I Was Standing In line...

[cabinetman]

at the Post Office (shipping footprintsinconc his prize), and it was a long line. Likely a Val Day rush. About 5 people behind me was a woman with two little kids maybe 5 yrs old. They were running around shouting and screaming and just havin' a ball.

The Post Office was remodeling and one of the counters in front of the stamp machines had cabinet doors below that weren't locked. Next to the doors was a push in flap for trash. Well these kids found out how much fun it was to bang on that flap making a racket. That wasn't the end of the mayhem. They discovered the cabinets and decided it would be a blast to play hide and seek inside the cabinet. All this time their mother (I guess) was oblivious to their rampage. Well, the feces hit the fan when one was hiding, and the other decided to slam the door. SMACK in the face is what happened. Then of course real screaming took place. There's not much the 20 -25 people in line could do or say to the mother without getting told to mind our own business. Postal clerks were too busy to do anything. I thought about coming to the rescue, but feared for just getting involved, or worse yet to get arrested for child molestation. The kid in hiding only suffered a bloody nose.

I won't start with the grocery store incidents, or restaurants. My question is how involved should we get with disturbances like that?
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[BobSch]

Grabbing the mother by the ear and escorting her out of the building comes to mind. Really, I'd be loath to do anything given the litigious society in which we live. I remember being in a Target store once and a guy stopping two kids who were raising Cain, he asked the kids if their parents knew they'd slipped off the leash.

[goslin23]

I'm guessing that the bloody nosed kid wont be hiding in cabinets again anytime soon!

I understand letting kids be kids, but there's a time and place for that kind of behaviour.

[MilDoc]

Unfortunately, many parents these days just grow their kids rather than raise them.

[footprintsinconc]

Unfortunately, many parents these days just grow their kids rather than raise them.

perfectly said! i wouldnt get involved. because if they are letting it happen, if you say something, they just may rip on you. best to stay quite and look on.

[jonmulzer]

Unfortunately, many parents these days just grow their kids rather than raise them.

How sadly true. People want all the virtues of having kids, without the responsibility of parenting. It is the microwave/get-rich-quick society we live in.

[cbrown]

If you and everyone else in the line were really so bothered by two kids playing noisily, how about this: Let the harried mother go to the front of the line, get her and her children out of the post office, and then the rest of you can wait in peace. Otherwise, take watching the kids as your entertainment for the day. It's a post office, not a fancy restaurant.

Chris

[Russianwolf]

Unfortunately, many parents these days just grow their kids rather than raise them.

And unfortunately our government has encouraged this by making disciplining the children a criminal offense.

[DaveS]

Personally... I'd rather see two kids running around noisily than standing quietly, zombie-eyed, staring at a gameboy and listening to an ipod.

[DaveS]

And unfortunately our government has encouraged this by making disciplining the children a criminal offense.

Source, please?

[BobSch]

It's a post office, not a fancy restaurant.

Chris

Even fancy restaurants are fair game these days. The last time we were in a nice place (Jax in Mpls, if you're interesteed,) two couples had their kids with them — one screaming infant and the other a 4-5 YO who pulled most of the table cloth (with the dishes,etc.) off the table and then hollered when he got wet!

Maybe I'm extra sensitive to this because we don't have kids, but I'm getting real sick of not having anyplace but at home to get away from what a friend of mine describes as 'uncivilized Yuppie spawn'.

[Russianwolf]

Source, please?

http://mikeoncrime.com/article/6683/...after-spanking

here's one of many I found.

Abusing a child is a crime. The problem is that nearly anything disciplinary can be considered abuse by some.

And since schools have taught kids that they can call 911 to report abuse, taking an ipod away as punishment can land you in court if the kid says they were abused. They forget to teach kids the ramifications of making that call when it's not appropriate.

For my wife, if the dogs lean on her hard she will bruise. It's not enough to even cause pain, but the marks are there. But we had someone ask us a couple years ago if I was beating her.

[rjwaldren]

I recently had my worst dining experience ever with my soon to be 4 year old. She refused to behave and had already made a trip out for a talk with mom, so I quietly asked my wife to take her outside while I settled the check and made it take out. She was freaking out by the time I got out to the car but there I outside I was a little more comfortable using "the voice" which tends to settle things pretty quickly.

I don't appreciate suffering through the children of others and refuse to have them suffer through mine when they get out of line - especially at a resturant. Nobody came there with hopes of undisciplined children adding to their experience. Unfortunately the discipline has to start with the parents before any change will ever take place with the kids.

While waiting in line some place, she stands right by me regardless of what she sees other children doing around her - if not we leave or step to the side for a talk. Right now being included in things as simple as a trip to the post office are a big deal for her, so removing her from it tends to be enough of a "punishment" to leave an impression. But too many parents are to concerned with what they are doing to take a moment out to correct or even act as they notice their child behavior or the impact it has on others - For fear of losing their place in line?

[Richard in Smithville]

I once "spoke" to a neighbours son for whacking the snot out of another neighbours bushes with a hockey stick. A little later the mother was outside and approached me. "Did you give my kid sh!t for hitting the bush" she asked me? I'm thinking here we go....hairy coniption time. She actually thanked me for sending her son packing and gave me permission to do it again if need be.

I always told the neighbours that if my kids needed telling, then tell them. That's how I grew up. And you never complained that Mrs. Neighbour told you off because not only would you get in trouble again for what you did, but also for doing something that caused Mrs. Neighbour to tell you off.

[cabinetman]

But too many parents are to concerned with what they are doing to take a moment out to correct or even act as they notice their child behavior or the impact it has on others - For fear of losing their place in line?

That's unfortunate. When my best friend of 25 years got married, I was his best man. When I got married, he was my best man. As couples we used to go out to dinner at least once a month. We went to car shows, dog and cat shows as couples. When they had their baby, they took her everywhere.

On our first "dinner for five" at a restaurant, they let that child run rampant. She would go to other tables and harass other patrons. The parents thought it was cute. They refused to control their child, who had to be the center of attention all the time. They also would not get a sitter. About a month later, we tried it again, and it was a replay of the first time.

Now almost 8 years later, I get together with my friend on a Saturday now and then, and maybe cruise HF or go to a flea market, but in no way do we want to be around that kid.
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