bratty children misbehaving, no discipline

[AgapeBible]

There is a major problem in America of children not being disciplined, of them running wild and behaving like spoiled rotten brats. This seems to happen especially in Wal-mart stores.

I was in Wal-mart yesterday and before i was in the check out aisle I heard a little girl screaming the next aisle over. Then, whenever i was in the check out lane, the lady behind me had this bratty little baby/toddler that screamed so loud he startled both me and my mother, nearly gave my poor mother a heart attack, made her jump. Then, this kid, about 1 or 2 years old, started putting his dirty hands all over our stuff on the check out counter, the stuff we were buying. he touched my back, now when they start touching you it gets bad. But what can you say without making yourself look like the bad guy? he drooled and got the book we were buying dirty, mother made no apologizes, she said to the little boy, "when are you going to behave yourself?" well, it will be when you teach him to, lady, how do you expect your kid to know how to behave in society if you never teach them? CHildren are born bad, knowing how to misbehave and throw tantrums, scream, cry, kick, hit , punch bite, scratch, pinch break things, and behave terribly, they need to be taught how to behave decently in society, that's called discpline.

The cashier reinfocred the toddler's bad behavior, she said, "oh, he's cute." No, bad behavior is not cute. Babies that misbehave are not cute. I'm not sure how old he was, looked about 2 years old, he was at least over 1 year old, old enough to start learning how to behave, it should start right away, teaching kids to behave good and have some manners.

So, my mom and I couldn't say anything to the woman and her child, but next time somthing like this happens, I will say something, I will defend myself and my rights. I will say something like, "your child is misbehaving," or "you need to teach your child to behave," or "tell your kid to stop screaming," whatever, something like that, beacuse i am really sick of having to put up with screaming misbeahving children in public.

 

[Resha Caner]

Do you have children?

 

[ebia]

This seems to happen especially in Wal-mart stores.

Then maybe it's a God-sent hint for you to opt out of worshiping the consumer's idol in Walmart.

 

[Tolerant Skeptic]

Being in a Wal-Mart for more than two minutes is enough to make most hate humanity, so I wouldn't base your worldviews on that. The Leglist notion that all are born evil is something that I find greatly troubling. Children do need some discipline, though that is primarily them simply being kids, not evil incarnate.

 

[wanderingone]

Were you having a bad day or something? I mean first you have that decision to actually shop at wal-mart... and then you encounter a toddler... acting like a toddler... the horror of living with other humans!!!

Seriously I can't stand people who run errands all day with their kids never stopping to think about how bored and tired the kids are and when the kids are ACTUALLY acting like miniature lunatics ignore them and expect everyone else to live with the insanity as well. But reaching out for interesting things on the belt at a store isn't the sort of behavior I'm thinking of.

Kid touches me I turn around and greet them. Children wanting your attention is a cue to show them the world is not always an ugly place.. or then again.. you can choose to show them the opposite.

 

[MattRose]

Do you have children?

Thanks for being first with the obvious question. Of course the OP doesn't have kids and will learn one day that kids aren't like the Norman Rockwell paintings of them. Or did Norm paint some hell landscapes as well?

 

[RoadWarrior]

I don't have children either, but have been around enough to know the difference between a kid being a kid and an undisciplined brat. While I can't speak for AD's experiences in the OP, I've seen enough public examples to agree with her point that too many parents are too lax in their parenting.

Obviously part of the problem lies in the education of the parents. Such skills are rarely taught in high school and, if they are, almost exclusively only taught to young women, not young men. Most of the parents with bratty kids are simply learning as they go. Some do better than others.

 

[MorkandMindy]

100,000 years of evolution was evidently maladaptive to producing toddlers who behave in Walmart.

Blame the early Stone Age people for not building Walmarts.

 

[Skaloop]

Where do you get off, telling parents how to raise their children?

 

[AtheistVet]

When do you notice children behaving themselves?

