Pet Peeves

[Janice]

This refers to parenting and children. What is your worse pet peeve that you have seen parents do and you wonder why they have children. Just kidding.

Me.... I hate it when I go shoipping and see children scream and run all over the store and all the parent does is say "don't do that". They say it about 10 times with nothing happening. Don't these parents have any respect for other people. We don't go out in public, especially to eat, and want to deal with other peoples kids running and screaming all over. This is not the childrens fault, but poor parenting where the parents have lost control.

[coriolis]

Parents making threats that they can't or won't keep.

I check myself and only make threats that I can keep. By the same token my kids know that I'm crazy enough to keep the threats that I make.

One time I left a store abruptly while shopping and left the half full cart right there in the store. We had a crappy dinner that night and they didn't get their snacks.

If they start getting out of control, I can threaten to leave, and they know that it could happen.

[pojo]

My largest pet peeve is slow people.....

At work... it is people walking on the pool deck with swim flippers on.

[O Town]

Janice, Do you by chance have any kids? Your pet peeves used to be mine before I had 3 of my own. Kids will be kids, to a point, mine have been know to do that once or twice BUT(big but) if I tell them more than twice to do something in public and they don't there are consequences. Ecspecially if they are running about out of control, it will not continually happen, but it may once or twice before I can get some sense into them one way or another. I remeber always saying before kids, MY KIDS will never act that way. But some people just don't know how to make threats and keep them, as coriolis said don't make ones you cannot keep. I too have left a buggy half full and just went home when little kiddies decide not to listen. There have also be consequences when they get home.


I would have to say one of my pet peeves regaurding children, is.........when people leash their kids to them with ones of those human leashes. I don't know why, but it really bothers me. I know kids can be hard to keep up with, but I just don't like them. I won't elaborate to much I don't want to offend anyone who may use them.

[coriolis]

I haven't figured out yet how to harness the kids to pull the grocery cart.

[alicia-w]

I've had five kids and Janice's pet peeves are some of my own. if parents cant control their kids' behavior, then they should leave them at home. shop from the internet.

if i had to tell my kids to do something more than twice, we were out of the store or restaurant or whatever. then they had to deal with ruining the evening or whatever as well as not doing what they were told...

they're all well adjusted adults now with kids of their own.

[Miss Mary]

I taught my children at young ages to keep one hand on the stroller or grocery cart. And never take it off unless I said it was okay to. For example, when I had two, one 3 or older and a baby, my oldest always had her hand on the cart/stroller. She obeyed me and never wandered off. I took my kids nearly everywhere - haircuts, oil changes, GYN check ups (that was tricky but we managed), grocery shopping, errands, etc. I rarely needed sitters.

Compare my habits to my now ex-sister-in-law and it's like night and day. Her child is nearly 6 now and she complained about how her life was over after having a newborn. She couldn't do anything w/o asking for a sitter. She needed ~one~ new tire once, after a nail. And you guessed it, she asked for a sitter. I would gently tell her take coloring books, crayons, toys, or let your child play with the store's toy bin. So many stores provide a play area. Sure they're full of germs but the real story was this - the mom wanted time for herself to run even more errands, delaying the time she picked up her child.

We went shopping once and she allowed her then 3 year old daughter to throw a major temper tantrum in Christopher & Banks, near the entrance. This little girl just laid down on her back, stomped her feet and took her fists to the floor and the mom shopped as if she was alone. Even going to the very back of the store. Any perv could have picked up her kid just walking by. I remember asking - are you aware your child is up front? (in other words, making a huge scene?). "Uh yeah, she'll cry it out" was basically what I got back.

So I hear ya. Big time. I chose to be with my kids and this ex SIL looked for ways to pawn off her kid. Still does it I suspect, but with her family and friends now. I'm glad I'm off the hook on these never ending babysitting (and free) requests......the poor kid though, shuffled around since she was born.

