OMG!! Nobi, are you kidding??? I know you aren;t aiming anything at ME...nor was I doing it to you. I was just saying that kids have feelings too:p . I agree with you about the restaurants. When we go out as a family, we go to kid friendly places and we are perfectly clear with The Boy about how he is expected to behave.

When Big Daddy and I go out together if we have a sitter or something, yes, I certainly do not want to be distracted by unruly children. Plus, when we're playing footsie and feeding each other oysters...well that's just something the kids should be seeing!

Besides I like The Boy, he's interesting to me..hehe..and cute like his daddy. What we do with my nephew is take his small dvd player with us to restaurants to keep him occupied, otherwise he's really well behaved but he gets bored. But with his DVD's playing we could be there for a couple of hours and he won't care..lol..As for the footsie action, the booths are the best for those types of behaviors..lol

LOL....me too!


Francie

We really shouldn't compare our children to our pets.

When my kids were young I tried my best to teach them good public behavior, which meant eating at a lot of LOUD restaurants so they didn't disturb anyone. As they got older we moved on to quieter places and they knew how to act in public.

or they missed out.

Sometimes I had to stay where I was with them, and work through it. Like grocery stores. Not fair to me or the the store to leave a cart full of groceries and just walk out. One time my son (age 2) went ballistic over a ball he saw near the checkout counter. He screamed so loud, pounded the floor, made himself heavy...it was a memorable moment to say the least. I told him No, then just ignored his behavior while I wrote the check. The cashier was really impressed. She said most people would just buy the stupid BALL.

Entirely different with pets. If shelby wanted a ball, I would buy her 3. :p

I'm sorry...but as someone who works in the "Service Industry"..and is also a loving Aunt to tons of Nieces and Nephews...inflicting your "parenting decisions" on innocent people who have to endure these "meltdowns" in a Public Place is inappropriate...and does a HUGE disservice to your child. The only thing being taught is that other people's feelings have no consideration, which follows them everwhere they go...at school...in the workplace..in relationships. Show me the adults that people "just can't stand"...I'll show you children that were never taught respect for others...or boundaries. JMHO

Francie

I was very surprised when I read this thread!, because Bruce and I routinely shop at Target together, and never have been asked to leave even when I have just been carrying him in my arms. The clerks are always friendly, and usually pet him, etc. However, we have been asked to leave many other stores, which we always do without complaint. Rules are rules, and I would never bring Bruce back to a store I found out was not pet friendly. Rules or no rules, I would be incensed if a store clerk or manager laid their hands on me! A simple "we do not allow dogs, please leave, and come again without your dog," should always be sufficient....

As for kids I agree you cannot compare them to dogs. Yes, kids should be allowed more places, but they should also be made to behave in a reasonable manner. No one can control their children 100% of the time, but once misbehavior starts they surely can do something to attempt to remedy it...I do not have kids, so I cannot say I fully understand or can totally sympathize with parents when their kids go wild in public. BUT I do not think it is my responsibility to sympathize with them...Rather it is their responsibility to try their best to not put others in an uncomfortable situation, at least within reason...For example a few months ago I was on a far from full flight to San Francisco from Seattle (not a horribly long flight). I was seated immediately in front of who I estimate to be a five year old boy. For the first hour of the flight he kicked my seat the entire way and threw little bits of paper over the seat onto me...I waited 1/2 hour to even turn around. Then I casually just glanced back at the mother...She shot daggers right at me. When it became unbearable I said to her "I know it must be hard to travel with kids, but would it be possible for you to try to keep your son from throwing things on me and kicking the seat." She basically said no and told me her son was very "spunky" and said "surely you must agree this is better than him crying?" He stopped for a while then he began throwing the ice from his juice or whatever he had on me and the man next to me. I then pushed the call button and asked the flight attendant if I could move. The mother became well what I would call enraged. She cussed me out in front of the flight attended, other passengers and her son. I moved. But this is the sort of thing that makes me inclined it is is okay for businesses of certain types to exclude children, not because having kids around is so bad, but having parents with no sense of common curtosy or decent social behavior is awful.

very well put.:thumbup: :thumbup:

ding, ding, ding - here, ,here!!!

And Nobi...I agree, a DVD is goooooood, haven't thought of that yet! We usually do gameboy or leapster. Hours of quiet for those around you!

Well said I agree 200 percent!!!!

I think any one who has posted about children and don't have children don't have a right to say how they would act or respond to there child acting up in public. You DON'T know what its like untill it is your child and you don't knwo how you'll react untill you have a child. Those with nieces and newphews NOT the same thing at all. My views were much diffrnet before I had kids, but not now. My daughter is very well behaved in public but she still acts up from time to time and I could care less what others think or feel during that moment. My attention is her not them. I teach my daughter to be good in public but that is fr me not for anyone else. I may be selfish but I don't care, we pay taxes we deserve to eat and shop when and where we want no matter what. That does'nt mean I would let my child go crazy in public but a little tantrum or crying is nothing to drop your cart in an isle for or to leave in the middle of dinner for. I have never personally had any one say anything to me about my kids acting up because it is rare, but I can promise you this if they ever did they would be leaving with a fat lip! I think everyone should just mind there own bussiness. So many people who have NO KIDS are judgmental towards those who do like they would be so much better at it, untill you walk a day in a parents shoes you have no room to comment. PERIOD!!