 

[Notedstrangeperson]

This thread.​

 

[AgapeBible]

No, I do not have kids, I have wisely made a decision to never have any children of my own because I could pass down bad genetic problems to them, and I am not capable of taking care of them, plus, the big, major reason I don't have kids, I'M NOT MARRIED!!!!!!!


As for you atheists who critized me for shopping at Wal-mart and for telling other people how to raise their children, well I shop at Wal-mart because it is cheap, my family saves money by shopping at Wal-mart. We are not rich and don't want to waste our money shopping at more expensive grocery stores. However, my parents and I are very disapointed with Walmart, it gets worse and worse, sorrier and sorrier, they keep getting rid of the products we like, they quit carrying them. So we may start shopping at Publix. The quality of walmart gets worse, and they are raising their prices. No, I do not worship a consumer idol. My parents are cheap, they like to save money. it is upsetting to see the poor quality and stinginess of walmart company. THe president must be some kind of Ebenezer Scrooge.


As for me telling other people how to raise their kids, it is rude and upsetting to have to listen to a young child scream loudly at the top of their lungs, no one likes to hear that disturbing noise. You'd think it would upset the parents. Is it so terrible to tell a child no? WHen I was in my senior year of high school I had an idea that I could work with children, so I took a class at the local vo-tech center that was right next to my high school, I was allowed to take classes at the vo tech in the morning and then classes at high school in the afternoon.

We had part of it where we would do book work and the other part where they had children that were the children of the adult students at the vo tech center, these kids were about 3-4 years old and they had day care center for them so we had hands on training. The lady that taught the early childhood education classes was quite liberal, the classes were very liberal and new age. We were not allowed to say "no" or use "negative words" with the little kids. I was around 18 years old, and this was hard. The little kids were never punished, they were allowed to go outside and scream by the fence there was a fenced in area with a little play ground for them. It was like you had to use a magic psychological trick into getting the kids to behave and do what you say, and whatever trick this was, I didn't have it, I got so frustrated I eventually quit after Christmas.

 

[AgapeBible]

THere is definitely a problem with people, mostly mothers or grandmothers, going shopping, running errands all day with their children and not thinking about their children getting tired and needing to rest, take a nap. Young children need to take naps and eat snacks often, I wish the women who go all day with their kids would think of that. People are so busy today, they try to "multitask" when in reality it is scientifcally proven the brain can only oncentrate on one thing at a time. People need to slow down.


I am not saying spanking is necessary, actually i am against hitting and yelling at kids. Just talk to them in a soft but firm voice. THere's nothing wrong with saying no to kids. What's wrong with time out or taking away toys as punishment? I have heard of schools calling the police and having 5-year old kindergardners handcuffed and/or taken to jail. THat teaches children to fear and hate the police. As a child I was taught that police officers were my friends, that I could go to the police if I was in trouble and needed help.

 

[Jade Margery]

Maybe you should get a blog instead of a forum thread, if you just want to air your grievances about various aspects of modern life. Not that there's anything wrong with kvetching--goodness knows I'm partial to the occasional whinge myself--but it doesn't seem like you're really looking for discussion here.

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

No, I do not have kids,

All I needed to see.

But agapedragon, I don't think anyone is trying to rag on you personally. The people who do have children here have a different perspective than you and probably don't appreciate someone who has never experienced raising a child handing out criticism on the subject.

Like Jade said, I think you need a better place to vent.

 

[Publius]

There is a major problem in America of children not being disciplined, of them running wild and behaving like spoiled rotten brats. This seems to happen especially in Wal-mart stores.

