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On a side note (relating to this thread), my 10 year old (soon 11) got invited to a birthday party- apparently they are going to be playing hide-and-seek at Wal-Mart! I fail to see why that's a good idea. Especially with 10 year old boys!!!! Not sure I'll let him go or not..he wants to and I'm sure it would be fun for the boys, but definitely not to the other shoppers! Plus, with the stores being very crowded because of Christmas shopping, I'm sure the employees would not appreciate it.
NO WAY!!!!!! There is no way my son would be attending something as inconsiderate and as unsafe as that.
Ok, if a parent tries to keep their kids in line, I wish the rest of thw world would MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS!
I don't know how many times I've tried to keep my kids in line only to have another shopper or sales clerk say oh, that's ok, with a big,k indulgent smile. That was when my kids were younger, they're teenagers now. Used to be I couln' t control them in a store for someone else butting in.
Oh, they were just sooooo cute, let them tear everything up! I would try my best to control my kids, but usually someone would gush all over them and say oh, that's ok!
I told my kids that they mind ME, not everyone else in the store. Well, those days are over, like I said, now that they are teens they wouldn't be caught dead in the same store with their mother!
But for all you busy bodies who think other people's kids are yours to control MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS If ia parent is trying to control them, don't say, oh, that's ok, they're ok. etc...........unless you want your store torn to #ell.
Once my kids knocked over an advertisement easel in a paint store, had those paint color strips. They were about 4-5 year old at the time. I kept telling them to leave it alone, the sales lady kept smiling at them and sying oh, that's ok, they're not hurting anyting, they're so cute. then they knocked the whole thing down. The sales lady got indigant and "demanded" they pick it all up, sorry, lady, I'm in a hurry and out of here, remember, you kept telling them it was alright? Then YOU deal with the "consequences"
I've had my kids tear right down the aisles, knock display items off shelves, tear down curtains, etc, despite my best efforts to control them, only to have clerks and shoppers tell them to go ahead, its ok, they're so cute. I finally told my kids NOT to mind other poeple, what if someone said oh, that's ok, just jump in the car with me and off we go?
Okay, now it's my turn to say, "Preach it Marylee!!" Yeah, do NOT tell me OR my kids that it's okay to do something I say is NOT okay! How DARE you counter-discipline my child!? You wanna do the world a favor? If you see me telling my kid not to touch something...and they TOUCH it...how about telling them, "Your mom said not to touch that, didn't she?" It's called "reinforcing"!
My daughter and I were shopping a few days ago. Her little one (2) grabbed something off of a shelf. We both, simultaneously told him, "NO!! You do NOT take things off of the shelf!!" What happens? Yep, some total stranger comes right in close to him and says, "Aw...you're fine honey. It's okay, accidents happen. I've knocked things off the shelf too!" She then looks at us and in such a sweet, almost condescending voice says, "He's FINE....and WHAT a SWEETIE!" Grrrrrr!!
We gave that woman the most icy, mind your friggin business look you ever saw. Great post Marylee...exactly right. People have a fit when they see kids behaving out of control when they're in a store, but then will turn right around and defend your child when you attempt to enforce behavior rules. It reminds me of the spouse who grumbles about the kids misbehaving, until the other parent gets on the kids...then they defend the kids. Ugh
When I see unattended children loose in stores I ask them if they know where their parents are. I ask them if their mothers have told them not to talk to strangers. I tell them that I am a stranger. If they are older and bolder, I may tell them that someone could take them away and no one would ever find them.
In other words, I try to scare them. Kids need to learn that there are natural consequences to breaking rules, not just punishments. You break a health rule, you get sick. You break a safety rule, you could get hurt or killed.
I've said it on similar threads, but if the children are small enough that I wouldn't get hurt, I just step in front of them right before they rush by me. Then I declare that they could get hurt if they run around in stores. This while giving them the evil eye so that they wonder exactly what I mean by that.
Yikes! Speaking of kids running wild in stoes, today I saw something posted on a friend's facebook page that takes the cake.
She posted a photo of a mannequin her son had knocked over while running around a local clothing boutique with his sister. He had actually broken its head and it was lying on its side on the floor with the wig knocked off.
She posted something about how funny she thought it was. I couldn't imagine taking out my cellphone camera if my child did this. I'd be mortified and more focused on helping to restore the mannequin and having my child apologize to the shopkeeper.
I was tempted to post a snide comment on her facebook page, but decided not to. She's the type who thinks that everything her son does is adorable and that he can do no wrong.
I was tempted to post a snide comment on her facebook page, but decided not to. She's the type who thinks that everything her son does is adorable and that he can do no wrong.
Which is why he is wreaking havoc and destroying other people's property.
Yikes! Speaking of kids running wild in stoes, today I saw something posted on a friend's facebook page that takes the cake.
