This kid could've screamed for England...

[biscuitchan]

Doing work yesterday. Like you do. And a family comes in, about five people, Mother, Father, two kids and a baby. The babys probably about a year old, year and a half. She obviously gets denied something, or wants out of her buggy, because she starts SCREAMING the place down. Not just crocodile tears, but HIGH pitched deafening screams that go RIGHT through you.

Parents ignore it, of course. It's usually the best thing to do, isn't it? I don't know, I've never been in that situation, but you'd think the husband could've taken her outside or something. The rest of us just had to pretend we couldn't hear her. I'm sure she could've been heard on the other side of the shopping centre. Oooh. Colleague just says "Someones not happy...".

Not really a sucky customer, but has anyone else been half deafened on the job?

[Skank]

I feel your pain.

Also I really hate the kids that starts punching their parents because they are denied something they want.

[Tejas]

it happened in church on sunday - this really gets me going, as the church has a childrens programme. the kid screamed for at least 10 mons before it was taken out into the lobby

[blas]

I was at Wal-Mart getting steel toe shoes for my job (don't laugh, they were only $20 and they've lived up to their slip-proof/chemical proof ansi certified name very, very well!)...

Oh where was I? Ok, so I was in the shoe department, and in the distance, I can hear a baby crying. The way that the Wal-Mart in my city is designed, the shoe department isn't very far from the infant/toddler section, so the cry wasn't from too far away, but it really wasn't that bad.

Then it got louder.

And louder.

I tried to ignore it, but it got so loud that my ears started to hurt. Still the same distance away, but this baby had started to scream so loud, you'd think someone was beating it. It was blood curdling...........

I picked my shoes and walked away as fast as I could, but I heard the scream get closer and closer.......just my luck.

Stupid parent wouldn't take the kid into the bathroom or outside, she just let it scream that ear piercing scream! It wasn't just a typical baby cry, it was the most painful, shrill, high pitched, blood curdling scream I'd ever heard.....

And you guessed it. Stupid mother........10 feet away, talking to a friend.

Sorry, but some of us really despise children, and being around them is bad enough, but when you get a baby that is being so neglected in a store that it's cry is blood curdling, you need to be asked to leave. I wish the people at Wal-Mart were more gutsy and would have said something.

But if I'd gotten any closer, I'm sure I'd have gone deaf.

I realize a lot of parents can conveniently "tune out" their kids' screaming, but I don't know how ANY human being who can hear can tone that out.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I personally think that it should be made a rule that any parent with a screeching kid should either take the kid out... or be banned from the store for say a week on a first offence, more after that. I'm not being mean to anyone with kids, just pointing out that none of us innocent people are here to revell in your kid's ceaseless howling. Either shut it up, or if that's not possible, take it outside.

Before anyone says, "Well, you did that as a kid surely?" I will say that no, I didn't. My mum hated grizzling and screaming and if either me or my brothers did so, we'd get told that if we didn't quit it, we'd be taken out to the car. That meant getting a smack and having to stay there all alone. So, we learned not to do that.

One thing that really annoys me is when a kid is going, "AHHHH! AHHHH! AHHHH!" for no other reason other then the fact that it wants to scream. I remember one kid doing that at my till; the father noticed my involuntary wincing at his kid's screeches and said in a snotty tone of voice, "It's just happy noise." :rolleyes: F*** that, I don't care if it's happy, sad or indifferent noise, it can still give me a splitting headache! Sort it out!

[Canadian In Maine]

I had a "right through the ear like a knife" screech on Saturday from a kid while I was scanning the items through.

It was so loud I dropped the item I was scanning in shock and said,"Jesus christ!". My ears were ringing for an hour afterwards.

Selfish, rotten little bastard.

[SwanJun]

<Sighhhh>

As a parent who has a 16-month old who has just discovered tantrum throwing, I can say in an embarrassed manner that I have been the mommy-with-the-sreaming-brat once or twice.

I usually, immediately, take him outside the store and let hubby finalize whatever purchase. In restaurants, we immediately ask the server to bag it to go.

