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And this, friends, is another reason I never had kids

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  • And this, friends, is another reason I never had kids

    I started out in the express lane today (got bounced to a regular lane later, but the reason is irrelevant to this story).

    Father comes through with young son in the cart. Only a few items. I scan them.

    Then father needs to get the plastic container of banana bread slices. Which son has jammed down beside him in the seat of the cart. Son has jammed one hand down on top of the container and is whining "NOOOOOO" angrily. Dad tries to explain it's only for a minute and then I'll give it right back. Whining continues.

    Dad finally pries it loose and whining escalates into obviously temper-fuelled wailing and screaming. I scan it quickly and hand it back. Dad tries to give it back to sonny ... who slaps the container away. Not once, but two or three times.

    Now, were that me, I would ask to pay for the one or two slices sonny has already eaten and leave the remainder of the box behind, saying pointedly "If you're going to behave like that, you get NONE."

    Or, as my mom used to say, if you're gonna cry, I'll give you something to cry about.

    Dad, it should be noted, was patient and calm throughout all this.

    Unlike the shit I saw later on, when I was at the regular register, who screamed at his teenage daughter because his toddler son opened a carton of blueberries and scattered them everywhere.

    "YOU SHOULDA BEEN WATCHING HIM!!!"

    Okay, perhaps she should've paid more attention to the kid and less to her phone. But you do NOT humiliate your kid in public like that. She took several steps away and was almost in tears.

    They were at the next register and I didn't hear it all, but it sounded as if dad kept needling her, as the cashier tried to pick up the berries -- oh, and the toddler kept grabbing at the container. She turned away but I could see her wiping at her face. I hope she remembers this when daddy is old and doesn't behave properly in public.

    Seriously, buddy, these are YOUR kids. How 'bout YOU keep an eye on them.

    I told the cashier later that this is yet another reason I always put those blueberry containers into a produce bag. I swear, you just look at them and they pop open.

    Different coworker: "But they're taped shut now!"

    Haha, yes, I've seen those tiny bits of tape. They are just slightly less than totally useless.
    Customer service: More efficient than a Dementor's kiss
    ~ Mr Hero

  • #2
    Yeah my kids weren't allowed to act that way in public. It's called discipline. Sheesh what the hell is wrong with parents today?
    https://www.youtube.com/user/HedgeTV
    Great YouTube channel check it out!

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    • #3
      Quoth telecom_goddess View Post
      Yeah my kids weren't allowed to act that way in public. It's called discipline. Sheesh what the hell is wrong with parents today?
      I was trying to keep in mind the possibility of, you know, genuine issues ... ADHD, ADD, autism ... and no, I have NO clue what those conditions involve, so it's quite possible none of them might have been relevant ... and thus I was trying to keep a pleasant expression on my face throughout the encounter.

      But yeah ... wow ... regardless, your kid has to be trained in the niceties of public behaviour.
      Customer service: More efficient than a Dementor's kiss
      ~ Mr Hero

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      • #4
        I'm not a parent but I always felt it was a good general rule not to treat your kids like crap. And you make a good point. When that parent is elderly, will his children want to put him in a good care facility? Will they visit him? What goes around...
        Replace anger management with stupidity management.

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        • #5
          Blueberries are liket that in every store. But I'm picturing this in the Bullseye.
          "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

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          • #6
            Minion is four. I ran into the Mart of Wal with him one afternoon to grab literally one or two things so I didn't grab a cart. He's getting too big to fit in one anyway, but it's nice to be able to (somewhat) contain him. And wouldn't you know it, he grabbed a tomato and before I could stop him he took a big bite out of it like an apple. Minion knows better than to do this, but kids do dumb kid things sometimes. So a tomato got added to my one or two things I was already buying and I had (another) talk with Minion about eating things we haven't paid for yet. And I reminded myself why I try to do the shopping while he's at school.
            I am no longer of capable of the emotion you humans call “compassion”. Though I can feign it in exchange for an hourly wage. (Gravekeeper)

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            • #7
              Quoth Pixelated View Post
              Unlike the shit I saw later on, when I was at the regular register, who screamed at his teenage daughter because his toddler son opened a carton of blueberries and scattered them everywhere.

              "YOU SHOULDA BEEN WATCHING HIM!!!"
              I knew a family - not loud and abrasive - but Mom and Dad thought it was Oldest Daughter's job to take care of the kids they had after. She had little respite or privacy, cause younger sibs looked to her for care and were crawling into HER bed when they couldn't sleep.

              She has estranged herself from her family in adulthood, and I'm certain her parents have no clue why.

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              • #8
                Ugh. I know that the older children are supposed to HELP with taking care of the younger ones. Completely pushing off all responsibilities... sadly, I can think of just a few who would do that if they ever thought of it. (and quite a few others that have figured it out)

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                • #9
                  Quoth workerbee222 View Post
                  I knew a family - not loud and abrasive - but Mom and Dad thought it was Oldest Daughter's job to take care of the kids they had after. She had little respite or privacy, cause younger sibs looked to her for care and were crawling into HER bed when they couldn't sleep.
                  Um, no. A child's only responsibility is to be a child i.e. to learn, to go to school, to become a productive member of society. They might volunteer to help out with younger siblings (e.g. babysit for extra pocket money every so often), but their main duties at home should be homework and any chores pre-agreed with the parents.

                  The parents should always be the parents, and if the parents are regularly having the elder children handle parenting duties without massively extenuating circumstances, then they have failed as parents to their oldest children.
                  Last edited by greek_jester; 02-26-2020, 02:17 PM. Reason: Forgot to quote
                  "It is traditional when asking for help or advice to listen to the answers you receive" - RealUnimportant

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