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Babies and restaurants are the Chernobyl of parenting (Dave Barry)
Maimi Herald ^ | Dave Barry

Posted on 10/02/2005 7:48:26 AM PDT by nuconvert

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To: nuconvert

Ping for wife


21 posted on 10/02/2005 8:18:06 AM PDT by True Capitalist
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To: mc5cents

I remember reading somewhere that he retired. I have considered taking his place. In one way, I would be starting at a disadvantage since I too am from Miami - and he has already written about the only 2 or 3 funny things you could say about the city.


22 posted on 10/02/2005 8:19:44 AM PDT by omni-scientist
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To: varyouga
I'm a little predisposed to Russian restaurants: where vodka is mandatory/included and the music is so loud you can't hear yourself think.

*chuckle* To each their own!

23 posted on 10/02/2005 8:20:27 AM PDT by LaineyDee (Don't mess with Texas wimmen!)
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To: nuconvert

I am proud to say that my three kids, ages 4, 2 and 11 months, are very well behaved. Diners have stopped and complimented us on many occassions. Shameless bragging, :)


24 posted on 10/02/2005 8:25:58 AM PDT by WV Mountain Mama ("Good? Bad? I'm the one with the gun." Ash Williams, "Army of Darkness")
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To: WV Mountain Mama

:~ )


25 posted on 10/02/2005 8:29:39 AM PDT by nuconvert (No More Axis of Evil by Christmas ! TLR) [there's a lot of bad people in the pistachio business])
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To: nuconvert

Never experienced this kind of problem myself. We used to call our girl "Porta-Baby"- we could take her anywhere.
In a two parent family, if the kid causes a fuss, one parent takes the kid outside until they calm down. End of problem.

I have also seen children literally running amok in a resturant, causing havoc and destruction, while their parents pretended never to have seen these children before.
One couple actually had to be told that if they couldn't control their children they would be 'asked to leave.'
And this was at a family resturant, not "Chez Snooty" !


26 posted on 10/02/2005 8:36:47 AM PDT by Ostlandr (Hey, Salada! I need a new Tagline!)
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To: spanalot

>>Well the certainly have lost the art of raising respectful kids. We never had a problem with our kids.

Sometimes it's the luck of the draw. When my youngest was around 4 years old, an in-law said to me, "She's so good, it's almost creepy." I still don't know what I did to make her so good, but she has the manners of a duchess. Maybe because I'm old, and learned how to behave in the hat-and-glove era, I unconsciously imparted the culture that was standard before my generation went berserk and coarsened everything we touched. Or maybe it's because she's homeschooled and never spent much time with other primates. Or, if it's genetic...it's not genetic enough! :0)


27 posted on 10/02/2005 8:36:58 AM PDT by Graymatter
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To: nuconvert

"Are you familiar at all with Dave Barry?"

No -so I took the time to peruse some of his stuff -lots of titters ala Mad magazine -surprised he won a pulitzer but so did duranty.

But the following quote of his supports my contention above. This is not right wing satire ala PJ O'Rourke.

"On the cultural front, the mayor of San Francisco attempts to legalize same-sex marriage, which outrages those who believe that marriage is a sacred institution that should be entered into only by heterosexual people, such as Britney Spears and Mike Tyson."


28 posted on 10/02/2005 8:37:05 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: LaineyDee
Answer: GET A BABYSITTER...

Baby sitters are for wimps.

29 posted on 10/02/2005 8:37:38 AM PDT by Maceman (Fake But Accurate)
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To: nuconvert; ecurbh

And when in public... Don't force the kid to eat his beans, unless you want to act as birth control for the rest of the room. ;~D


30 posted on 10/02/2005 8:38:05 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog (Join the Hobbit Hole Troop Support - http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/)
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To: Graymatter

"Sometimes it's the luck of the draw."

Youre too modest - it was the manner in which your family has raised children.

And this was not an anomoly 30 or 40 years ago - it was the norm prior to the rise of relativist mass culture.


31 posted on 10/02/2005 8:42:08 AM PDT by spanalot
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To: Graymatter

When I was young my family went to nice restaurants frequently. We sat quietly at the table. Today it is assumed that children can't sit quietly and behave.


32 posted on 10/02/2005 8:43:49 AM PDT by ladyjane
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To: nuconvert

Thanks for posting. Just last night, hubby was saying how he will never, ever, ever take our one-year-old out to eat again. She is unlike the rest of our children. She eats and eats and eats. There's no time for feeding ourselves. It's all about feeding IT. (IT being her stomach and separate from HER.) Baby squeals an awful, loud, shrill sound that turns heads. Then people see her, and they smile and snicker. She's pretty. She's shy. But she is so LOUD. And she smiles at just the right moments. Hubby can't stand to disturb other diners. He has trained all of our children very well to respect other diners. But #8 is not interested in her daddy's lessons on how to eat in public. So, I expect we'll stay home for meals for a while. Until #8 no longer throws her food when she's had enough. Or squeals when she sees something on Daddy's plate that she wants.


33 posted on 10/02/2005 8:50:35 AM PDT by petitfour
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To: nuconvert

As a proud first time parent of a now 4 month old boy I found a lot of truth in that article. Espeically the "babies are not happy unless something is emitting from somewhere" line. Never has a truer line been written.


34 posted on 10/02/2005 8:52:54 AM PDT by Personal Responsibility (All I want for tomorrow is to make it better than today!)
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To: mc5cents
BTW, where IS Dave Barry? He hasn't written a new piece for over a year.

He has a baby now. Duh!

35 posted on 10/02/2005 8:54:38 AM PDT by frithguild (If I made one mistake, it was that I was too cooperative and waited too long to go on the offensive.)
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To: Maceman
Baby sitters are for wimps.

No...actually they're for parents who understand junior's antics aren't as cute to everyone else in the world. *chuckle*

36 posted on 10/02/2005 8:58:16 AM PDT by LaineyDee (Don't mess with Texas wimmen!)
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To: Personal Responsibility

LoL


37 posted on 10/02/2005 9:18:25 AM PDT by nuconvert (No More Axis of Evil by Christmas ! TLR) [there's a lot of bad people in the pistachio business])
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To: petitfour

Sounds like you have your hands full! Sounds like she does too!


38 posted on 10/02/2005 9:20:54 AM PDT by nuconvert (No More Axis of Evil by Christmas ! TLR) [there's a lot of bad people in the pistachio business])
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To: mc5cents

He's on hiatus.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6890983/


39 posted on 10/02/2005 9:23:53 AM PDT by dawn53
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To: nuconvert

I was wondering if I could get some FR opinion on something related to this article.... it's small children in church. I go to a rather small church with several families with children under 5. Some of the kids are well-behaved and sweet. Others, however, walk around the church during the sermon. Talk loudly to their parents. Bang toys on the pews. Stamp their feet.... I don't mind babies making cooing and baby sounds. I don't mind when kids act out as long as the parents step in immediately and take them out or shush them. The ones that drive me nuts have parents who let them "do their thing" just as if they were in their playroom or backyard. I end up leaving church feeling angry and annoyed and I get nearly nothing out of the worship. I feel so guilty about my anger.... any advice? Just so you know, we do provide a nursery and our minister has asked parents to use it. There's also a notation on the front of the bulletin to please respect those who come for quiet reflection and prayer... nothing seems to get through to these parents. The minister is reluctant to do anything further since our congregation is small and we need all the members we can get. My question is, am I being too selfish in thinking I should find another church?


40 posted on 10/02/2005 9:29:55 AM PDT by Softballmom
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