There was one day, however, that I was a little slower than normal, and was eyeballed in disgust by parents and store staff.

Not my fault!

It was a kiddie-clothing store, and my little new-to-walking guy was wandering away, with me hot on his heels. A rather nasty woman swatted her hand at him (I can only assume she was trying to stop him for me) with far too much oomph and knocked him backward.

His head hit the tile floor hard with a gnarly CRACK.

Well.... My little guy started to wail....BUT...the wail where he simply cannot take a breath.

I was standing in the middle of the store holding my little guy, with my child not breathing for a good 30 seconds, panicked because...well...he wasn't breathing.

Rather than anyone asking me if I needed help, I was glared at by all there in a manner to suggest I was an evil parent.

Now...I was chanting, loudy, while I was patting his back "Breathe, baby, breathe"... There was obviously a problem...

I finally got him breathing again, threw the purchases at hubby and bolted out of the store (in tears, myself)...

So all I can say....Is on behalf of all of us who do actually try ... is I am SO SORRY there are those out there who are so ignorant.

Some of us really do try to keep our little spawnlings in check.

[Rubystars]

I was working at Famous Footwear one morning and I was walking around straightening and keeping an eye on this woman who seemed a little suspcious.

She had a little boy with her, and just as I walked past him, he let out a high pitched screech that was so loud it literally hurt my ears! I even involuntarily said "Ouch!"

I walked away as fast as I could, and watched her from the other side of the store. He kept making that godawful noise now and then. I think it was some kind of excitement noise.

However, I was shocked that a little boy could manage that high of a pitch, it was horrible.

Another day I was at Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market working and I started hearing this roaring sound from the back of the store, like some child was being horribly, horribly tortured. This went on for a straight 30 minutes or so.

Other customers were commenting on it. Some were laughing a little, some expressing annoyance.

The screaming eventually stopped.

Then the mom and a very small girl, maybe about 4 years old, came up to my line. The reason the kid was screaming? Her mom wouldn't get her a toothbrush with a cartoon character on it.

[chainedbarista]

as a parent myself, i can sympathise with the screaming issue to a degree; kids get tired, are teething, not feeling well, etc. the parent needs to stop what they're doing and attend to the child, rather than ignore the cry. kids have cries and then they have cries; parents learn which is which pretty quickly, and one that ignores either kind in public isn't doing their job.

if the child is tired/ill/teething, they need care; provide it, rather than ignore it to continue your shopping or chatting.

if they're doing it for attention, shut their ass up. others have a right to shop or continue about their business without the air raid siren shrieking nearby. :(

[Canadian In Maine]

In my case, the high-pitched screech was caused when the parent tried to remove an item for scanning from the death grip of said child.

[digilight]

Ah, the holy crap lets blow out the ear drums of everyone within a 30 foot radius screaming tantrum. Been there, Done That. Before I had kids I used to despise parents who would let their kids just scream and run around in restaraunts and stores. It pissed me off to no end, Sometimes so bad I would have to throw the stink eye at the parents. You know what, it still pisses me off. Sure my kids will cry and scream from time to time. But we will take them outside to calm down right away. My kids know that if they act up in a restaraunt, I have no problem taking them out to the car and sitting out there with them while everyone else finishes up. This is also one of the reasons why almost all the time I will stay home with the kids while the wife goes shopping, well that and I freaking hate shopping.

[KuzcoLlama]

Yes, children scream cause they're upset over the littlest of things, but what do you do when the child is screaming for joy?

Had a kid do that today every time the tennis ball bounced at the place I work at (by the way, I wasn't allowed to move, so that wasn't an option). On the one hand, glad he was having a good time. On the other hand, did my eardrums have to join him?

I usually got spanked right in the middle of the store if I screamed, you know, before every person in the world began to cry "abuse!" and it was okay.

[SwanJun]

I usually got spanked right in the middle of the store if I screamed, you know, before every person in the world began to cry "abuse!" and it was okay.

I hear that. I used to get a good whack on the ass whenever I acted up in public. Damn, it worked well to shut me up.

I mean, what the heck is wrong with a good swipe across the backside?

