I this will be a #getoffmylawn, so let's just start with the hashtag, shall we?
I this will be a #getoffmylawn, so let's just start with the hashtag, shall we?
Barnes and Noble, which is a public place, but not in the public park paid for by the taxpayers sense. It's a private business paid for by customers. Parenting is hard, adulting is hard. Children may by constitution or upbringing be limited in their means of communication. However, when a child is screaming and crying for over 20 minutes (a lot over 20 minutes), it's time for the adults to suck it up and take the kid elsewhere. As in, not in a place where they are imposing on many, many people who are not trapped in an airplane so they have no choice.
It's a pain in the rear to have to leave places and stop what you are doing because your child is having a meltdown. But the necessity of being in a Barnes and Noble is probably extremely low in terms of necessary for the continuation of life or whatever. So not that big a deal to leave, is what I mean.
Also? Have had the dubious opportunity of watching this parent. She is standing leafing through books at the shelves quietly telling her one kid to stop doing things like spinning the other kid around in the stroller. These kids are about 3 and 1. Also, the parent never moves from their spot while not even looking and saying, come here, don't walk away, what is it honey? don't do that, honey, calling the kid's name when she can't find the kid, etc. while basically completely ignoring the kid. This is when the child isn't actively screaming (the 3 year old), which inevitably starts the 1 year old up with the screaming, as well.
I mean, I guess it's better that she has them with her than just leaving them in the children's area. But when we were growing up, nobody would have blinked at leaving us in the kid's area. That's what it was for. And nobody would have had a fit because no adult was staring at them obsessively. And the kid would not be bored out of her mind trying to cause trouble and screaming when nobody paid attention to her or told her no. (The kid is really being amazingly well behaved for a bored, ignored 3 year old. She has destroyed nothing, touched nothing, just bored out of her mind so running around, usually with the stroller with her sibling because mom isn't bothering to keep a grip on it. And she screams when corralled or told to stop spinning the stroller. What a surprise. She keeps screaming, too. Because all of a sudden mom is paying attention to her instead of reading books.)
Buy a book and take it home, mom. Or go to the park. Or something.
Barnes and Noble, which is a public place, but not in the public park paid for by the taxpayers sense. It's a private business paid for by customers. Parenting is hard, adulting is hard. Children may by constitution or upbringing be limited in their means of communication. However, when a child is screaming and crying for over 20 minutes (a lot over 20 minutes), it's time for the adults to suck it up and take the kid elsewhere. As in, not in a place where they are imposing on many, many people who are not trapped in an airplane so they have no choice.
It's a pain in the rear to have to leave places and stop what you are doing because your child is having a meltdown. But the necessity of being in a Barnes and Noble is probably extremely low in terms of necessary for the continuation of life or whatever. So not that big a deal to leave, is what I mean.
Also? Have had the dubious opportunity of watching this parent. She is standing leafing through books at the shelves quietly telling her one kid to stop doing things like spinning the other kid around in the stroller. These kids are about 3 and 1. Also, the parent never moves from their spot while not even looking and saying, come here, don't walk away, what is it honey? don't do that, honey, calling the kid's name when she can't find the kid, etc. while basically completely ignoring the kid. This is when the child isn't actively screaming (the 3 year old), which inevitably starts the 1 year old up with the screaming, as well.
I mean, I guess it's better that she has them with her than just leaving them in the children's area. But when we were growing up, nobody would have blinked at leaving us in the kid's area. That's what it was for. And nobody would have had a fit because no adult was staring at them obsessively. And the kid would not be bored out of her mind trying to cause trouble and screaming when nobody paid attention to her or told her no. (The kid is really being amazingly well behaved for a bored, ignored 3 year old. She has destroyed nothing, touched nothing, just bored out of her mind so running around, usually with the stroller with her sibling because mom isn't bothering to keep a grip on it. And she screams when corralled or told to stop spinning the stroller. What a surprise. She keeps screaming, too. Because all of a sudden mom is paying attention to her instead of reading books.)
Buy a book and take it home, mom. Or go to the park. Or something.
They have left the store! Not that I'll be here much longer, but my ears are ringing with the silence.
ReplyDeleteI was at Marshall's recently and observed three separate families treating it like a playground. FFS.
ReplyDeleteI know it's really hard, now, esp if you don't have money to find someplace to take your kids when it is too hot outside. But there has to be consideration that screaming kids or kids just trying to run off their energy are not permission to impose on everybody anywhere anytime.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of places where the expectation of the presence of loud children comes with the deal. None of the ones mentioned so far would be on my list.
ReplyDelete