I refuse to start this post with “back in my day” so let’s just start with the story.
I was in the store the other day and these two kids were running around and picking up every little thing, putting it back in the wrong place or using it for some purpose for which it was not designed. They opened packages and made a mess for thirty minutes.
The “parents” were running around after them, grabbing things from their little hands and putting them back. Um, yeah. How ’bout this suggestion: “Kids? Don’t. Touch. Anything.”
Time was, kids knew how to behave in stores because their parents took up the responsibility and weren’t afraid to be parents. And if your kid broke something you brought it to the register and paid for it - didn’t leave it broken sitting on a shelf for someone else to clean up.
I’m understanding, truly I am. Parents have their good and bad days and kids are just going to get away from you sometimes, but sheesh! If you’re standing around throwing your hands in the air and saying, “he just won’t obey” you seriously need to step back and take a look.
Now I never say anything because, well I just don’t. I’ll leave the store first. But my friend P won’t tolerate it. She will walk up to the child and say something in a low voice that just the kid can hear and *boom* he/she behaves. So right then we know that the child has the capacity to behave, but doesn’t.
It’s just so frustrating! I mean who lets their kids run unattended through the stores? It’s dangerous for one - who-knows-who can try to walk off with your kid! Your kid could hurt another kid or vice versa. I saw some kids writing in some school notebooks at WalMart and the mom just closed the books and put them back on the shelf - didn’t even say anything to her kids!
Whatever happened to manners?