Why is discipline called abuse, now? <That is strictly rhetorical - I sure as heck don't want to start a debate on this thread>

SJ

[Barefootgirl]

Whenever I hear a kid shrieking in the supermarket, or throwing a major tantrum, i am just pleased that it isn't my kid. I get to walk on past and go elsewhere. The parent of that kid has to live with it :)

[Broomjockey]

Crap, I was on the bus on the way to work one time, and a lady ENCOURAGED her kid's screaming. She would pretend to be asleep, and the kid would yell BEEP BEEP BEEP, getting progressively louder. Finally the driver said, "Lady, can you please keep your child quiet." A small arguement ensued between Lady, driver, and a few of us really annoyed passengers. The passengers didn't really get involved until the lady threatened to report the driver to the complaints department. At this point, everyone in the front half of the bus basically told her to shut up and get the hell off, but in nicer terms (for the most part).

[Lehk]

A rather nasty woman swatted her hand at him (I can only assume she was trying to stop him for me) with far too much oomph and knocked him backward.

His head hit the tile floor hard with a gnarly CRACK.



some biatch assaulted your child and knocked him on his head.... and you allowed this person to leave the building alive?

[RecoveringKinkoid]

some biatch assaulted your child and knocked him on his head.... and you allowed this person to leave the building alive?

I was thinking the same thing. I can see myself in this situation, and all I can say is that if I described what would be my most likely response here, the thread would probably be ended and locked.

Put it this way...if I had to encourage my child to breathe because someone put their hands on her, the paramedics would later be encouraging what was left of that person to breathe, if you follow me.:pissed:

[Brighid45]

I think what bothers me more is when a parent makes no effort to stop the screeching. Let's face it--kids get cranky or tired, they get grabby with merchandise etc, and they start screaming. If I see a mom or dad trying to quiet the child or working on getting them out of the store, I can live with the noise. But if the kid is screaming its head off and mom or dad is a few feet away yakking or otherwise totally ignoring them, THEN I get mad.

Parents aren't perfect--they get fed up, tired, or burned out (sometimes all three and more at the same time! *lol*), but they did decide to have kids. That means teaching them to behave in public, and that includes NO SCREAMING, unless some stranger is trying to drag the kid away. JMO.

[Rapscallion]

Part of the problem is that some children will scream for attention. If they learn that it gains them attention, they'll keep doing it - whether the attention is hugs and cuddles or a swatted behind.

The best way, from what I understand, to deal with this is to ignore said obnoxious behaviour and let them realise it won't work.

Sucks for everyone nearby, though...

Rapscallion

[SwanJun]

some biatch assaulted your child and knocked him on his head.... and you allowed this person to leave the building alive?

To be honest with you...I was more concerned with getting my little guy to breathe and get him out of there rather than knocking some stupid skank off her ass.

Hubby missed the exchange because he was trying to find the little guy a Hawaiian shirt on the other side of the store. (because every little boy has to own at least 1)

I was a mess, myself....It terrified me. So, okay...I am a bad mommy for not beating the bitch senseless...but I just had to get the two of us out of there - he needed fresh air, not for me to hand him off to hubby so I could go medieval on her.

But don't you think I haven't kicked myself for that oversight daily since.

Truthfully, I don't know if I'd even recognize her. My attention was on him as he ran away, and then on him on the ground....And then calming him...

Hey, I'm new at the mommy thing....I'm not that good at multi-tasking just yet...:baby:

SJ

[Tria]

Some of us really do try to keep our little spawnlings in check.


I don't think the original poster means anything against the parents that are TRYING to keep their rugrats in check, just the ones that ignore them.

[CanadaGirl]

Babies crying like that get me to the point where I will just walk up to the mother and ask her to quiet her child or leave because it is disrupting the entire store and all the other customers.

[batmoody]

The ones that anooy me the most are the kids who will scream and whine and cry in the checkstand becasue they want that bag of skittles. The parents say no over and over, the kid gets louder and louder, and then the parents let him have it! You are this close to being out of the store! Let him scream, don't give in! Thats why these kids keep doing that!

