Hear hear.
IMHO, it doesn't matter what you wear, it's how you wear yourself with kids. It took me almost a year to get over the "best buddy, big brother" mentality with my son. I nearly ruined him.
Posted on 11/14/2005 5:51:48 AM PST by Cagey
Parent Says Restaurant Offers Kid Food, So It Should Cater To Kids
"We were surprised at how many times we would see children really out of control," McCauley said. "And we actually had people leaving the bakery because the children were so out of control."
So, he put a sign on the door at kids' eye-level, asking children of all ages to use their "indoor voices."
"We thought it was just a friendly reminder to people that when they come here, just be considerate of the people around them. We had no idea the kind of controversy that was going to explode out of this," McCauley said.
But some parents who spoke with NBC5's Natalie Martinez took immediate offense to the sign. The angry mothers said there are plenty of places in the Andersonville neighborhood where they can take their kids, even if they're acting out.
"I've e-mailed friends and said, 'Just so you know, this man has a sign up. I know there are lots of other options, and I'd encourage you not to go there,'" parent Kate Bremmer said.
When she spoke with Martinez, Bremmer and her kids were picking out goodies at a Swedish bakery, where all kids are welcome.
"Our custom has been to offer a cookie to every child that comes into the store for as long as I can remember," said Kathy Stanton-Cromwell, the co-owner of the bakery, which is just a few doors down from A Taste of Heaven.
Stanton-Cromwell said the cookie serves as "a good calmer" for kids who are acting up.
Bremmer said A Taste of Heaven "is not a five-star restaurant," so she thinks it should cater to kids, not the other way around.
"They offer ice cream cones and cookies and lots things that kids love, and therefore, I don't think that they should make such an issue of it," Bremmer said.
Other parents enjoying lunch with their kids at A Taste of Heaven were more diplomatic.
"I have mixed feelings about it. It's a little off-putting," one mother said.
Linda Wallace, also a mother who eats at A Taste of Heaven, said she thought McCauley was "sort of brave" for putting up the sign.
"It did cross my mind that he might offend some people," she said.
McCauley said he loves kids, although he has none of his own. He said he has no immediate plans to take the sign down.
Hear hear.
IMHO, it doesn't matter what you wear, it's how you wear yourself with kids. It took me almost a year to get over the "best buddy, big brother" mentality with my son. I nearly ruined him.
I received a call from school one day last year about such a situation. The driver had a problem with a few of the older kids and turned the bus around - school was notifying the parents of all the other children as to why the bus was running late.
I have no problem with that type of policy.
Related book title are interesting:
An Adult Child's Guide to What's "Normal"
Perfect Daughters
Codependence: The Dance of Wounded Souls
Healing the Adult Child’s Grieving Heart
Getting Along (Almost) With Your Adult Kids: A Decade-by-Decade Guide
Ready or Not, Why Treating Children as Small Adults Endangers Their Future and Ours
Geez...'MAJOT probel' = 'major problem'. More coffee, please.
Holy cow. Parents really can be stuck between a rock and a hard place. It's the hardest job I've ever had, I'm glad I have my husband to be my workmate. I couldn't do it without him. But imagine the scenario: mother of 5 swats unruly 6 year old at local mall, CPS called, all 5 children removed from home. Scary, and easy to understand why parents fail to discipline in public.
Exactly. Parents are hamstrung; if you discipine your children in public, some busybody is going to sic the authorities on you for abuse. If, and this is a big if, we were raising children now (not 30 years ago) I question if we could do as well. Now that being said, once you get away from the malls and city life, raising kids out on the ranch is just like it was years ago.
Several years ago, a friend and his 16 year old son got into an argument at home (ranch) and the son gave him some lip. Baaammm! One swift smack to the jay and down he went. Now, this is a good kid. He got up and apologized. Good family.
Next day a school a teacher noticed his jaw, got the story, and called the sheriff. Father arrested on abuse.
In court, the son tells the judge it was his fault and he had mouthed off and been disrespectful to his father. Judge told the father he couldn't strike his son under any circumstance. Father asked if he could sent him to his room and the judge said no; it would be depriving him of his family life.
Father asked what he could do and the judge said nothing. At this point it was getting almost comical and most of the courtroom was snickering at the whole thing. Bill, the father, then told the judge that he could have him and to take him to his own home.
Judge went ballistic and said maybe they could work something out after all. The whole thing was dismissed and father and son walked out of the court room with a new and deeper understanding of the liberal world.
Two weeks later the teacher was persuaded in a very physical way to depart to greener pastures and the sheriffs office never did find the perps.
Don't worry, you won't be...........they won't be the ones looking for jobs that require them to take any responsibilty.
Once I saw two kids allowed to run wild in a Denny's while the parents had a discussion with their adult friends. The children were climbing onto others' booths and chasing each other around the restaurant. I went up to the manager and refused to pay for my meal because the kids were rough housing near my booth. The manager marched the kids over to the parents who then argued loudly with the manager.
"I have no interest in reading any of your posts which were not a direct response to a comment of mine." (neener neener neeeener!)
"You misinterpreted my first comment and you've been wrong ever since." (so there!)
Talk about sounding like a spoiled brat. Are you laying on the floor, pounding your feet and arms, in between posts?
It's real simple. You and your kids should have good manners especially in public. As for the person who said those without kids blah blah blah should apologize. It's a stupid statement because she has no idea why these people do not have kids.
Above all there is no excuse for a kid out of control.
I also wish clothing stores would put up signs outside ladies' dressingrooms that say, "If you fail to control your child in the dressingroom, don't be surprised when a half-naked woman shoves their head out from under the curtain." I've done that to mostly little boys a number of times, expecting to get walloped by some liberal mama every time, but bring it on, sister!
LOLOLOLOL LMAO That story is priceless!!! I'm sending a copy of that to my sister and best friend just to make their day.
I bet my sister will use it too...hehehehe!!
If parents had a clue how to discipline their kids, a sign would not be necessary.
It's another way to destroy the family. I am sorry to see this.
My sister and brother in law haven't been out to eat with their baby ever. When they want to go to an "adult" non-chucky-cheese, non-mcdonalds kind of eating place, they get a sitter. And, they pretty much consider those places to be "training ground" for the grownup places they'll take him once he's of an age for discipline.
The Feingold Diet saved us. It is a lot of trouble but we were at the point we would have tried anything. To this day my kids and I know when we're "off the diet". JILL
I may very well know that woman, bless her heart.
I'm beginning to think that the three "S's" should be our new unofficial national motto.
No, no one has said they had perfect kids. But they have told you what they did when their kids acted up in public. This is why it's difficult to give parenting advice. People get defensive. There is no excuse for a parent who allows kids to annoy the rest of the world because they think kids will be kids, or because they don't know how to or refuse to teach their kids better. There was a time when MOST kids behaved reasonably well in public. This tells me it's not only not impossible, it's quite doable.
susie
But, is it working? If not, you need to find something else.
susie
My kids are well behaved at home and in public. I guess I am unlike you in that I don't believe discipline ends at the front door.
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