DISCRIMINATION OR SMART MOVE?
 |
| This image gives me an instant headache :( |
If you can't control you young children, don't tag them along with you to torture innocent bystanders.
I have one brother and two sisters, we were all born within 4 short years, my mother had twin girls, that means we were all small kids at the same time.
I don't remember EVER, any incident where any of us cried and screamed and kicked the seat in front of us in the plane. Yes, our parents took us flying during vacations. We drove to the beach. We ate in restaurants.
We ALWAYS behaved, all of us.
Our parents weren't harsh with us. They were kind and sweet and we all got along. We we wined about wanting something we weren't supposed to have, they would sit down and explain to us why we couldn't have this or that at that specific moment, and we understood, case closed.
My mother or my father gave us "THE LOOK", and we knew we would get in trouble and we kept pushing the envelope, and that was enough.
Nowadays, I see kids throwing a fit in Airplanes and the "unprepared" parents calmly trying to tell them to behave in vain. I saw a kid on a recent plane between Los Angeles and Boston spit on his mothers face when she told him to stop kicking the seat in front of him. She turned as if nothing happened and shoved her face in a magazine WTH??? I tell you, my kid wouldn't get away with something like that...
Just today on the news, Kristen Johnston ( 3rd Rock star ) had a feud with Nadia Suleman ( Octomom ), in what was described as the flight from HELL, 12 screaming kids, on BUSINESS CLASS between Los Angeles and New York. See, Nadia Suleman was on her way to New York to be interviewed on the "Today Show" and she NBC bought them tickets on BUSINESS CLASS. UGH!!
HERE you can see more details on the whole Airplane feud.
Recently a restaurant in North Carolina banned "screaming children" and saw a boom in business and July 16th another Restaurant in Pennsylvania has instituted a COMPLETE BAN on children under 6.
Perhaps the guy in PA saw that the restaurant in North Carolina actually had a boost in business after placing the sign banning screaming children and decided to follow the example, but being a little more radical, banning ALL children under 6.
HERE
Keep in mind the Pennsylvania restaurant is an upscale place, they just think it's not fair that people pay a lot of money to have to put up with other people's out of control brats.
If you take a look at the comments at the end of the report, most people are supportive of the idea.
Yesterday on "The Joy Behar" Show there were discussions about an Airline that won't allow children to fly.
It starting to sound similar to the late 80's, when smoking started to be banned here, and then there, before you know it, parents with small children will have to load the minivans and take the roads to go visit grandma.
My point is not being mean to children, by many parents nowadays allow small children to get away with murder and I think it's a huge disrespect to others who either have already raised their children well, or chose not to have children all together.
I am not kidding, there is growing debate about banning children from restaurants all together.
HERE is another example of a discussion about banning kids from restaurants.
I am in favor of a partial ban. In my opinion, you children throw a fit, you are out, zero tolerance, if you children behave well, you should not be punished along with the out of control ones.
Ray
7 comments:
Ray, you know I can't leave this post alone :-)
For airplanes, PLEASE give grace during landing/take off at least, when parents are forced to put little ones into car seats, strapped in, etc. Not much comforting can really be done while waiting to be airborne.
(the worst my littlest ever screamed was our first trip to Brazil, when we moved over - flight was delayed from 9 pm departure to 1:30 am departure, he was tired and wanted to be held. That pre-take-off time of being strapped in, cranky, tired, wanting his momma -- yep, he screamed. But I got him out the minute we were high enough in the air and he slept/was calm the rest of the flight....)
But restaurants - I read the article and the place says "casual dining" -- I don't think you can have "upscale" and "casual" and expect parents will never want to take their kids. My husband got his MBA (master's degree) when our 2 oldest were 5 and 2. If we'd wanted to go out and celebrate his achievement, you better believe our boys would have gone with us. Kids should not be separated or excluded from family events (think family reunion, grandma's 75th bday,wedding receptions or rehearsal dinners, etc.) just because the other diners can't cut a kid a little slack. Or because other diners can't at least give the kid a chance -- let the kids in; if they are well mannered, everyone is happy. If they scream, ask the parents to take the kid out until he calms down. The place in NC has it right - Screaming Kids not tolerated; the place in PA has it WRONG - give kids a chance. Not all of the under 6 crowd are bad news.