I was in Wal-mart yesterday and before i was in the check out aisle I heard a little girl screaming the next aisle over. Then, whenever i was in the check out lane, the lady behind me had this bratty little baby/toddler that screamed so loud he startled both me and my mother, nearly gave my poor mother a heart attack, made her jump. Then, this kid, about 1 or 2 years old, started putting his dirty hands all over our stuff on the check out counter, the stuff we were buying. he touched my back, now when they start touching you it gets bad. But what can you say without making yourself look like the bad guy? he drooled and got the book we were buying dirty, mother made no apologizes, she said to the little boy, "when are you going to behave yourself?" well, it will be when you teach him to, lady, how do you expect your kid to know how to behave in society if you never teach them? CHildren are born bad, knowing how to misbehave and throw tantrums, scream, cry, kick, hit , punch bite, scratch, pinch break things, and behave terribly, they need to be taught how to behave decently in society, that's called discpline.

The cashier reinfocred the toddler's bad behavior, she said, "oh, he's cute." No, bad behavior is not cute. Babies that misbehave are not cute. I'm not sure how old he was, looked about 2 years old, he was at least over 1 year old, old enough to start learning how to behave, it should start right away, teaching kids to behave good and have some manners.

So, my mom and I couldn't say anything to the woman and her child, but next time somthing like this happens, I will say something, I will defend myself and my rights. I will say something like, "your child is misbehaving," or "you need to teach your child to behave," or "tell your kid to stop screaming," whatever, something like that, beacuse i am really sick of having to put up with screaming misbeahving children in public.

I've had the same kinds of experience. I don't get it, either.

Google Russell D. Moore's sermon, "The Purpose Driven Paddle".

Even though our children weren't perfect by any stretch, they did know that such misbehavior in public wouldn't be tolerated and would be met with a good spanking.

 

[Publius]

All I needed to see.

But agapedragon, I don't think anyone is trying to rag on you personally. The people who do have children here have a different perspective than you and probably don't appreciate someone who has never experienced raising a child handing out criticism on the subject.

Like Jade said, I think you need a better place to vent.

How about me? My wife and I have seven children and I understand the OP's frustration completely.

 

[Lion Hearted Man]

How about me? My wife and I have seven children and I understand the OP's frustration completely.

Then voice your opinion. I was just summarizing and trying to soften the blow of what was already said here.

I am as equally uninformed as agapedragon -- I do not have children.

 

[wanderingone]

Thanks for being first with the obvious question. Of course the OP doesn't have kids and will learn one day that kids aren't like the Norman Rockwell paintings of them. Or did Norm paint some hell landscapes as well?

You don't need to have kids to know when their parents practice the technique of watching them grow up rather than raising them. But generally I expect children who haven't made it past the toddler years to be hostile toward restraint, to have limited control over their instant gratification needs which combined with the attention span of a ferret can be aggravating to those around them if they aren't reigned in relatively quickly and often.

I had one kid who for about 2 years we couldn't take anywhere for more than a few minutes, she was sensitive to noise and lights and textures.. drove me bonkers and I had this notion that other people shouldn't be forced to be driven bonkers by her along with me. We avoided anything that involved waiting on line with her until she was 3.. when her love of books evolved to the point where she could be handed a book to keep her busy for at least 30 minutes or so. Of course then we got dirty looks because people would tell her if she was old enough to read a book she was old enough to give up her pacifier.. and if she wasn't entirely engrossed in her book she would pluck out the bo-bo and say "mind your business please". (At least she said please)

Contrary to how it sounds she didn't keep a pacifier for life, didn't need braces, and ended up being polite enough that people often complimented us on her great manners... but from about 18 months to about 4 years old... she was just insane. I'm sure we would have been judged in wal mart as well.. except we didn't have a walmart in NYC... so we got judged on buses and in grocery stores...

 

[Desk trauma]

Whenever I see a thread such as this one bemoaning the failure of the most recent generation of young people I always recall how Greek philosophers spoke of the failings of the youth in their time, more then 2,500 years ago. Every generation looks down on the youth of their day saying they are the downfall of the world with new fangled things stealing their virtue and potential, this goes as far back as Socrates saying that writing will be our downfall as it weakens the mind thru lack of memorization.

Children grow up and the world some how survives each passing generation until the youth of today growing up to look down on and bemoan the failure of the youth of tomorrow.