[alicia-w]

my mom had a friend who did this when her kids got to screaming like little banshees:

she'd put her hand over their nose and mouth and said well you can scream or breathe, you cant do both. and they'd stop screaming.
worked pretty well but that was 30 years ago. you probably cant do that anymore. at least not in a public place.

[O Town]

I haven't figured out yet how to harness the kids to pull the grocery cart.

[tropicana]

hehehe I can't wait to have kids.

I went to this play once, and sitting in front of me were this seemingly nice family, a grandfather, a grandmother and a kid about maybe 5 or 6 years old. So i couldn't help but hear them as they were sitting in front of me... and so the grandma tells the kid... ok when the play starts you have to be reallly quiet and not make a single sound.

the kid pauses a few seconds (thinking about this) and he whispers to his grandpa (whisper the way kids whisper...whisper so loud that I could hear sitting behind them).... so the kid whispers.. "Grandpa, can we breathe?"

hhehehehe i've got no pet peeves when it comes to kids. I love them to bits. Of course, this could change once i have kids of my own.

-justin-

[Janice]

If I had small children today, I would definately use a leash. I do not see anything wrong with them. Have you ever wondered how your little childs arm must feel with being held up holding your hand while shopping. It must go numb at times. If I held my arm up for that long, I would be cranky too. The leashes are becoming more popular all the time, tough love and children don't seem to mind wearing them. If I am going shopping or to an amusement park, I do not want to fear that my child my get grabbed by a pervert. Those people are there to catch kids when parents are not looking. These leashes are long, the kids can run and have fun and you are secure in your mind that they are being watched well by you. You always take them off when you eat etc.

[greeng13]

with those leashes i can only feel/forsee that there will be self-help groups for adults who were kept on leashes when they were children...blaming their shortcomings on the fact that their parents attached them via a leash

[O Town]

I don't always hold my kids hand, they grab the buggy, my purse, anything I am attached to. Amusment parks I can see somewhat. But I was walking up to the post office yesterday and a woman had her child in one, I mean come on the post office??? How long are you in there? It would take longer to leash them up then it would if you actually just walk side by side with them. And you can teach your child to stay with you. I also tell mine not to go to far because there are mean people who will do mean things to you and take you home with them and you will never see mommy again. Harsh, but the truth. And I follow up with most people are nice though. Sorry, but I just don't like the leash. I have twins and when they were 2 I thought briefly about using them, because they always seemed to run in the opposite direction in a store or where ever, they knew you can only go one way. But thats when REAL tough love comes into play, listen or else. It just seems the parents are too lazy to do the right thing when they leash their kids up. It is the easy way out. JMO.

[gtalum]

I will never use a leash on my kids. It's so demeaning. They're people, not animals.

[Hurricaneman]

My biggest ones are liars and people who complain

[pojo]

My little brother threw a tantrum in the grocery store and my mom walked around the corner where she could see him, but he couldn't see her. It took a little bit for him to realize that mom wasn't there.... he stopped crying and said "mommy I done." (While she was waiting for my brother to shut up.... people gave her funny looks.) She went and got him and he never threw a fit in the store again.... that was enough embarrassment for him. Problem solved.

[O Town]

Smart. Good one mom. Luckily none of my girls have been the temper tantrum throwers in public type. Maybe a few minor ones, but no screaming and laying on the ground kicking type tantrums. I think they knew better. lol. I hear boys are really good at those tantrums.

[Tstormwatcher]

Parents who say their kids are real good dispite the fact they were just arrested for some sort of felony.

[JonathanBelles]

liars and slow people

[SouthFloridawx]

I HATE PEOPLE WHO DON'T USE TURN SIGNALS... OR PEOPLE WHO DRIVE REALLY FAST CUT YOU OFF AND THEN TURN SECONDS LATER. It's like couldn't have you just slowed down and gotten behind me so as to not disturb my driving. I hate people who "drive really slow in the ultra fast lane while people behind me are going insane...." name that quote by the way....