[Mixed Bag]

A rather nasty woman swatted her hand at him (I can only assume she was trying to stop him for me) with far too much oomph and knocked him backward.

His head hit the tile floor hard with a gnarly CRACK.

Well.... My little guy started to wail....BUT...the wail where he simply cannot take a breath.

I was standing in the middle of the store holding my little guy, with my child not breathing for a good 30 seconds, panicked because...well...he wasn't breathing.

Rather than anyone asking me if I needed help, I was glared at by all there in a manner to suggest I was an evil parent.



Of all the scenarios this site sees, this is the one I'd most want to be present for--aside from maybe being able to help, to see the looks on their faces when, if you were too shocked to say anything later, I or some other customer commandeer the PA for :salmon: :flame: :potstir:

I try to see both sides, and was wondering when I'd feel justified in using some of those. :yourock:

[Seanette]

Friday night at WallyWorld. I'm already very tired (my work day runs 12 hours if you count commute time, which I do), DH is his usual grouchy self about the checkout lines (OK, I'm not thrilled either), and the lines are moving at the customary glacial pace. There was a child four or five lanes away throwing a tantrum I had initially heard at the other end of the store, nearly. This little brat (and keep in mind this comes from someone who loves small children) kept shrieking and howling for at least twenty minutes straight, and did Mom bother to do anything? Well, if you consider laughing about her child's hysteria while she was dawdling her way through checking out (I watched her. She was definitely taking her sweet time, with at least thirty other customers offering assorted unpleasant facial expressions and some rather pointed commentary about the noise level, etc.), she did. GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sunsetsky]

I get kids like that all the time. Once there was a father teasing his kid. Everytime he poked his son, the kid would scream bloody murder. And the guy kept doing it too! It really pissed me off. I have also seen kids scream for attention or because their parents told them that they couldn't have any candy.

One woman bought her daughter a candy bar. She told me if she didn't then her daughter would start screaming. I was also eating out somewhere with my grandparents and sister a couple years ago. By us was two women and a little girl (maybe 4 years old). The little brat kept doing blood curdling screams and then laughed. It hurt and I was ready to scream back myself. Luckily they went away after a little bit.

I've also seen kids hit their parents because they didn't get what they want. One mom looked like she was going to kick his ass later.

[rdp78]

Of all the scenarios this site sees, this is the one I'd most want to be present for--aside from maybe being able to help, to see the looks on their faces when, if you were too shocked to say anything later, I or some other customer commandeer the PA for :salmon: :flame: :potstir:

I try to see both sides, and was wondering when I'd feel justified in using some of those. :yourock:

I was very appalled that no one helped out SwanJun or even find that woman who knocked her kid down (I would defiantly call security on her a@@). I mean that's just not right and they're lucky that SwanJun's little boy is okay. If it got worse then that store might find a lawsuit on their hands and that woman would be booked big time.

Yeah, I had some little brats come in my store recently and some are discpline but others aren't. I do have a few angels come in the store as well, the older ones help other people and the little ones are behaving themselves. I have also seen parents bring in thier sleeping babies and they seem to wake up by the time they are ready to check out then I'm going say something as well as stop them.

The issue on spanking I've seen it done in my store a couple of times(always by the parent, the child isn't hurt) and I don't see any problem with it since the kids was acting up badly. Anyway I grew up with spanking as punishment(mainly they were just threats from what I remember) and in my area spanking is still an acceptable form of punishment by the majority of people(quite hillybilly, lower-class). Now if the child is being spanked by someone that isn't their parent (no matter how bad a kid acts you don't lay a hand on him/her if you don't know who they are) or they are spanked for no reason well, for just being a kid I would have a problem. Also if I notice it hurts the kid very badly then I also have problem.

[appliance god]

As a parent of a 19 month old, I thankfully have yet to experience the mega tantrum from him. Alas I have seen many such tantrums in my line of work (and not all of them have been children). I do get that kids can and do get tantrums as they are trying to find their place in the world and determine what is and is not acceptable behavior.

