When Parents Scream Against Ice Cream

The New York Times ^ | August 19, 2009 | Grant Junkie and Yapping Yenta

[Eric Blair 2084]

It’s a spectacular day at Harmony Playground in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, with children swinging and running through sprinklers. An “icy man” with his pushcart of fruit ices stands near the jungle gym, as parents look toward the gated entrance. A second ices vendor enters, also setting up shop inside the playground’s cast-iron fence. Vicki Sell, mother of 3-year-old Katherine, tenses when the vendor starts ringing his little bell, over and over, hoping her daughter doesn’t have the typical Pavlovian response.

Ever since Katherine had an inconsolable meltdown about not being able to have a treat, Ms. Sell has been trying to have unlicensed vendors ousted from the park. She has repeatedly called the city’s 311 complaint hot line, joining parents nationwide who can’t stand the icy man or his motorized big brother, the ice cream man.

“I fall into the camp of parents who are irate,” Ms. Sell said. She has equal disdain for Mister Softee and the ice cream pop vendor outside the park, but since they are licensed, there is not much she can do about them.

“I feel kind of bad about having developed this attitude,” she said. “I want Katherine to have the full childhood experience and all. But it’s really predatory for them — two of them — to be right inside the playground like this.”

Ms. Sell says she is not obsessed with health and nutrition. She — and others — feel they have been pushed to the brink by that little bell. Across message boards and playgrounds, soccer fields and day camp exits, parents have been raging. In a greener, more health-conscious, unsafe world, the ice cream man has lost some of his mojo.

[Eric Blair 2084]

I don't care if I piss of a Mom here. The NY Times goes out of their way to state that these women are not nanny state vegans.

You be the judge.

[Loud Mime]

Gee, if you made Obama the ice cream man and his voters the children, it sounds like the democrat party.

[Eric Blair 2084]

4 pings in one day. Haven't been here for a while and I'm on vacation next week.

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[GeronL]

Is this ublic property or are these things happening on the property of Queen Priss herself?

[I see my hands]

To: Vicki Sell

Don’t think of them as salesmen, think of them as security guards in non threatening uniforms. You pay them a couple bucks a day and they watch your little monsters and toss in a free ice cream treat.

[Dianna]

Odd. But I have found that if you say “no” firmly and often enough, kids tend to stop asking for ice cream.

[Tanniker Smith]

The only thing worse than when the yuppies moved into the neighborhood and made it unaffordable was when they started breeding and acting like they invented it. And invented the playground. And the frickin' park.

Man, I miss the old stomping grounds, and those folks don't appreciate the good stuff that they have around them.

[Tanniker Smith]

“I feel kind of bad about having developed this attitude,” she said. “I want Katherine to have the full childhood experience and all. But it’s really predatory for them — two of them — to be right inside the playground like this.”

Here's the deal: You're the Mommy. The answer is "No".
What's the matter? Afraid that if you say "No" to little Katherine too often (what? no Katie or Kathy?), she'll think you're mean and hate you? Again: YOU'RE THE MOMMY!! Act like it.

Let it be a treat that she could have once a (pick a time period). Give her a decision as to when that might be. Let her know that it's either that or (fill in the blank).

[CapnJack]

Only COMMI BASTARDS hate the Ice Cream Man!

Remember when you were outside playing and you heard the distant tune of Turkey In The Straw? You would INSTINCTIVELY go INSANE! Running to the house for MONEY! Then run out of the house yelling ICE CREAM MAN! ICE CREAM MAN!

[Tired of Taxes]

So much ado about nothing. Parents should just say no. An ice cream truck passes our house every night, and my children have never bought ice cream from it.

[chris_bdba]

Excuse me but it is a free country and these people are trying to earn a living. Just because you don’t want your child having one doesn’t mean that someone else doesn’t want a treat for them or their kids. Hint to Mom perhaps it
s time you teach your kid about not throwing a fits?

[Dilbert San Diego]

Parents need to be in charge, and say no as needed.

This subject comes up in other places too. When you take the kids to the mall to go shopping, they want to buy a toy they see. If you take kids grocery shopping, they will want candy or junk food, and you may need to say no.

These temptations or demands from kids happen all the time, not just with the ice cream sellers at the park. You will run into this problem wherever you go in public with kids.

[Tired of Taxes]

Exactly. This is such a little story, but it’s an example of the mindset so many people have today. I’m guessing these parents voted for Obama because they’re the type of people who want to dictate to everyone else just to make life easier for themselves. What about the parents and children who look forward to the ice cream truck? About 20 years ago, I knew someone who drove an ice cream truck. He had to rent the truck and sell enough ice cream to make a profit. If they’re not making a profit, they’ll stop coming around. ;-)

[AnAmericanMother]

What a bunch of nit-wits.

Look, Miz Sell, you silly twit, this is how it is done:

Brat: "I wanna ice cream."

Mom: "Sorry, dear, not today."

Brat: "BUT I WANNNNNA ICE CREAM!"

Mom: "No yelling. The answer is still no."

Brat: < screaming and kicking >

Mom: "Stop the tantrum or we're going home right now."

Brat: < screaming and kicking >

Mom: < SWAT! > "Kids who behave like babies can't play in the park. Too bad." Pick up brat, deposit in car seat or stroller, head for home and put brat in time out.

Trust me, you only have to do this once or twice before they figure out that they don't get any ice cream AND their park time is cut short.

[exDemMom]

These temptations or demands from kids happen all the time, not just with the ice cream sellers at the park. You will run into this problem wherever you go in public with kids.

If you teach your kids early that they can't have whatever catches their eye that minute, they learn not to ask. I can't remember my son EVER making a fuss because we wouldn't buy him something from the store. Unfortunately, I don't remember how I taught him...

That said, I also wonder how much of the obesity epidemic is a result of parents trying to force "healthy" diets on kids and never letting them have treats. I remember my mother got into that fad in the 70s... leaving home, all I wanted to do was eat all the unhealthiest treats (Twinkies for breakfast!). I've managed to get over it, I don't need to eat them all the time, but my sister is pretty obese.

[It's me]

Worked for my kids. Also, i wouldn’t allow whining. So, my kids didn’t whine. not any of them... never...

[Buddy B]

Mom: < SWAT! >

the days to SWAT in public are gone.....

[keepitreal]

When she was 3, my daughter had a big whopper of a temper tantrum because I refused to buy her favorite flavor of yogurt in the grocery store. Had to haul her out screaming. Maybe grocery stores should be banned because I have to say no every trip.

[Glenn]

I used to stop at the 7-11 every day with my two boys and I would let them each buy a sweet treat after day care and school. It was the same for a lot of years.

Neither one of them likes sweets today. They don’t drink soda or crave ice cream.

Go figure.

[AnAmericanMother]

Not around here. Just a swat, of course, not a beat-down.