OK, I'm a curmudgeon {rant}

[Lannis]

Kev m , when did I say bad behavior is acceptable .

  Dusty

Uh uh, no passive-aggressive stuff now.

You said "Yep  Lannis, we were all perfect well behaved children , as were all of our brothers, sisters,cousins,and friends . Yep , no fist fights , stealing candy from the 5 & Dime , never threw water balloons at cars , never terrorized the hood on motorbikes , by damn , we were all just perfect."

You may not have specifically said that "bad behavior is acceptable", but it APPEARS that you were implying that since WE and OUR children are not PERFECT, then we should not be criticizing other people's children when they behave badly.

But don't let me put words in your mouth.   Just what message DID you want to get across with the sarcasm?    Is it just way too nuanced for dull illiterates like KevM and me?   :D

Lannis

[Lannis]

Oh , I think Kev got it  :o :D

  Dusty

Yep, we've ALL got it, now.

Lannis

[Lannis]

No, I guess I just took it as statement that kids will be kids and we should just accept it.

Lol, man Seamus LOVES FOOD (gets that from me ;) ). He loves feeding himself even more. That night he started with cheerios and pieces of a roll, but went on to half of my Filet Mignon! (Bastid).

The car keys are in more danger, and sooner, than you can ever imagine .... !

Lannis

[Penderic]

Kids today are not like we were!

[LowRyter]

[56Pan]

Get away from me kid, you're buggin me! >:(

W. C.  was once asked,"How do you like children, Mr. Fields?"  He replied,"Boiled".

[Kent in Upstate NY]

A well placed foot in the path of the little monsters is a great learning experience.

[John Ulrich]

Kevin,
Get ready to have a pimple faced kid pull up next to you at a light on Minnesota street riding an ATV and pull a wheelie and roar down the road.  Yup, street legal in SD.

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Wheelies are legal in S. Dakota?

[guzzipete]

Man, why can't parents just leave the kids in the car like when I was a screaming four year old.

And don't talk to me about Cheeto encrusted fingers!! Now that weed is legal in Washington......... ..

[Turin]

I don't find this curmugeony at all. I worked in bars and restaurants for over 20 years. Nobody likes it when an inconsiderate A-hole lets their cool-aid mustached little booger eater run amok . I've told people as a last resort " If you can't control your little animals you need to leave them back at the barn". That always got a great reaction.
On the other hand there have been children that I let sit at my bar (with legal guardian in tow of course) because of their extraordinary manners.  

[Vasco DG]

Nobody expects kids to always be perfectly behaved,it would be nice but of course it won't happen.

There is though, at least I believe there is, a general expectation that parents will parent! It didn't take me long to learn when my toddlers were tired, hungry or fractious and you knew that if they were that was NOT the time to take them anywhere where good behaviour was going to be paramount. Plan a bit ahead. Make sure the've had a nap, aren't starving, make sure they have their favourite toy/comforter and when you get to where you are going don't expect to be able to behave like you did BK, ('Before Kids')! Also, if it does go pear shaped just accept it, make your apologies and leave. Your friends will understand. If they don't? Well maybe they aren't that good a friends Eh? That doesn't mean you allow your kids to dictate your actions but if you get the pattern established early it makes things a whole lot easier later on.

My oldest boy had, (Still has!) quite serious mental health issues and believe me he could be a real handful! But we survived, as did he, and he's now a functioning member of society. We never got asked to leave anywhere and believe me, I certainly don't think I was ever anything like a parental exemplar. In fact my failings there are something that often torments me with guilt.

Pete

[radan2]

W. C.  was once asked,"How do you like children, Mr. Fields?"  He replied,"Boiled".

When I began teaching, I started with eighth grade.  After several years of that, I was switched to fifth grade because of classroom numbers.

During my first year at that level, child in my fifth-grade class once asked me why I went into teaching.  I said, "Because I like children ................... ........ especially french fried."  ~;

I knew I was being a little too hard on them when no one laughed.

[John Ulrich]

Man, why can't parents just leave the kids in the car like when I was a screaming four year old.

Happens often up north here while the parent is in the bar..... Having last call!    Most do leave the car running in freezing weather.

[sib]

Man, why can't parents just leave the kids in the car like when I was a screaming four year old.

In some states you can get busted for that, it's deemed child abuse.  Put the kid in the trunk and no one will know he's there  ~;.

[56Pan]

And don't talk to me about Cheeto encrusted fingers!!

Okay, slow morning.  Joke of the day.  A guy goes to his Dr. and says,"Doc, I've got some strange symptoms and I don't know what to make of it."  Doc say,"Symptoms where?"  Guy says,"It's my genitals Doc".  Doc says,"Well, drop your pants and let's have a look."  Guy drops his pants and his shaft/stones are all bright orange.  Doc flaps them back and forth a couple times looking at it with his tongue depressor and is quiet a couple moments.  Then says,"Well, fella, you've got me stumped.  I've never seen anything like this before.  Tell me something about yourself.  What kind of lifestyle do you have?"  Guys says,"To tell you the truth, Doc, I've been kind of depressed lately.  Lost my job and about all I do is sit home in front of the TV, drink beer, watch porn, and eat Cheetos".