As I understand it, it is a parents job to teach them that. I've never been angry at a kid for screaming...it's not the kids fault as these parents need to step up and get the kid to SHUT THE HELL UP!

I only hope that when the enevitable does occur and my little guy gives me the public hissy fit from hell I can get him to be quiet...and if I can't, I'll just get him away from wherever he is. Pretty simple isn't it? I hope?

[Crazyredhead]

Part of the problem is that some children will scream for attention. If they learn that it gains them attention, they'll keep doing it - whether the attention is hugs and cuddles or a swatted behind.

The best way, from what I understand, to deal with this is to ignore said obnoxious behaviour and let them realise it won't work.

Sucks for everyone nearby, though...

Rapscallion

Actually, Raps is right. That is the way the experts say to deal with a tantrum. My older kids know not to throw a tantrum in the store, it didn't take more than two times to learn. If they started up they would get there ass's wacked, and they would shut up, along with the warning that I will really give them something to cry about if it continues, and they would get embarrased in the middle of the store in front of everyone.

My 20 month old has finally discovered he has a strong set of pipes and has started the screetching and screaming thing. But he knows that if he does he will get his ass whooped. I have no qualms about smacking my kid in the store. I have slapped my daughter acrossed the mouth for calling my a f***ing Bitch very loudly, for not getting her something. The slap resounded through the aisles and her face was quite red. And I have swatted my kids across the ass for making a fuss/scene. Needless to say, they don't do it anymore.

I have had a couple of people try to come up to me to say something, but the look that I give them usually stops them.

Please, don't start up on me about child abuse.
http://www.diegotorres.com.ar/mensajeitor/foro/caritas/erstaunt090.gif This is what is wrong with today's kids. They are being talked to death. Talking to my kids is like talking to the wall, in one ear and out the other. My mother did it to me and I am not a homicidal maniac (that we know of).

[chainedbarista]

no cries of abuse here; my son gets pretty mouthy (he's at the angsty stage with the 'pity party, table for one action thrown in frequently), but he also knows i have no trouble with smacking him when he gets out of line.

there's a huge difference between a smack/pop and an outright beating, but some people choose not to distinguish it.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

My sister and I did not act badly in public, because if we did, my father would have turned us over his knee and popped our little asses for us.

I remember him doing this once, because we were fighting. He did not hurt us. A smack with the hand on someone's well-padded ass is not going to do anything but sting a little. But it was the embarassment that kept us both from ever doing it again.

I can't imagine hitting our parents, or calling them a name. I'd still be standing around in my room because my ass stung. My parents turned out kids that loved and respected them. I might have been pissed at my folks at times, but I never felt they didn't love me more than life itself.

People who don't teach their children decent behavior are doing them a great, great disservice.

I saw a young mom in a department store with a two year old. Kid was having a meltdown. To her credit, she ignored him as he flailed around on the floor screaming. Unfortunately, the kid escalated it when he realized mom was made of stone, and started screaming "shit! shit! shit!" at the top of his lungs. At that point, his mother quickly removed him from the store.

Mine's not even a year old, and I know my turn is coming. Hope I have the wisdom and grace to deal with it the right way.

[AFpheonix]

Part of the problem is that some children will scream for attention. If they learn that it gains them attention, they'll keep doing it - whether the attention is hugs and cuddles or a swatted behind.

The best way, from what I understand, to deal with this is to ignore said obnoxious behaviour and let them realise it won't work.

Sucks for everyone nearby, though...


I still don't think ignoring the problem is the best way to deal with the issue. You can take your child outside and ignore them there, thankyouverymuch. I also think that can be endemic of the parent not paying attention enough in a positive way, so that the child has come to expect that the only way they're going to get attention, even if it's negative, is to act out. Granted, I'm not a parent, but logic to me says that creating a basis for the kid in which they get enough positive attention will at least help the above from happening.

I don't mind screamers as much as long as someone is at least trying to remedy the problem. I tend to get a lot of screamers, just because we're the last stop on a long journey to get things like ear infections handled.

