Oh, bloody hell. Children throwing things about in restaurants have been mentioned, and the parents of same spoken of in ill light. That should just about cue the furious parents.
But before that happens, I think the loudly-proclaiming-hatred-of-kids thing is, for lack of a better descriptive term, adolescent. The thing is, children being present in various places is part and parcel of humanity being present in various places. Loudly going on and on about that rolls right on out of a thought process that hasn’t quite reached the point of being grown up yet.
My kids are already hip to this one. I’ll say " I betcha I can clean my room faster than you can yours!!" And they usualy come back with something like “yeh, you probably can dad” and then walk off. Now I just bribe them, I find it works better.
I am the father of four small children(7,5,4,and 10 mo.)and I agree with Slip, I learn things from all four of my children everyday. just the other day I was watching A program on wolves, and my 4 year old came into the room and said “Whats those Daddy?”
I said “Wolves” She said “There mean, huh.” I said “yes they are. If you ever see one stay away from it, it will hurt you”
Then she followed with “yeah, and they’ll blow your house down too.” cute, isn’t she
Wait – Were they trying to teach him to call you by your real name (i.e. Auntie Sally) or actually Auntie Mischievous? If it’s the first case, what in the hell do you want your two year old nephew to call you? Mrs. Smith?
In the second case, I could see it but then again, calling family members by their internet handles is pretty messed up as is
Umm, well, let’s see…I’m 32 years old and I don’t have a single maternal bone in my body. I don’t like children at all. I’ll do anything to avoid being in a situation where I have to be around them. I don’t want to talk to them, I don’t want to play games with them. Luckily, it isn’t too much of a problem, but I will admit I have lost some friends once they had kids. Still, I’d never make rude remarks to their parents, such as, “How do you put up with them?” or make rude remarks in front of the kids.
I have four, and I get asked all the time “how do you put up with all those kids” or something similar. And that doesnt bother me. Of course we dont really have any problems with any of our kids acting out.
I think that the children who have parents that dont pay much attention to them are the ones who act out and in that case you really cant blame the children. they are just looking for attention.
I like kids. A lot. I started babysitting when I was 11. I have been told I’m good with kids because I don’t “talk down” to them.
But, it’s gotten harder and harder to enjoy some of them. I guess parents are to blame. There is an attiude (already expressed on this thread) that some parents think that ALL kids are adorable, or that ALL that their kid does is adorable. Not so. It’s their kid, not mine, don’t expect me to be enchanted with every single thing they do.
When I think a kid is being a shithead, the kid’s being a shithead. None of this “but he’s a kid!” is going to cut it. Usually it’s the oblivious parents who are to blame. I won’t accept that I have to like all kids (not that anyone here is saying that). And I also am not above giving the “death ray” glare to a blatantly misbehaving kid. It seems to work for the most part, and if a hypersensitive parent gets bent out of shape, tough.
But, I’ll say again, I like kids. They are little humans. Nothing is more fun than warping a little brain, but making up bizarre stories about how there are miniature human beings who live in your TV set. Just make up bizarre (but harmless and fun) stories, watch their eyes get really big! They are not sure to believe you, especially if you appear to be a “stodgy” and “not fun” type of adult. They don’t know quite how to take you. It’s great.
I like kids, about like I like adults, on an individual or close to it basis. I also have no problem with kids acting up. You ask them to stop. I work as a cashier at a little drug store. Kids will come in and make a mess of stuff. Parents will ignore it. I’ll ask the kid to go pick up after themselves. (ex. “Hey, can you go put that mask back on the shelf? Thanks!”) The parents get embarrassed, the kids get embarassed, and everybody is happy with it. Treat them like people, if one is kicking your chair you can ask the child to stop. (Unless they are so small they don’t understand English yet, but if they can wear shoes, they can control where they go, and most of the time will be shamed into acting right.)
I don’t take anything from a kid I wouldn’t take from an adult (or a college student at the very least). Adults get loud and giggly when playing with their friends. So do kids. Adults get bored, tired, surly, etc, etc. They’re people and half of them are brighter than you expect them to be.
