This post may be more venting then anything else. If I hurt someones feelings, it's not intentional. This is my blog and I'm entitled to post what I want.
That being said.............today after church Steve and I went and ate then went to the mall to pick up a few things. While there.....the question arose, time after time.
Why do parents just let their children run wild no matter where your at or who else is around? When did it become acceptable for children to run, scream, yell, bicker, etc. while in a store, at church, at school or anywhere else except for home and the park? What happened to making your kids obey and be respectful of other people around them?
Growing up, we were expected to behave all the time, but especially to behave in public. That meant when we were in a store, we had to stay with Mom and Dad. If we were at church, we were allowed to straw from Mom and Dad (when we were older obviously) but we knew that if we were loud or disrespectful, if we were caught running around instead of being where we were supposed to be....yea, we were going to get in trouble. There was no hiding in the clothes racks when we were out in public. There was no running and hollering up and down the aisle. And most importantly, we certainly didn't back talk our parents in front other others without punishment being quickly handed out.
So what's changed? Why are kids allowed to run in and out of the clothes rack, knocking down clothes, screaming at the top of their lungs, all while their parents shop quietly several racks away as if nothing is out of the ordinary? I just don't understand. It's irritating to other customers and it really makes the whole shopping experience crappy as far as I'm concerned.
I love kids just as much as the next person. At church, I've always got someones baby in my arms during the service. I consider myself a kid person....until I see kids who aren't made to be respectful of others and then my love for kiddos goes right out the window.
I run a tight ship at my house. Ask Tanner and she'd probably tell you that I'm a strict Momma. I would rather err on the side of too strict then not strict enough. I expect Tanner to be respectful of not just herself but more importantly of others-in the things she not only says, but the things that she does as well. If we are somewhere-church, school, a store-I expect her to walk with me with her hands to her sides. I expect her to use an inside voice and I expect her to keep her hands and feet to herself at all times. If she doesn't use an inside voice or feels she needs to disobey the rules by running or talking or whatever, then she pays the consequences. Why is this so hard for other parents?
There were several times today that Steve and I had to walk to a different part of the store just so we could hear each other when one of us said something. I can't tell you the number of kids we saw running around through the stores, hollering at the top of their lungs, with Momma and Daddy nowhere to be found. At one point, we just left the store because it was easier than trying to yell over the child that was running around.
Let me say too-there are of course exceptions to everything. Kids aren't perfect-I don't expect them to be (ok, so maybe I expect them to be a little perfect?). There are going to be times when the kids are just having a bad day and acting out. Been there. Done that myself. The other day, I read a story about a friends little girl going through Lowe's acting as if she was on a horse. Those types of things are funny and cute, but I appreciate Corey and her husband taking other shoppers feelings/time into consideration, even when little Ava resisted. (I tried to post a link to Corey's post because it was one of the funniest blog posts I've read in a long time, but I couldn't get the link to work!)
I guess it all comes down to different parenting styles. I'm strict. Others aren't.
There really isn't anything I can do or say that's going to change things. The only thing I can do is bite my tongue and go one.
Thank you for letting me vent.
2 comments:
well....I think it first started with "this hurts me more than it hurts you." Doggonit! It's true. And so parents think that I'll get it the next time...next time...next time.... And then there is the stigma placed on actually disciplining your children!! We will hurt their little egos or be accused of abuse!! I was a little worried leaving Walmart yesterday with Ashton repeating (thank goodness she wasn't quite screaming this time) "I don't wanna get a spanking... I don't wanna get a spanking...!" I agree that it's out of wack these days. Maybe the pendulum will swing back in the next generation?
Hmmm, I very much appreciate what your saying. I'm pretty agitated by my kids when they act out in public. However, I'm a lot more empathetic to the mom who has kids nearby and she's really trying to deal with them but they are not in any way, shape, or form going to honor her.
One of my big fears is that I may be tolerating more than I should be tolerating because I'm used to the noise level being considerably higher these days than it used to b (since we have three kids now). I have this fear that I may let them (on a scale of 1-10) get away with being a 4 loud in public since they're usually a 6-8 loud at home. A 4 seems rather sedate. I'm not sure if that makes any sense or not.
I do agree though, somethings got to be done in our culture with kids just being out of control in public. I encouraged our youth minister to give male sponsors permission to give guys wedgies if they see their boxers showing. Man, did that kid that was bending over next to us ever stand up straight in a hurry! That was funny.
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