BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids Kids Need to Behave in Public

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Has anyone noticed that this user has also posted on the "Depression" forum?? Related to the 6 kids perhaps?? :-)

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Six kids?!? Now I'm depressed too....:)

The thing is, I don't hate kids, I just have no interest in them and don't want to be bothered by them. I make every effort not to infringe on other people's space, and I expect the same courtesy in return.

i am a single parent of a 4 year old, and my son has occasionally cried in public and had a temper tantrum sometimes, does this mean that i should not bring him along if i go out? as a single parent i really dont have a choice but to take him with me everywhere i go. i realize that it does stop people from having a "good" time as many have posted here in this forum but us parents want to also have a decent time when we go out also, if people dont like our children acting up, well have has any one thought that we as a parent dont either? i rarely go out because of the fact and while i do discipline him it only goes so far. when i was younger i was like you not liking to see the displays of these kids acting up and now i am dealing with one. but after reading all the negativity concerning this subject i will just stay at home, its alot better than recieving stares and nasty looks for people who dont understand or who dont even have any children themselves.

Lucky Star,

If your child is acting up in public, why don't you simply take him outside or into the nearest bathroom until he calms down, or take him home?

When I was little, my mother would occasionally take my sister and me out places. If either one of the kiddies acted up, we immediately left the place, and at home we got a lesson in good etiquette in public.

Going out in public was a special treat for us when we were children -- it wasn't part of the regular routine. Rather, it was a reward for *good* behavior.

You could get free babysitting by finding another mother in a similar situation as you and trading the kids off when either of you needs to do grocery shopping or whatever. You could also avoid the problem by visiting child-friendly stores and restaurants; this is part of the trade-off for your decision to procreate.

My mother always says that when kids act badly in public, they haven't had enough sleep. Perhaps some good quality time sleeping and playing at home would help your child to not act up in public. Kids do not have the stamina that adults do, so taking him *everywhere* could be really bad for both of you...be sure you both get all the rest you need.

As far as "stares and nasty looks" from other people: a lot of us understand just fine, we just don't have the same kind of tolerance for stress or noise. I, for one, have the exact same reaction when one of my adult coworkers can't control his or her noise level.

Not all of us think children shouldn't be allowed in public; a lot of us just think children should be seen and not heard, or at least that a child (or grownup) who is acting really bad should just leave. I might add here that many *children* do not like noisy children either. I remember when I was a kid I avoided noisy, tempermental kids because they stressed me out. Perhaps teaching your kids to be quiet and polite will help their social lives later.

Wow- I truly did not know what I was starting with this thread. Luckystar- I can absolutely see where you are coming from. My sister is also a single parent with two boys, so I know all of the challenges you must face.

My problem lies in the fact that many parents (notice I didn't say all) fail to control their children's behavior in public. Its not that they can't do it, its that they don't take the time or the energy to make it a priority so that others can have a pleasant experience. Sometimes the parents don't even seem to care...I have seen my own sister ignore her kid's disgusting behavior too many times to count and these are my nephews!

Case in point: Last night I drove about two blocks to a friend's home. Almost every time I go, there is a group of small children, under the age of 5, playing roller blade hockey in the STREET with NO adult supervision. They have rolled on out in front of my car several times. I did stop once and tell them to be careful, but it did not seem to register with them. I see this kind of thing (ignoring the kids) from many parents all of the time.

I do understand that this is not typical of all parents. But please keep in mind that this board is one of the few places that the childfree can truly vent their frustrations. Since many of my friends have children, venting is a rare occurance.

I agree. I can't imagine how tough it must be to raise a child on your own, but some courtesy must be shown too! My sister has two boys and I LOVE them dearly, but they have ruined countless dinners with their actions and my sister doesn't do anything about it. And this isn't in a McDonnalds where you expect kids to act up..this was in a nice restaurant. Am I wrong in suggesting there are a million places for parents to go with kids and there are some places kids don't belong? My friends and family all have kids too...this site is a godsend..and I have found a lot of great people on here!!

Granny Grumbles took on the subject last August, 2005, and got quite a few emails saying, Bravo!

http://www.thepenmanship.com/blogs/grannygrumbles.htm

You'll have to go to the bottom of the page.

Maybe they don't want the child to affect their businesses. Imagine if your child cried or scream uncontrollably. There are a lot of concerns and so they refuses child admission. However I think it is unfair that they refuses kids.
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