And, heck, I'd rather a toddler tantrum than an unruly older child any day. Good friends of ours make us cringe to eat out with them b/c their 9 yr old boy is WILD. Running around the restaurant, loud, playing with display items (think typing on display antique typewriters), dumping tooth pick dispensers and "hiding" toothpicks in napkins, on kids' chairs, so they sit on them....WILD. If we eat out with them, we always make sure to back by ourselves so the waitstaff know He's Not Our Kid!
Yet, the 6 yr old rule wouldn't do a darn thing, and he's way worse than even a tantrum throwing toddler.
Although, I wouldn't mind to see Family Seating in restaurants and/or airplanes. Group the people with kids together - win/win.
that should be "make sure to GO back by ourselves so they know he's not ours..."
Dear Reader,
I was expecting your comment :)
I totally agree with you, if you take a look at my last paragraph, I think like you do. Partial ban is the way to go. Your kid throw a fit, you are out. That way, the good parents and good kids are not punished.
Now,we would probably differ in opinion when it comes to airplanes. I am in favor of "lightly" drugging kids to put them to sleep. Make them comfortable, give them nice blankets and pillows and a half a tylenol PM wouldn't hurt, right? :)
Ok, if you are not for the chemical drugging, why not give them a powerful Chamomile Tea or anything else that would make them sleepy and put them out.
I guarantee you, when I have kids, I will be prepared for long flights, either with toys or games to distract them or go for the chamomile tea if necessary. ;)
Ray
Ray, I am all for being prepared on airplanes, really. In all normal, expected circumstances, my boys will never bother you.
But the unexpected, and that hassle of the time between boarding the plane and actually taking off, when one must remain seated, seatbelt fastened, ready to go, and no electronic devices to amuse them ;-) can be a pain.
Especially with the delays all too common to airlines these days. We've had hours (plural) long delays, we've had to sit in the cabin for up to an hour on the tarmac, etc. All the while, "no electronics (our 'drug' of choice), seat belt fastened" because you know, any minute now they could get clearance to take off.
Now, if I can't get my kid calmed down once we are in the air, then you can be mad. :-) And certainly if I allow him to kick your seat, etc.
So long as the adults on the plane are courteous as well (and US to Brazil flights, they always are), we're all good.
Oh, and I don't do meds for the sole reason that some of my boys react to benadryl, etc. by getting even more hyper. Not risking that on a flight! But we definitely come well prepared. The only screaming fit we've ever had was that first trip over, when we were delayed 4.5 hours - sitting in the gate area from 7 pm to 1:30 am (because we got there 2 hrs early) and moving a sleeping toddler from his mom's arms to his uncomfortable car seat, as required for take off -- yea, he wasn't happy. But he fell right back to sleep, and was good as gold the rest of the flight, once we took off and I could get him out of the car seat.
If ever you are bothered by kids on a plane, it won't be my kids, I promise :-)
PS, glad we can have this friendly back & forth. I enjoy it :-)
Reader,
Friendly exchanges is the only way to go ;)
You sound like a pro when flying with kids. I usually make smartelic comments but I don't have children yet. So, my opinions might change once we have babies in tow :)
Ray
My kid's a saint. I'm blessed. He's been flying with just me since 3 months old, never cries, doesn't kick seats. And other than chuckin the occasional piece of food on the ground below him, he's pretty good in restaurants.
I hate American attitudes towards children, there are the movie theaters that ban kids, and in LA you got the dirtiest looks and worst treatment if you went into a restaurant-- and like I said I have a saint for a kid.
IMHO families should be treated like adults who were behaving the same way would be treated. If you're a loud drunk, the restaurants going to talk to you... so why not do the same to someone who's kids are out of control. But banning them just pisses me off, as does a partial ban as it creates the same type of "feelings" of negativity.. like you're just waiting for that little ticking time bomb to go off. Or we could just do it the Brazilian way, and set up a play area where all the nanny's take the kids ;)
Post a Comment