[Penderic]

I have met a pair of real kids from hell and lived to tell about it.

They looked so cute. But they would try to burn your house down, or steal your truck and laugh about it when caught!

The girl was only 7 or 8 and her brother was just 5 or 6 years old! Both too short to reach the parking brake release, lucky for me.

At a restaurant, they would take off their clothes, naked, run up and down, knocking over plates on other peoples tables - while screaming foul mouthed swear words at all of us, and laughing, at the top of their lungs!!!!!!!

A lot more to the story, another time.  **C


Mommys' lil Precious.

[drums4money]

...but some of us were uh required to be well behaved or were removed from the establishment.

That's how I was raised and how I treat my kids.

almost as soon as she could talk, she started repeating what she'd heard since she was in the car carrier.  "you get what you get & you don't throw a fit."
She's a great kid.

[rodekyll]

I have met a pair of real kids from hell and lived to tell about it.

They looked so cute. But they would try to burn your house down, or steal your truck and laugh about it when caught!

The girl was only 7 or 8 and her brother was just 5 or 6 years old! Both too short to reach the parking brake release, lucky for me.

At a restaurant, they would take off their clothes, naked, run up and down, knocking over plates on other peoples tables - while screaming foul mouthed swear words at all of us, and laughing, at the top of their lungs!!!!!!!

A lot more to the story, another time.  **C


Mommys' lil Precious.

I think we know the rest of the story.

When did you reform?


Now that she's in her 30s my daughter admits to having had a temper problem as a child.  My deal with her was that she could behave absolutely any way she wanted to -- as long as it was in her room.  When she'd throw a fit I'd remind her of the rule and she'd trot on in, close the door and raise heck.  For that reason she couldn't have tantrums when we were out in public because her room wasn't there.  

"WAAAH WAAAH WAAAH"
    "Honey, you need to do that in your room, remember?"
"MY ROOM IS AT HOME!!!"
    "Then it's like the potty.  You'll have to wait till we get home."
"OK."

Her mom disagreed with my parenting strategies so the tantrums reigned at her house.  I think the first words my son said (besides "pepperoni") was "Get off my lawn!"  He's been annoyed at misbehaving children and dogs since I can remember -- longer than he can remember, too.  He says he and his wife aren't going to have kids because he wants to stop the crazy genes from moving forward, but I know it's because he's got an unacceptable standard of behavior for anything knee-high or less.

[AMGeneral]

What???? No one else saw the Delorean in that pic earlier??

Next time the kids get to racing up and down the isle, give 'em a nice first warning about "you might trip and fall"

If it falls on deaf ears, set an example!

See ya,
Rod

[Sasquatch Jim]

 What?Huh No one else saw the Delorean in that pic earlier??

 Just another car to avoid on the road.

[travelingbyguzzi]

Lets be fair regarding small children. They are always glad to run into the house and get you another beer from the fridge. Whenever I ask my wife to do this, all I get is a bunch of sass abd backtalk....

[Penderic]

There must be nice kids born that way. But some families I have known had a couple of nice kids and then a really one rotten one .... raised the in the same way but came out different.

Years ago, I lived back in Toronto and had very nice neighbors, one couple with 2 young daughters.

Their older 5 year old kid was a monster, would trip her 2 year old sister, when no one was watching, and I saw her trying to bash her sisters head in with a piece of lumber. The parents heard the commotion from inside but by the time they came outside, the little stinker had tossed the wood away and then claimed the 2 year had falling down by herself.  Another time the parents caught her trying to drown her sister in their inflatable wading pool - what a scene that was!

They moved away after that and I often wondered if the younger daughter had managed to survive her childhood. Odds were not good.

[Lannis]

There must be nice kids born that way. But some families I have known had a couple of nice kids and then a really one rotten one .... raised the in the same way but came out different.

Years ago, I lived back in Toronto and had very nice neighbors, one couple with 2 young daughters.

Their older 5 year old kid was a monster, would trip her 2 year old sister, when no one was watching, and I saw her trying to bash her sisters head in with a piece of lumber. The parents heard the commotion from inside but by the time they came outside, the little stinker had tossed the wood away and then claimed the 2 year had falling down by herself.  Another time the parents caught her trying to drown her sister in their inflatable wading pool - what a scene that was!

They moved away after that and I often wondered if the younger daughter had managed to survive her childhood. Odds were not good.

Yep.   People who believe that humans are born "innately good" or with an "inner moral compass" have never watched a roomful of toddlers playing together.   Until they're taught differently, a 2-year-old who wants a toy that another 2-year-old has will happily and quickly whack their buddy over the head and take the toy away .... and if they're not taught differently, they'll continue to do that their entire lives, until they're put away where they can't do it any more.

Lannis