The line at the Subway restaurant was long. I offered to go out and pick up lunch so my Sweetie could watch the kick-off for the Navy-Notre Dame game. Mr. A came with me because he’s just that kind of kid.
Lots of folks had the same idea we did... take home some game day subs. We saw plenty of college shirts and caps while standing in line. The morning soccer games must have also let out and families were stopping for lunch on their way home.
In line behind us was a family of five. Mom, Dad, two daughters in soccer uniforms, and the youngest – a son about 6 years old. Everything that boy-child said came out in a whine. Everything. It wasn’t the annoying “Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy” or the typical “I waaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnt…” That could be chalked up to tiredness or hunger.
This child whined Every. Single. Word.
The most irritating part of listening to the sing-songy whining for 10 minutes? Not once did the parents correct the child’s behavior or speech. The mother catered to the boy’s every whim while the father completely ignored him.
At one point I thought that maybe I was being a crabby, old lady and the kid was just acting like a kid. Then Mr. A caught my attention and gave me a great, big eye roll. Good, I wasn’t the only one annoyed by the whiner.
The following day Mr. A and I stopped for lunch after my trip to the urgent care clinic. Yes, we ate out a lot this past weekend. Go ahead and judge. I’ll give you a minute.
Finished?
The weather was glorious and we decided to eat outside. A young family was seated at the table next to us – Mom, Dad, pre-school age girl, and infant son. The little girl was dressed in her Disney Princess costume and I thought it was very open-minded of the parents to let her wear it out to eat. But the girl also had a binky in her mouth and I tried not to be judgmental about that. Opps, too late.
Ever have one of those days when your child won’t behave not matter how much you will it or he has a monstrous meltdown in public and you just KNOW that everyone is looking at you and judging you?
Well, I would never judge a parent in that situation because it's happened to all of us. I would give them an I've-been-there-myself-and-this-too-shall-pass look in hopes of being morally supportive.
However, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon I found myself being a cranky, old woman constantly staring at a misbehaving 4-year-old while the parents did nothing. Yes, I judged. This little girl dressed as Princess Jasmine was allowed to do whatever she wanted and her parents let her.
She bounced around to every chair. She poured out the salt shaker and proceeded to lick up the salt. She took the lid off her drink and poured it out. She squirted ketchup out and proceeded to paint the table with it. She picked up her mother’s bruschetta appetizer and dropped it into her father’s glass. Then when their lunch came she refused to eat hers and her mother gave her a snack bar of some sort.
I will point out that no one got hurt, nothing was broken, and in addition to the weather there was a reason why the family was ate outside. For some reason the little girl’s behavior and her parents’ inaction really drove me nuts. Plus the poor waiter had to clean up their mess! I hope they tipped him well.
Why am I suddenly judging strangers’ parenting skills?
Am I turning into a cranky, old lady?
How do/did your young children behave in a restaurant?
3 comments:
It seems like today people want to have kids, but don't want to parent them. If I'd behaved like that at that age, I'd have had my butt swatted -- and it didn't scar my psyche one bit either. I don't know what favors people think they're doing their kids when they let them crawl around on floors and otherwise act up in public restrooms. I don't think you're cranky at all.
Its a good thing I was not a lunch with you. I have a bad habit of making comments loud enough that i can be heard. Well you know. If people can not make their children behave in public they deserve to be embarrassed by someone calling them out. Your not a crank at all. The waiter should have ask the parents to clean up before they left. He only makes so much and its not enough for that.
I have no problem being around families at restaurants, and do understand kids will be kids and a bit more tolereance is needed in some cases...However, I have a tremendous problem with parents who refuse to parent. They let the kids do whatever they want and expect everyone to be respectful to their disrespectful children. We took our children out often, but they were taught how to behave in public. It seems too often these days, parents don't want to teach their children proper behavior. I realize it takes a village to raise a child, but these people I am talking about don't want that they want everyone to think everything their kid does is as cute as they think it is...and yes, I am venting here about a particular set of parents that I know which you would be floored if I blogged about what they allow their child to do!
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