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Holy moly ... this kid ...
Had a mother come through my line the other day with two daughters ... one still young enough to be sitting in the child seat in the buggy; the other about 9 or 10 (would be my guess).
I heard them coming before they got into line because ...
... the oldest daughter is apparently unacquainted with the idea of "an inside voice".
During the entire transaction she continue to talk AT TOP VOLUME ... and that included constantly interrupting her mother, talking over her mother, whining, begging, etc. etc. etc. She also made attempts to poke her younger sister despite being told repeatedly to stop. Wandering off despite being told to stay nearby.
We had some goodies set out on a table by the registers for International Women's Day. She wanted a cupcake. Wanted a cupcake. WANTED. A. CUPCAKE. Mother tried to tell her that since she hadn't done what she was told there'd be no cupcakes. "BUT I'M DOING IT NOW; I WANNA CUPCAKE I WANNA CUPCAKE I WANNA CUPCAKE!!!!" Mom (who maintained her calm throughout all this) said "doing it now" doesn't count; she hadn't done it when she was told, thus, no cupcake. It didn't help that she'd apparently asked a coworker if she could have a cupcake and the coworker said "Of course!" Coworker wasn't being obstructive; she had no idea of the drama being enacted. But that gave the daughter extra ammo: "SHE SAID I COULD HAVE A CUPCAKE!!" (I was waiting for the daughter to ask me, at which point I'd have said "You'll have to ask your mother that.")
At the end of the transaction, they were still standing at the end of my line with the screech-level (on the daughter's part, anyway) going on. All I was doing was praying to whatever deities might be listening to get them out of the store.
Did the daughter have actual problems or was she just the result of inadequate parenting? I don't know. But I kept remember the times when people told me (30 years ago) "Oh, you'll regret it so much if you never have children!"
Not even a little bit.
I heard them coming before they got into line because ...
... the oldest daughter is apparently unacquainted with the idea of "an inside voice".
During the entire transaction she continue to talk AT TOP VOLUME ... and that included constantly interrupting her mother, talking over her mother, whining, begging, etc. etc. etc. She also made attempts to poke her younger sister despite being told repeatedly to stop. Wandering off despite being told to stay nearby.
We had some goodies set out on a table by the registers for International Women's Day. She wanted a cupcake. Wanted a cupcake. WANTED. A. CUPCAKE. Mother tried to tell her that since she hadn't done what she was told there'd be no cupcakes. "BUT I'M DOING IT NOW; I WANNA CUPCAKE I WANNA CUPCAKE I WANNA CUPCAKE!!!!" Mom (who maintained her calm throughout all this) said "doing it now" doesn't count; she hadn't done it when she was told, thus, no cupcake. It didn't help that she'd apparently asked a coworker if she could have a cupcake and the coworker said "Of course!" Coworker wasn't being obstructive; she had no idea of the drama being enacted. But that gave the daughter extra ammo: "SHE SAID I COULD HAVE A CUPCAKE!!" (I was waiting for the daughter to ask me, at which point I'd have said "You'll have to ask your mother that.")
At the end of the transaction, they were still standing at the end of my line with the screech-level (on the daughter's part, anyway) going on. All I was doing was praying to whatever deities might be listening to get them out of the store.
Did the daughter have actual problems or was she just the result of inadequate parenting? I don't know. But I kept remember the times when people told me (30 years ago) "Oh, you'll regret it so much if you never have children!"
Not even a little bit.
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