What I do mind are the parents that are moseying about the store at close to midnight with a child who's squalling because it's WAAAAYYY past their bedtime, and they're being ignored so that mama can get new mascara. That pisses me off to no end. Store lights and music that late are too much stimulation for those little kiddies.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I still don't think ignoring the problem is the best way to deal with the issue. You can take your child outside and ignore them there, thankyouverymuch.
I concur. As well as parenting, you also have a responsibility to respect the other people in the store; and letting your kid rage and howl is not doing that. As far as smacking goes, my parents used smacks and threats of smacking for bad behaviour; me and my brothers all turned out fine. Anyway, making it illegal isn't going to stop the real child abusers from beating the hell out of their kids.

[biscuitchan]

No cries here, either; that IS the problem. Then these kids are getting what they want, grow up to become spoilt little s**ts and, eventually, stupid customers.

My mum costantly tells me a story concerning my older sister; she was trying to change her once, my sister obviously didn't like it, and bit my mum. Mum bit her back, and she never did it again.

Also, anyone seen that advert with the mom and son, and the son starts screaming in store, and the woman screams right back and throws her own tantrum, and the kid stops? Can't remember what its for.

[fizzgig]

i aggree with crazyredhead all i have to do is ask my girls if they want a spanken in the middle of the store, and that is enough to shut them up. i was in the dancing with the belt in the front yard era, and it didn't hurt me none growing up.
around my area, it's no big deal if parents spank their kids, so i don't have to worry about it. besides all it takes is the threat of one and they straighten right up

fizzy

[chainedbarista]

Anyway, making it illegal isn't going to stop the real child abusers from beating the hell out of their kids.

exactly; just as it did a long time ago, the worst of the abuse happens at home, where no one sees it. reporting a pop on the butt is stupid; if every little incidence is reported, cps has no time to handle real cases.

[Barefootgirl]

Its all very civil and friendly so far, so just a mild warning that I'm not prepared to let this degenerate into a thread about spanking. Lets keep it on topic, mmmkay?

[hawkchick11]

I'm a new mom, my son is only 7 weeks old. The very first time I tried to go somewhere with my son, he started screaming his head off. People stared because he was so loud. Granted, it was a little different because he was a infant and didn't know better, but I got still embarrassed and I don't get embarrassed easily.

[KayEm]

If a childfree store was ever invented, I would be the first to apply.

A lot of people have mentioned consideration for other customers in the store, but as far as I'm concerned, screw THEM ! They have the option of leaving, the workers do not. We have to stay there and endure the noise for 8 hours or more.

I think a lot of parents don't even think of this little fact. Please include me in the taking the sproglings outside camp please.

I don't CARE if you think ignoring them is the best way to handle the situation or not, me and my co-workers just want you to take them OUTSIDE so we don't have to endure the noise anymore.

[skeptic53]

Part of the problem is that some children will scream for attention.

The best way, from what I understand, to deal with this is to ignore said obnoxious behaviour and let them realise it won't work. RapscallionActually, the most common advice is to ignore it IF IT IS NOT BOTHERING ANYONE (i.e. at home, your own car). If it is in a public place, physically move the child to another location, preferably outside. This shows the child you are in charge, you can move them to a place where there is NO hope of getting candy or whatever they are screaming about. If the child is ill or has a non-serious injury, moving the child gives it some attention AND teaches that you have concern for others, an important lesson.

The best illustration I ever saw for how people view their own children differently from the rest of the kids on earth is an old joke: Mom takes son to first day of kindergarten. She tells the teacher: "My Johnny is so sensitive, don't ever punish him. If he misbehaves, slap the child next to him. That will frighten Johnny".

[April]

I've found the best way to deal with tantrums in stores is to leave. My five year old has tried the screaming thing exactly 2 times. Each time i handed my husband the shopping list, and took her out to the car where I buckled her in her car seat and I stood outside the car. She could scream as loud as she wanted in the car. (Luckily both times it was cold out LOL so I could have her stay in the car)

She's not done it since. To me, being ignored in the store would still be half way enjoyable, because they are getting all the looks and stares from other people and they still get to be in the middle of things. Going out to the car means they don't get to see people and don't get to see what is going on