Hey Kids! Now you too can be SC's!!

[Rena_Muffin]

Wow. You have some of the most interesting stories Kisa.

When I was younger my dad made wooden paddles, one for me, one for my brother. We both had to act on our best behavior at all times or Dad would lean in real close, just so we could hear, and he'd tell us when we got home that he'd bring out the paddles. He only had to really paddle us like three times to put the fear of god in us but we never acted out after he did. Reading stories about kids like these makes me think more parents should try this because he never really had to do anything, the threat of the paddle was enough to get us acting right.

[Jester]

He's a 30-ish man, fit, good looking for an older man...

Ahem. I turn 41 today. And I don't look great "for my age." I just look great, period, if I do say so myself. And last night, a couple girls at the cookoff guessed my age at 28 and 32, respectively.

Older man my ass.

I wonder if I was the only one reading the SP's lines in Varuca Salt's voice from the older movie.

I was actually hearing her mom's voice in that of Cartman's mom. Had the same enabling bent to it, so it wasn't much of a stretch.

I don't understand how children can be allowed to get quite so ... out of control.

Not every child is as well-behaved as others. Even the best kids can get out of control.

That being said, the OP made it obvious that this is a regular happening for the man and his kids. Which is a crying shame. While my nieces have had their moments when they were younger, most times all it took from me was a death glare and a very quiet, "That's 1....." I never got to 3.

Now that 3 of the 4 of them are 17 or older, not so much an issue. As for the 6 year old, we have never been out where it was just the two of us yet. So I can't say what would happen. But she's pretty much an angel 98% of the time (especially compared to her older sister at that age), so I can't say I would be all that worried about it, to be honest.

[AnaKhouri]

I blame every one of those parents.

My kid is a toddler and thus, much of the time, he doesn't actually know better. But the minute he starts throwing a tantrum, we're gone. I'd pick up my food and leave. No one else needs to hear that. (I spent my Mother's Day dinner out of the restaurant half the time so Husband could eat; then he took Khan out so I could eat). And by the time he's 6 he will know better and it simply won't happen, or else.

And Khan isn't a particularly defiant child, he just gets frustrated because he's too young to do everything he wants (like stick forks into wall sockets).

Jester, I tried the counting thing...I said, "1...2..." Khan yelled, "8! 9!" So that's not going to work...

[Jester]

Jester, I tried the counting thing...I said, "1...2..." Khan yelled, "8! 9!" So that's not going to work...

It won't work for two reasons. You haven't developed the Death Stare or Death Tone yet, and your child doesn't know the story about The Farmer and The Donkey. My father told us this story many times as children, and it stuck with us, just as I told my nieces, and it stuck with them.

The story goes like this: a Farmer and his Wife are going to town, and their Donkey is pulling their cart. After a little while, the Donkey sees some tasty flowers by the side of the road, and stops to nibble on them. The Farmer gets out of the cart and tries pushing, pulling, and coaxing the Donkey to get moving. The Donkey ignores the Farmer, continuing to enjoy his snack. Finally the Farmer looks at the Donkey and says, "That's one."

After the Donkey finishes with his munching, they continue on. A little while later, the Donkey trips in a pothole in the road, and stops. No matter how much the Farmer tries, the Donkey won't budge. The Farmer looks at the Donkey and says, "That's two."

After resting his sore hoof for a bit, the Donkey continues on. Until a little while later when he is distracted by some rabbits playing off to the side of the road. No matter how much the Farmer tries, he can't get the Donkey to move. So the Farmer looks at the Donkey and says, "That's three." And pulls out his shotgun and shoots the Donkey dead in the road.

The Farmer's Wife freaks out. "Oh my god! What have you done? How are we going to get all our stuff to market without the Donkey? What were you thinking?" And so on. And the Farmer merely looks at his wife and says, "That's one."

Which is why, whenever my father looked at us in that certain way when we were being hellions and said in that certain way, "That's one," we knew we had two choices. And only the one of behaving was the acceptable one.

Dad never got to three, by the way.

[Pagan]

We have a customer who is somewhat regular. He's a 30-ish man, fit, good looking for an older man, and very polite.

Ahem. I turn 41 today. And I don't look great "for my age." I just look great, period, if I do say so myself. And last night, a couple girls at the cookoff guessed my age at 28 and 32, respectively.

Older man my ass.

Jester!
Happy Day The Earth Was Graced With Your Presence!

I'm the same age and I get the same thing all the time. I don't look my age and I certainly don't act my age....whatever that means.

[Jester]

I do act my age. Because you're only as old as you feel, so I am just 17.

My alternative to the above is that you're only as old as the person you're feeling, and since the last person I felt (I mean felt) was only 31, I'm doing pretty well, don't ya think?

That being said, customers at my bar (and sometimes people out and about) often ask me what my "secret" is, why I look so much younger than I am. (Especially clean shaven. Damn, I look young again without the goatee!) I tell them it's three things, actually.

