I’m a dad of 3 1/2 yro twins. I stand ready to “bring down the house” on them when they cut up at home, in public, or in the truck. That being said, sometimes the world has to keep turning, and sometimes good kids fail be able to keep it together very well—frustrating as it is. At the grocery store, where I rutinely spend $300.00+ a week, if one of the lovely little cashiers ever suggests that perhaps I might be interested in smothering one or both of my children in order to make her or his day at the customer service mill a little less frustrating, I would think that stopping with just a good glaring at would show huge restraint on my part. I too am surprised you didn’t get fired. Just saying. :)
Sir, because people spend 300.00 + dollars a week at a grocery store does in no way give them the right to be abusive to workers or allow their children to impede the workers doing their jobs by knocking over merchandise, spinning the bag carousel so the cashier cannot bag merchandise, call the cashier names when we hold the carousel still because we need to bag their merchandise, throw things at us, call us vile names while the parent ignores it, not to leave out the customers who are already angry they have to wait in line and take it out on the cashier who is just trying to do their job.
You try not getting frustrated in that situation on 9 hours a day 5 days a week of repitition when all we are trying to do by doing our jobs is make your lives alittle better while some make ours miserable. I would never wish for a child to be smothered, but watching him kick and slap his mother while having a tantrum was too much.
If you think I should have been fired than fine. It is the only time in all my years as a cashier that I have lost it. I do my job and I do it graciously even under the worst abuse. I respect you for your opinion, but don’t judge until you have walked a mile in our shoes.
Running amok in a store or bad behaviour in a restaurant from a child isn’t the same thing as a fussy, crying kid in the store. As a father of twins (now 13), I well remember those tired days and nights and trips to the store. And sometimes had to bring the kids if it couldn’t be helped.
They learned early on that they NEVER got a treat at the store, so they wouldn’t whine about “I want this....” Not to say that they sometimes were cranky and fussy. (They were both real collicky - not fun! And no restaurants for quite a while for us back then.) I feel bad when I see some mom at the store with 2 or 3 tired kids at 11 at night. I guess I give them the benefit of the doubt in that for some reason, that is her only option for shopping at that time.
One public place where we were VERY permissive with our kids. At the dog park by the river. All their clothes on, muddy puddles all over - splashing, getting wet, getting REAL muddy, playing with the dogs, just being kids. They would usually get fun looks from the adults. Sometimes not - especially when other kids would want to join in the fun but “No Sally - you’ll get all muddy!”