Monday, October 06, 2008

Control Your Kids Please

Most people who know me know that my expectations for my kids as far as their behavior can sometimes be considered strict. I personally don't agree, I just want my kids to grow up with manners and etiquette. Observing the world, I know we often fall in the minority in that way of thinking. Despite that, I do like to say I'm somewhat lenient with the "kids will be kids" mentality, especially in a public setting. HOWEVER, you know I was gonna go there, right??? However, tonight I wanted to seriously discipline a little girl at CiCi's. We were sitting in a booth across from the girl and I give complete props to the people who were sitting in the booth connected to them. The girl had to be around 8 or 9 and she had this helium balloon that she was punching all over the restaurant. The lady sitting in the connected booth had to keep ducking so she woudn't be hit...again, I have to give her props for her patience. I glanced at the lady and she was obviously annoyed but didn't say anything. The girl went from punching it towards her face to punching it towards the girl's baby. So the lady scooted the high chair over. I glanced at the girl's mom to see if she saw what was going on and she was just sitting their smiling all goofy like. After a while the girl moved from just her little area to punching the balloon around other tables. CiCi's is a busy place with people constantly getting up to get more pizza (it's an all you can eat buffet). At this point she wanders over towards us, and I prayed hard to be nice and that she would work her way back to her own table. So soon she is punching the balloon so hard that she is almost falling and here we are trying to eat. So I say very nicely (much nicer than I felt), hey why don't you go back to your table, people are trying to eat and they don't want a balloon near their food. She looks at me and says, well "I'M playing!!!!!"

So now I look at her mom and I say again more nicely than I felt..."ma'am, do you think you can ask your daughter to quit punching her balloon towards me and my kids?" The mom just glared at me and told her daughter in Spanish to leave the mean lady alone. MEAN?!?!...I didn't pop her balloon like I wanted to...I'd say I was pretty dang nice. Anyway, once they left a few people turned to me and said, thanks for speaking up, that sure was annoying! (Gee people, don't speak up or anything!)

Anyway, here's the point of my entry. Kids will be kids, I can live with that, had the girl been 2 or 3...maybe even 4, I could see but a girl that age should know better. Now before anyone jumps on me, I know that there could be more to her that I don't know about so I won't judge her. But the mom did NOTHING. My kids have acted a fool out in public and it is embarrassing and sometimes it's out of my control, but I TRY to keep them, she didn't try. And that is what annoyed me.

I just want credit for not popping the girl's balloon...

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Yay for Nadine for not popping that rude little girls balloon!!! ;) Geeeeeesh! Sounds like the norm around here...unfortunately. Good for you for speaking up and keeping your cool.

Bringhurst Family said...

Yeah that lady's raising a hoodlum and possibly criminal.

Mommy to those Special Ks said...

I totally agree, that would have driven me crazy. I try hard to keep my kids calm, too. And most of the time they are very well behaved. We have gotten several compliments from other people in restaurants (after they cringe when they see they have to sit next to 4 kids! hahaha). We were in Kohl's the other day though and Kass and Kam were AWFUL. Seriously. They're almost 7 and 9 yet while Kennedy, who is FOUR was walking calmly next to the stroller, the older 2 were being loud and at one point even RAN in the store! WHAT?! Needless to say, it didn't continue and after an endless conversation at home about it and the loss of their Wii time, I think they get the point ;). Still, I was SO embarrassed! I just don't understand how parents can think that kind of behavior is ok in restaurants, stores, whatever. I think I would have popped the balloon! LOL We should never go out to eat together. We might get arrested. HA!

Drea said...

I give you credit! I would've been just as annoyed. Kids will be kids, but it is our responsibility as parents to attempt to control them even when they are just being kids if they are disrupting others around them! And I honestly don't like the excuses some people give for their children's behavior sometimes, you can at least ATTEMPT to teach them right from wrong not just sit there and accept their bad behavior - if they retain it great if not keep trying, don't turn and say someone is being "mean" for asking nicely for them to correct their behavior. Urgh...

My rant lately is the way teenagers act - but you can read my blog for that.

Dana said...

Kudos for NOT saying anything rude.





...or popping the balloon!

Unknown said...

You're right... that behavior is unacceptable in Cici's... would you have been even more accepting at Chuckee-Cheese? hehehe