1. Genetics. My whole family looks younger than they are, so I was blessed.

2. Alcohol. It's a preservative. I am very well preserved.

3. Children. They age you. I don't have any.

'Nuff said.

[ShootMePlease]

This is precisely why I don't have children.

I have no patience whatsoever for that kind of bullshit. Spoiled Princess would be lacking chicklets right now, because they would have been smacked out of her mouth. I understand there are extenuating circumstances as to why a child might be crying, but to act like a screaming fool because you didn't get what you want is beyond unacceptable.

Most of us here would have been knocked into next week had we acted like that. Because our parents didn't tolerate our bullshit. There's too much permissiveness and abdication nowadays. Very sad.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I do act my age. Because you're only as old as you feel, so I am just 17.

I prefer to subscribe to the belief that you're only as old as you let yourself feel.

[Thatgirl71]

My sisters have kids that can be handfuls, but fortunately, when the kids act up in public, they take them out of the store/restaurant/take-out place and leave. My mom and dad did it with us and my sisters do it with their kids. Why make everyone else suffer? Oh wait, we're talking about sucky customers here, lol.

[Caractacus_Potts]

I don't understand how children can be allowed to get quite so ... out of control.

Because anyone from post puberty to menopause (or death for guys) can have children but not everyone who has children is capable of being a parent.

I have friends that have two girls, 9 and 6. The mother works long hours and her brief interactions with the kids consist of yelling at them and threatening them. The stay at home dad is an alcoholic. He doesn't abuse the kids; I think he rarely even acknowledges their existence.

As a result they are both starved for attention. The older one is constantly in trouble at school. She has been known to get up in class and punch a classmate in the face for no reason (or the teacher, or knocking over the teacher’s desk). I predict she will be a drop out drug addict by the time she is 16 (unless she seriously hurts or kills someone and winds up in juvy or jail).

The younger one will do anything for anyone if they will act kind to her. I expect she will have her own children before she is 16.

I wish I could help them but there is a reason I don't have kids, I know I don't have the patience or the ambition to be a parent. Youth services has been out to the house several times but they have their hands full dealing with parents that actively abuse their children and as long as these two are being clothed and fed they are not concerned with the emotional neglect.

[Kogarashi]

I see some children who need their fast food privileges revoked, post haste. Spoiled Princess, in particular, needed to be told "this toy or no toy, end of story." Both parents should've gotten the food to go once it was obvious their children were not going to behave civilly in the restaurant.

I have two of my own so far, both girls, age 4.5 and 2. Neither acts up like this in fast food places, nor do they misbehave in grocery stores either. They've learned very quickly that Mommy will not tolerate such behavior, and that special treats (fruit snacks at the grocery store, their toys or entire meals at fast food places) will be summarily revoked if we have to count to three. We stopped by McD's just today, and Oldest stood quietly at the toy display inspecting the toys while Youngest stood by me and, after a bit, asked nicely to be picked up. Oldest asked if she could have a toy, and needed to be reminded only once after the initial explanation that she and Youngest were each getting one thing off the dollar menu, and those didn't come with toys. They each got to pick their treat, and accepted it without fuss.

We're currently teaching Youngest what counting to three actually means. There've been quite a few times where we've reached three and dished out punishment because she hasn't quite caught on yet, but she's not going to learn any other way since Oldest already responds well and thus isn't an example of what reaching three represents.

I suspect that the misbehaving children in the two stories that involved parents have been enabled far too much. Not enough privileges taken away, not enough consequences meted out, not enough follow-through on the "please stop that, sweetie." If my kids ever behaved in such a fashion in a public place, we would be leaving right then and without their precious treats.

[pageantmama]

Awww, sounds like the dad has his hands full. At least he tried to make them mind a little. A lot of dad's won't even stay at home with their own kids, kudos for him taking them out in public, lol. A friend of mine was shocked when I said my husband would watch the kids so I could go to a Pure Romance party with her. Evidently all the other ladies there had gotten babysitters when most had a perfectly good husband at home. I had a couple act shocked and say "you mean your husband is gonna babysit for the night while you go to a party?" I was like, "um it is his kids, he is parenting them, not babysitting them. Like a dad should. And of course he is letting me go to the party while he stays home with them, I bring goodies home for me and him both"

[Ironclad Alibi]

Ahem. I turn 41 today.

Happy birthday to you, Jester. I shall drink a beer in your honor this evening. I'd invite you over for one, but you're 1200 miles away from me.

[Kisa]

Older man???? At 30???? You little whippersnapper!

Thanks for the stories; I always enjoy reading your stuff. Your suffering amuses me greatly

Awwee! That's so much! And by older I ment "older than me" not "old fart" lol

At 32 i still consider myself a young man. It helps that i look young for my age. I am still trying to decide if i should be insulted. Although i guess when i was in my teens 30 did seem old

Sorry sorry! I worded that poorly

[dalesys]

Children! Play nice or the real coots and cootessess will make you get off the lawn!