to make another round through the store. Insane.

What really gets me angry- the woman I saw who left her two year old in the car. I was waiting in the rain in a flu shot line last week, when some of us waiters noticed a car with the wipers going. Curious, I walked over to the car and noticed that the engine was running, we had seen the driver leave the car ten minutes earlier, and the back was so darky tinted I couldn't see anyone else.

A few more minutes went by and the driver came back. She began to talk to someone in the backseat. Once a window was openned I could see there was a little boy in the back- he had been there the entire time more than ten minutes, the car running. I walked over, tapped her window and as poltiley as I could said, "Please never leave your child alone in the car again." This "mother" then explains how she had her 82 year old grandmother to deposit in the flu shot line. I explained any one of us women in this line would have happily watched her child, and that what she did was illegal and crazy. She rolled up her window as I told her I'd call the police if I saw her do it again.

I was so angry I was beside myself. Logically, had she even given a cr*p about her 82 grandmother she would have been the one waiting in her grandmother's place in the two hour line while her grandmother stayed in the heated car with her son.

I waited years to become a mom, and here was this woman taking for granted what no mom on this site does, the well being of her child.

OK, thank you for letting me vent, so back to the stir crazy children in the stores...

[LisaCA]

ah, I see I'm not the only one complaining about the uncivilized ones:-). I feel much better after venting and reading your replies, so thanks. normally I'm pretty assertive, in fact embarrassingly so. Dh usually cringes. Still, I hesitate to complain about other folks' kids, mostly because it's a losing battle. What really disturbs me is that I usually have a very good scary look, but since dd's arrival, it has apparently disappeared. On the plus side it must mean I'm happy:-). Must cultivate evil look again...

and how that lady could leave her kid in the car, with the engine on no less! The competition for mom of the year gets easier and easier:-).

I am convinced my dd will think I'm a fascist with many rules, but without them chaos (and bad behavior ensues). at least dh and I are on the same page with this. He wasn't allowed to watch tv during the week his entire childhood:-).

anyway, thanks for the space to vent. My bloodpressure would be much higher without you guys!

LisaCA

[MMC66]

I totally agree with your entire post - I think I'm way more sensitive to it not that I have a tiny baby in tow - my older kids usually just roll their eyes and go about their business.

NOW, the part about these little !@#$s taking care of us in our old age is just plain scary. I think I'll start working on my kids now so they can take me in

[qs mom]

I just found out that one of my bes friends leaves her kids in the car with the doors locked.

We were all out one afternoon, and she needed to stop at the store. So she pulled up front and ran in while I stayed in the car with the boys. She told me that normally she leaves them in the car with the doors locked while she runs it.

I freaked on her. I told her she could go to jail for that. Her older son is 7 and the little one is 2. She's crazy. SHe claims she doesn't do it anymore. We'll see just how long that will last.

I drag my little guy with me EVERYWHERE. Not that I enjoy it, but that's what single mom's do.

[Support2Adopt]

I think I may have posted this in the past and if I did, sorry to repeat this story.
One hot, summer day I was going into a store and noticed a young boy alone in the car with the windows rolled up. I was very concerned because of the summer heat. His Father came out of the store and I nirmally am not a confrontational type of person, but I did approach the Father with my concerns. His response was his son didn't want to go into the store. Hello? Who is in charge here? I let him know that if a social worker happened by and saw this, that his child could be taken away from him. Hopefully, he learned a lesson.
JJ

[Volfe]

Support,
That is the CORE of the problem... who IS in charge? Often, it is the children who rule the roost, or it seems...

I will tell you one bit of irony on the whole thing. I grew up basically neglected and allowed to stay out as late as I wanted, fend for myself, etc. And now I am one of the strictest parents you could meet. In my home, discipline means caring.

Kudos for confronting parents in risky situations.

Maia

[MommaD]

My dh and I had a debate about leaving kids in the car the other day. Not that we would even consider doing it! But we were at a store and a lady came out and started knocking on the windows of the car in front of us. Turned out there was a little boy, looked about 5 or 6, in the FRONT seat (another big NO NO in my book), and a baby in the back seat! The little boy in the front had laid the seat back and apparently fallen asleep, judging from the amount of knocking she had to do to get in the car. Anyway, we were wondering if that was illegal, or just bad parenting. Is it illegal in every state?

I'm uncomfortable even leaving the kids in the car to go put the cart away. So I always park within 2 spaces of the cart corral things, and even then I lock the doors to walk that far away. There was a car and baby that was stolen here a few months ago when the mom turned on the engine and then went to put the cart away. It only takes a few seconds, and it's so not worth it! I will take all my kids (4 kids, 8 - 3.5, and sometimes a foster baby to boot) out of their seats and into the store just for the few minutes it takes to pay for gas or get a soda. Yeah it's inconvient, but I couldn't live with myself if something happened to them in those few seconds when they were alone.

Anyway, sorry for my rant.

MommaD

[stacyone]

When DD was a baby, I was the bad lady who didn't take the cart back to the corral. Now she's old enough to walk back to the car with me, but I refused to leave her alone in the car to take my cart back. Sorry.

We let Molly run around a little bit in stores, but we're never more than 3 steps away from her. She is expected to pick up anything she knocks over and NEVER disturb other people. If she does, we apologize profusely on her behalf and she has to ride in the cart. I get irate at big kids (Molly's 2 1/2) who knock her over and then keep going like it's no big deal. I try to teach her to be gentle with other kids and stay out of people's way and they aren't exactly helping!

[Leigh131313]

If only every child could be as perfect as mine's going to be...hehehe
Leigh