She posted a photo of a mannequin her son had knocked over while running around a local clothing boutique with his sister. He had actually broken its head and it was lying on its side on the floor with the wig knocked off.
She posted something about how funny she thought it was. I couldn't imagine taking out my cellphone camera if my child did this. I'd be mortified and more focused on helping to restore the mannequin and having my child apologize to the shopkeeper.
I was tempted to post a snide comment on her facebook page, but decided not to. She's the type who thinks that everything her son does is adorable and that he can do no wrong.
You should go ahead and post what you wanted. I bet you'd get a LOT of agreement from other readers!
The definition of "kids running wild in stores" is exactly that. There is either no parent in sight or the parent is completely oblivious to what is going on. The kids are literally running (with or without a cart) with no awareness or concern for anyone or anything around them. They may run into you, cut you off or knock things off of shelves. You have to dodge them and be aware of their location at all times to avoid them ramming a cart into your leg or bumping into you as they race through the aisles. If you say anything to them they will ignore you and keep running wild.
I was in the grocery store one day. I noticed this lady standing by her shopping cart looking at the stuff on the shelf. A few feet away was her kid about 4 yrs. old sitting on the floor. In front of him was a huge bag of kitty litter on the bottom shelf. He put his little finger on the bag and punched a hole in the bag. I looked at the lady, she didnt notice him doing this, I guess she could just see he was still there. I was shopping around looking up and down the isle. I can back and she was still there looking at stuff. Now the kid has pushed his hand into the bag playing with the kitty litter, nothing spilling out, just stirring it around. She still didnt notice. I went to another isle got a few things and came back. Now he is up to his shoulder in the stuff and stirring it around, there is a hole in the bag now and it is spilling out onto the floor. Still she didnt see this. I started to say something, but I thought it was funny. I came back a few minutes later. This stuff was all over the isle now.The whole end of the bag was busted open and he had just about empted out the whole bag of this stuff on the floor. I finally heard her say something like, Johnny what are you doing, get away from there or something like that. I had to laugh.
I was in the grocery store one day. I noticed this lady standing by her shopping cart looking at the stuff on the shelf. A few feet away was her kid about 4 yrs. old sitting on the floor. In front of him was a huge bag of kitty litter on the bottom shelf. He put his little finger on the bag and punched a hole in the bag. I looked at the lady, she didnt notice him doing this, I guess she could just see he was still there. I was shopping around looking up and down the isle. I can back and she was still there looking at stuff. Now the kid has pushed his hand into the bag playing with the kitty litter, nothing spilling out, just stirring it around. She still didnt notice. I went to another isle got a few things and came back. Now he is up to his shoulder in the stuff and stirring it around, there is a hole in the bag now and it is spilling out onto the floor. Still she didnt see this. I started to say something, but I thought it was funny. I came back a few minutes later. This stuff was all over the isle now.The whole end of the bag was busted open and he had just about empted out the whole bag of this stuff on the floor. I finally heard her say something like, Johnny what are you doing, get away from there or something like that. I had to laugh.
You saw this and let a child destroy a whole bag of kitty litter that the store then could not sell. Just like shoplifting, customers end up paying more when people destroy merchandise. You could have said something to the mom when the hole was only a finger's worth or if not to the mom, then to the store personnel. I don't get it.
Yikes! Speaking of kids running wild in stoes, today I saw something posted on a friend's facebook page that takes the cake.
She posted a photo of a mannequin her son had knocked over while running around a local clothing boutique with his sister. He had actually broken its head and it was lying on its side on the floor with the wig knocked off.
She posted something about how funny she thought it was. I couldn't imagine taking out my cellphone camera if my child did this. I'd be mortified and more focused on helping to restore the mannequin and having my child apologize to the shopkeeper.
I was tempted to post a snide comment on her facebook page, but decided not to. She's the type who thinks that everything her son does is adorable and that he can do no wrong.
Wow. Mannequins are expensive. So much in fact that at most stores only a tiny number of employees are allowed to touch them.
For me the worst part is they spoil it for the rest of us. I hate getting the eye roll when I show up at a restaurant with my kids, or line up to board a plane, or even just walk in the grocery store with them. People are just assuming all kids behave this way nowadays. I appreciate that people compliment my almost 7 year old on her behavior and manners but she's just doing what any kid should be doing. It's like it's become so acceptable to not bother parenting your kids anymore.
On the Walmart hide and seek party - wow. Just wow.
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I fail to see why that's a good idea. Especially with 10 year old boys!!!! Not sure I'll let him go or not..he wants to and I'm sure it would be fun for the boys, but definitely not to the other shoppers! Plus, with the stores being very crowded because of Christmas shopping, I'm sure the employees would not appreciate it.
