Have I ever told you how much I LOVE children?

[MoonCat]

I think under control is a fine phrase in this context. Control of one's own voice, actions, emotions, etc., is something learned as one grows up. Until then, it's up to the parents to impose it, in a firm (not cruel) manner, until the lessons "take."

[notalwaysright]

I don't hate kids, I hate neglectful parents. I have to admit, I get kind of annoying if I'm in seated in a restaurant near little kids. Depending on who I'm with, what type of restaurant it is, and how busy it is, I will ask to move tables. Once this toddler kept standing up in the booth and staring at me. Just staring. It was very unnerving.

[blas]

I used to have a dead set opinion on kids in public, until I dated a few guys with young kids and my little brother had a baby. (ooook, smart asses, I meant, he became a father..)

My niece is kind of a handful at times. She's in her "throw everything on the floor" stage when you try to feed her small bites of your food at restaurants.

Thank the Lord I've worked food and retail and cleaned it all up before we left.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I'm much the same as the OP. I don't hate kids; I just hate brats... and I don't necessarily mean the children, cuz their parents are often the brats of the piece.

My parents taught my brothers and I to behave ourselves in public. We knew damn well that throwing a fit in a restaurant would mean instant take out, along with the wrath of siblings who'd just missed out on the treat of eating out due to a badly behaved sibling.

[greek_jester]

Hi PoliteBoy, welcome to the site!

My mum had one simple rule. She would lay out the ground rules before we left the house, and if we broke them we went straight home. Period.

The only good excuse for getting up for the table in a restaurant was to be escorted to the loo (later, when Pizza Hut got the ice-cream maker, it was to be escorted to said ice-cream maker and back again).

If we were at a park or an amusement park then we were either to remain within arm's reach, or if we were allowed to roam we were not allowed to leave a certain area without asking first (e.g. swings/slide/climbing frame area).

She understood the simple fact that being a mother is more than pushing a squalling mass of flesh the size of a melon through a tube the width of a kiwi. It takes work.

Incidentally, she constantly got compliments on how well behaved and polite her daughters were, and often asked how she did it. Her answer?

1) Pay attention.
2) Take responsibility.
3) Be consistent.
4) Follow through.

It's amazing how many cat-butt-faces she got over 2 and 4!

[Evannah]

I feel the same way about kids. Today at work, there was this little madam, about 3 years old, dressed all pretty, with long blonde hair styled in pig-tails. And she was screaming the place down. And when I say screaming, I mean screaming. She was stomping and yelling. And when she finally got the attention she sorely needed from her mother, she stopped. There was not one tear. She was just screaming for the sheer hell of it.

I understand that kids are kids, you know? But Jesus Christ they're annoying!!!

[Lace Neil Singer]

I feel the same way about kids. Today at work, there was this little madam, about 3 years old, dressed all pretty, with long blonde hair styled in pig-tails. And she was screaming the place down. And when I say screaming, I mean screaming. She was stomping and yelling. And when she finally got the attention she sorely needed from her mother, she stopped. There was not one tear. She was just screaming for the sheer hell of it.

I understand that kids are kids, you know? But Jesus Christ they're annoying!!!

My mum would have gripped my shoulder, in that venomous pinch that means you're in DEEP TROUBLE, complete with hissed rendition of my full name, and frogmarched me out of that shop. I would have been taken to the car, given a complete dressing down, and warned that any more misbehaviour would result in me being locked in the car. With my mum, it rarely happened cuz we all knew damn well that she didn't take no shit from us kids. XD We were never allowed to scream loudly in public; I think only losing a limb would be considered ample excuse for banshee imitations. XD

[sms001]

4) Follow through.
It's amazing how many cat-butt-faces she got over 2 and 4!

I'm sure my fellow c-store peeps (and grocery/retail as well, but it's easier to see the whole process in a small shop) will back me up on this, but this one gets dropped all the time. All through out the visit it's "No, no, no, no, no, no, no...." but they get to the register and "Oh for Godsake, put it up there." I'm childless myself, but that seems like a pretty good way to train an animal of ANY sort that persistence trumps discipline.

[mathnerd]

I must be doing something right. My son was hanging out with a friend in the front yard and they'd asked about going somewhere and I told him no. I went back inside and overheard the rest of the conversation, which consisted of the friend telling my son to just ask again. My son replied, "no, man, when my mom says no she means it. I'll just get in trouble for asking again."

[eltf177]

I must be doing something right. My son was hanging out with a friend in the front yard and they'd asked about going somewhere and I told him no. I went back inside and overheard the rest of the conversation, which consisted of the friend telling my son to just ask again. My son replied, "no, man, when my mom says no she means it. I'll just get in trouble for asking again."

Now that's a child you can be proud of. And will make good decisions in the future.

[Jetfire]

Incidentally, she constantly got compliments on how well behaved and polite her daughters were, and often asked how she did it. Her answer?

1) Pay attention.
2) Take responsibility.
3) Be consistent.
4) Follow through.

It's amazing how many cat-butt-faces she got over 2 and 4!

Threads like this remind me of Ned's parents:

You gotta help us, Doc. We've tried nothing and we're fresh out of ideas!

Sad that it seems that that style of parenting has gotten more common; or at least more obvious.

Like many others here, neither I nor my sister acted up much in public. Because we knew damn well we'd face mom's wrath if we did. A red headed Caper who doesn't handle young'uns well to begin with is NOT someone you want to see the wrath of. (Teenagers, mom has no problem with, but young kids she can't handle at all. She's an English teacher, high school for most of her career. One year they put her in a Grade 5 class... She was lucky she threw her back out on an icy patch on the playground that year. :P )

[Firecrackers Not Included]

I'm sure my fellow c-store peeps will back me up on this, but this one gets dropped all the time. All through out the visit it's "No, no, no, no, no, no, no...." but they get to the register and "Oh for Godsake, put it up there."

Aye. <raises hand>
It's sick when you can feel it coming too. (Betting with yourself about a certain parent-customer caving)

[taxguykarl]

The times, they are a-changin'
If my sister and I behaved like the kids in the OP, we would be homebound for years.