I don't think you are being fair to those of us who mention that we have neices and nephews especially since my neice and nephew both live with me and have since they were very small. So I am really the only "Mom" they know, and when they were younger they knew better. It wasn't for anyone else that I wanted them to be quiet and act like they had some home training necessarily it was more for them to know that they should be considerate of other people, and to know that other people should not have to deal with their tantrums. Believe me no one's child is perfect and I am not claiming that the children I raised are either, but I can tell you that wherever we were if they started to cut up they knew we would be out the door.

QUOTE: I think any one who has posted about children and don't have children don't have a right to say how they would act or respond to there child acting up in public. You DON'T know what its like untill it is your child and you don't knwo how you'll react untill you have a child. Those with nieces and newphews NOT the same thing at all. My views were much diffrnet before I had kids, but not now. My daughter is very well behaved in public but she still acts up from time to time and I could care less what others think or feel during that moment. My attention is her not them. I teach my daughter to be good in public but that is fr me not for anyone else. I may be selfish but I don't care, we pay taxes we deserve to eat and shop when and where we want no matter what. That does'nt mean I would let my child go crazy in public but a little tantrum or crying is nothing to drop your cart in an isle for or to leave in the middle of dinner for. I have never personally had any one say anything to me about my kids acting up because it is rare, but I can promise you this if they ever did they would be leaving with a fat lip! I think everyone should just mind there own bussiness. So many people who have NO KIDS are judgmental towards those who do like they would be so much better at it, untill you walk a day in a parents shoes you have no room to comment. PERIOD!!----------------------------------------------------------

Brandi - you are something else! I know a few people who share your views - but not many. And I couldn't disagree with you more.

And - obviously from the many posts we have read - a lot of people whose children might be misbehaving or causing others to be uncomfortable -- would just leave on thier own - without being asked. I would be embarrassed if anyone every asked me to leave anyplace because my children were bothering people.

And, of course people without children have a right to comment on what they might do. Some of the most children-loving people I know are people who have never had children of their own. People's values and their respect for other people's welfare doesn't change because they have or don't have children. We are all what we are - children or no children.......

The same goes for our pets. I think those of us who care about and have respect for other people - don't want our pets causing undue discomfort for others either.

I respect other peoples rights, privacy, property, and comfort. This has nothing to do with my having children or pets. I would feel the way I do whether I had pets or children or didn't have them. And, hopefully, if I had pets, or even more so children, they would learn my values because I believe they are the way we should be. I believe this strongly.

To each his own............

Carol Jean

Well said, Carol Jean. I have children and grandchildren and my job for the last 31 years has been child related. I work with children everyday and believe me you have to love children to do what I have done for so many years.
No child is perfect and we don't expect them to be. Any child will act up and misbehave sometimes but it doesn't take long being around children to discern which child is allowed to "do their own thing" and which child is taught how to behave, manners and consideration and respect for others.

In years past, when a child got in trouble at school or on the school bus, etc. they knew they would probably get into trouble at home also. Nowadays, so many children are disrespectul and smartmouthed to the teachers, bus drivers, and Para's. Schools have many more problems with behavior than in the past. Most of it is due to the fact that they are not taught all of the above at home and because they know the parents will not back the adults in charge. It always seems to be someone else's fault except their child. They will never make their child take responsibility for their actions.

I agree totally and would just like to add either people don't make their child responsible or it's the old faithful "well he/she is just a child." I always say just remember that child grows up to be an adult someday, that can be scary to think about.

First of all, as a public forum I have a right to post whatever I want, and not you or anyone else can tell me otherwise. I may not have children but I have a nephew who lives with my folks, whom I take out all the time. He's 3, so yes he has his meltdowns, but guess what? Being that I'm a considerate person who is also teaching him a lesson, if he misbehaves in public, it is unacceptable. He learned that real quick and he knows if he wants to go out, how he is expected to behave. My sister has instilled that in him and I practice it as well. If kids are misbehaving in public I would hate to see what they do in your home. When kids are not taught about consideration and respect for others by the parents, no doubt, these kids will be a problem for society. These are kids that unfortunately the rest of us have to deal with in public whether it be at our kids/niece/nephew's school or in the future. These are the kids who are disruptive in school and other social situations. Just like you are a tax paying citizen who deserves to shop, eat and do what you want, so are other people. Everyone else pays taxes and deserves to eat, and shop in peace without a kid screaming in their ears with their parents doing nothing about because they think, they are the only ones that exist on this planet. I love kids and I am understanding about kids in public, but there comes a time, when the misbehaving gets to a level that is unacceptable in public. A little discipline and taking responsibility for your child's behavior goes a long way.