That’s not a pebble…EEEEWWWWWW:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
No, my other hand.
I would…but…the…sl.ow…m…o…tion…is…sttaarrrtinnggggg…(low gong sound)
Well, sometimes. 
Thanks for having a sense of humor about it. My intent was not to stick a label on you or to find other fault, I was just saying the scene you painted is one I struggled with for a long time until I figured out what was going on in my head. If that’s not you, then fantastic.
And for the record, I understand that kids shriek when they’re happy. But I also understand that asking them not to shriek is not the same as stuffing socks in their mouths. Just sayin’.
Of course it isn’t. It’s also not unreasonable to expect adults to at least *make an attempt *to mitigate their child’s behavior. It may or may not work (it sure as hell worked on me) but I think some of the bad will would be eased if you’d had your feelings of annoyance validated.
Sure, ignoring unreasonable behaviour is often a good strategy. As a father of a 5 year-old, I have often employed this. But it’s best used in private. When out in public, IMHO, considering others who are present should trump sticking to a rigid parenting regime. If my kid acts up in a restaurant or other public place, while personally I might prefer to ignore their tantrum until it burns itself out, that’s not fair to everyone else.
Also, as already pointed out, you certainly can reason with a toddler - maybe not a 2-year-old, but I’d say most 3-year-olds can grasp basic reasoning in certain situations. It’s well worth trying if they are in the right frame of mind. Reverse psychology is the obvious example (“I hope you’re going to save some of that cabbage for me!”) - a form of logical reasoning.
You might be right, but as reported I’m not convinced the dad was trying his best in this situation. What you describe is called ‘parenting’ - it’s just how it is. As a parent I totally understand the need to switch off from it sometimes. That’s what babysitters are for.
Since having kids, I almost enjoy hearing other peoples’ kids screaming - because it means mine are being relatively well-behaved. That doesn’t mean I switch off to my own kids though.
Ah, ignore the haters. You posted a well-reasoned, rational rant (if that isn’t a contradiction in terms), which was obviously about the behaviour of the parent, not the kid. Sorry it ruined your ice cream. Not all parents are so thoughtless (though goodness knows I’m far from perfect). I think my kids making a fuss in public is one of my hot buttons though - it really stresses me out.
You know what else is ruined by the shrieking??? The beach, that’s what. I’m convinced Jaws has come ashore. It’s no longer relaxing.
If Jaws is coming ashore, it’s evolving, not relaxing.
THANK you.
Got it in… not one, but close.
And again, why is an (upscale) ice cream parlor an appropriate place for children to have absolutely no boundaries? Unlike Chucky Cheese or a Disney movie or something, I don’t consider it a place designated primarily for children. It would never occur to me to avoid Baskin Robbins because I’d be likely to run across an overly excited child. Hell, I worked at one for over a year and I don’t recall an exceptional amount of misbehaving kids.
Even in Chuck E Cheese or a Disney movie, I expect kids to not act like fucking animals. Joyful exuberance is not not the same as screeching balls of menacing, walking headaches.
It’s not really the kids’ fault. I don’t often see parents of the disruptive pay attention to the kids. It’s like a little switch goes on in their brains: I’ve taken Junior here to have fun. My job is now done.
But it’s not done. You have to ask your child to be quiet when s/he screams or to pick a mess up off the floor or to stop running (in the wrong places, of course. Not like the park). I see too many parents just playing on their phones or talking to their friends. And I get it. You need adult time. You need your kid to be doing their own thing and not need constant supervision while at the same time not be staring at your own four walls all the time. But I’m with my kid who is behaving and I’d like to not have to be on extra alert because I have to watch out for your nightmare or can’t hear my kid because your kid is the loudest person to ever exist and you can’t stop texting to say “That’s nice. Indoor voice, dear.”
This is one of my least favorite memes - most often trotted out by the parents of kids who are behaving inappropriately for a given situation. IMO&E, an adjective is generally helpful. Well-behaved kids are well-behaved kids. Selfish kids will be selfish kids. Loud kids lacking an awareness of how to act in public spaces are - well, you get the drift.
Now a happy kid in an ice cream shop is close to certain boundaries - but those boundaries CAN be crossed. No matter HOW much the kid likes their ice cream, I see no harm (and considerable benefit) in a parent telling them at some point that they can express their joy a little quieter, or less repetitively.
But I have always been a strong advocate of kids understanding “inside voices” from a very young age, and I was the crazy parent who removed my child from the store, restaurant, train car, etc. when they were unable to behave in a manner that did not discomfort others. Worked with my kids, works with my granddaughter. It CAN work with most kids. But some parents don’t feel it important, and that their kid’s unthinking urge to express themself however they want takes priority over anyone else’s enjoyment of public spaces.
Happy kids. Let’s ban them.
If it is never expressed then does it really matter to the rest of us, does it?
Expecting and wanting are two different things.
The OP didn’t impose their will on anyone. The only one doing that was the kid and the father neglecting his duty to others in the store.
Possible solution: Kids in the Hall - Head Crusher
They shoot horses, don’t they?
“My God, this four year old doesn’t act with the understanding of someone 10 times her age, and it’s PISSING ME OFF!” is not a good look for anyone, even if you divert your irritation to the parent(s).
A few years ago when I was waiting to check in my car at Sears, there was a little girl, about 6-8 years old sitting in a massage chair and yelling: “OMG! This feels so good! Mommy! OMG! This is amazing”, in an adult tone. The Mom turned back once to acknowledge her, than completely ignored her, while the little girl went for several minutes. Some of the other people in line where obviously annoyed and disturbed (umm…this wasn’t a kid’s tone) and others were smiling and taking pictures. Me? I was contemplating calling CPS.
Haha “treat”? Who is the child in this scenario?
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