Well other than most of y’all make me want to puke… but we won’t go there…
Everyone has different opinions of kids. I am usually yelled at or being accused of being neglectful coz I let him go… I have never made him sit still in his life, except in moving vehicles. I DONT patronize several local restaurant because of their repressive attitudes toward children.
Lastly THANK HEAVEN FOR UTAH! We have so many kids here they’re a dime a dozen So every wedding, funeral, adult type function I have ever attended is overflowing with children. We just send them to the back of the gym or out into the halls, LDS churches are great for that, and let them run their little legs off.
Sad when we can say I hate kids or hate anything with such impunity… our future is truly fucked y’know.
Ciao
It’s ok to dislike children and to prefer the company of adults. It’s ok to die childless. No skin off my nose. But I’m siding bigtime with those complaining about the bad manners of some adult child-haters. If I’m out in public with my two don’t glare at me like I’m leading a pair of incontinent dogs. It’s public, not your own personal universe. If we’re having a conversation, don’t announce that you don’t like children. I don’t care. What do you think I’m going to do, leave them in the car with a pan of water and the window cracked?
I’m holding up my end. They are well behaved. They don’t get dragged places they aren’t invited. And after ten years of practice, we know what to bring to keep them entertained in situations where they have to sit down, shut up and keep out of the way. And yet, for some people it’s not enough. They seem threatened by any situation in which they, the adult cannot be the center of attention at all time. For example: the woman I ran into at a convention who was trying to find peace and quiet in a children’s day care. And kids were disturbing her. How strange. And the friend who expected me to listen to every detail of her sordid love life and mental health, and to drop everything and run to her when she was feeling down, but who wanted nothing to do with my husband or my children. Our friendship was supposed to be about her, her and her.
I also agree that kids who are hooligans in public are fair game. If they’re yelling in your ear, or kicking you, tell them to stop. If they don’t, be polite, but get a parent or the nearest clerk, usher, authority figure. After age 5, don’t let them do anything you wouldn’t take from an adult or a dog. Or be subversive. The last kid who kicked me got his foot stepped on (gently but firmly). And that was in church.
No thanks, I’m full.
but SERIOUSLY. I’m not a gushy baby/puppy/kitten lover of things. And I’ve already been told by my cousin that I’m too boisterous to be a good mother, and I’ve been told that I can’t listen to heavy metal anymore when I get pregnant because it’s HARMFUL, and I love caffienated coffee, red meat and beer…
but none of those nay sayers are going to stop me god damn it. My biological cock is out of control. Me…Baby…Now.
Good girl! (I’m still assuming that, even after reading the cock thing!) Your cousin needs to pull her head out of her ass. I am the mother of one with another in progress, and I eat red meat, I drink coffee (moderation is the key), and listen to a wide variety of music. This has no effect whatsoever on my child or my fetus.
Too boisterous to be a good mother?!? What a bunch of shit! This person can’t be a parent! You will have the energy to keep up with your babies and kids, and you will fit right in with your toddlers!
Even bewfore I was a parent, I didn’t hate kids. I continue to hate bad parents. Very few kids are “born bad.” While I believe that no amount of “good parenting” would have made a bit of difference in Jeffrey Dahmer’s case, most kids are good kids who want to be appreciated and acknowledged and engaged. If you can’t do it, fine, but don’t be rude- it’s tacky and shows a lack of good manner- kind of what you’re accusing the kids of…
She is a mother. She assures me that it’s important to be quiet and play quiet music for children, and that my laugh is too loud, my music is to harsh and my play is too rough.
Oh well. Looks like I’ll have a loud, headbanging, wrestling toddler. EXCELLENT.
This woman scares me. Kids need stimulating play, bright colors and textures, and a healthy fun outlet for all that energy. She sounds like she’s trying to raise Lilith from Frasier.
My little boy is a rough & tumble, extremely happy almost-two-year-old who loves to hear himself laugh (and yell, and make wierd noises…). I would take him over a cowed, unnaturally quiet child any day.
