I thought I'd seen it all---

[Donald Duck888]

This is crazy stuff. I would be mortified if my daughter (now 9) ever did any of the rings I have read about here. Some people only care about themselves and could care less how what they allow their kids to do affects others. It's a sad symptom of where things seem to be going in society lately.

 

[powellrj]

I am so glad that Indiana still has a law that doesn't allow people under 21 in bars. While I feel bad that older kids can't go out to eat with parents because I would love to take my DD out with us because she is 19, but it does keep misbehaving kids out. I keep seeing posts where people want to bring toddlers to bars and I always think why? There are plenty of restaurants that kids would love, why would you take them to a bar where they will be bored?

Another thing I hate is when people say you have to take kids out to eat so they learn to behave. No, you teach them how to behave at home and then they know how to behave when they go out. We always ate at the table, where you stayed in your seat, kept your hands to yourself, used inside voices and good manners. If you learned to do this at home, you can take your kids to a restaurant. You also can't take a child out when they are tired. If they are tired, get carry-out and take it back with you. It really isn't the rocket science people seen to make it out to be.

 

[North of Mouse]

Another thing I hate is when people say you have to take kids out to eat so they learn to behave. No, you teach them how to behave at home and then they know how to behave when they go out. We always ate at the table, where you stayed in your seat, kept your hands to yourself, used inside voices and good manners. If you learned to do this at home, you can take your kids to a restaurant.

 

[rg35]

Part of the problem is when those of us who know this behavior is wrong bite our tounges.

I know nobody wants to get into an argument on vacation...but there is a saying "it takes a village" and there are some instances where people need to be told about themselves.

 

[SillySallySews]

Another thing I hate is when people say you have to take kids out to eat so they learn to behave. No, you teach them how to behave at home and then they know how to behave when they go out. We always ate at the table, where you stayed in your seat, kept your hands to yourself, used inside voices and good manners. If you learned to do this at home, you can take your kids to a restaurant. You also can't take a child out when they are tired. If they are tired, get carry-out and take it back with you. It really isn't the rocket science people seen to make it out to be.

Parents should also be parents when their kids forget all the manners they've been taught, because it does happen. I know some kids who are angels at home and little demons in public. I've gone out to lunch or for coffee with friends, their kids start misbehaving, and they just sit there talking to me about how well behaved they are at home. I know, I've seen them at home. But I also see those kids getting disciplined at home when they are out of line, and in public mom or dad just sit there giving out useless warnings and making empty threats. Kids are smart and will figure out what they can get away with and when. Kind of like when you take them to Grandma's house and they just know they are going to get away with certain stuff that would never fly at home.

 

[tcufrog]

When your kids refuse to behave in a restaurant you take them out of it. It's that simple. My 5 year old is going through a temper tantrum phase and yesterday he decided to throw one in a restaurant. When he refused to calm down I grabbed him (not easy because he's tall for his age) and took him out to the car while my nine year old politely stayed there and ate. Once the 5 year old calmed down I took him back inside and had him apologize to his brother for his rudeness and bad behavior.

 

[Merx]

Must be a relative of the woman at The Plaza that took out her electric shaver and shaved her legs at the table while we were dining.

Disney Resort are expensive. A lady need some place where she can shave her legs

 

[DisneyWishes14]

My DS has special needs and we have worked with a behaviorist for 4 years. There is absolutely no way on this green earth that I would ever let him behave like that in a restaurant (or anywhere else for that matter). To his credit, he KNOWS he is not allowed to behave like that and now even shakes his head or looks at me in shock if we witness another child behaving like this. I had to take him out of a restaurant once (Citrico's), when he was younger. He really wanted to sit in a Mickey high chair but he wasn't going to fit and we tried to put him on a regular chair. A fit ensued and within 10 seconds I picked him up and took him out and had room service in the room. There was no way I was subjecting other people to that while they were trying to enjoy a meal. It never, ever happened again.

I too have witnessed the parent on the cell phone completely ignoring their child phenomenon. It's unbelievable. Aside from restaurant behavior, the worst thing I've seen at WDW was at the Poly pool. DS (who was 7 at the time) and I went to the pool one morning and he befriended two brothers, one of whom was about his age, the other, no more than 5 years old. The younger one kept jumping in front of the slide and the lifeguard kept blowing his whistle, asking him to please stay away from the slide exit. The kid wouldn't stop. The lifeguard then looked at me because I happened to be sitting along the side of the pool watching MY child (the pool was pretty empty at the time). I said to him, the jumping child wasn't mine. It was then we both realized the parents of these two brothers were NOT at the pool! The boy finally stopped jumping and then mom sauntered in about 30 minutes later. I was shocked. No matter how strong of a swimmer a child is, I could not imagine allowing a 5 and 7 year to go to a pool by themselves and just assume the lifeguards would babysit. I heard that Poly starting disallowing children under 12 to enter the pool area without an adult a few weeks after we were there (I'm not sure if they are still enforcing this), but I couldn't believe they actually had to ENFORCE this. I'm all for fostering independence in a child, but at a pool?

 

[IndyRnRfan]

Part of the problem is when those of us who know this behavior is wrong bite our tounges.

I know nobody wants to get into an argument on vacation...but there is a saying "it takes a village" and there are some instances where people need to be told about themselves.

Glad I'm not one of those. I will and have said something before. It amazes me how oblivious some people can be. From my experience, once you call them out, the misbehavior stops.

 

[Steffiesunshine]

I vowed long before I had kids I would not be one of "those parents." I'm related to one and after a few ruined meals, my husband and I refused to eat out with them.

There was a "kids behaving badly" thread over on the resort side of the board a few years ago. One poster insisted that no one ever had the right to take someone else's child to task. I related a time when I was eating lunch at the Poly with my daughters (3 and 4 at the time) and two kids were running about screaming, chasing the ducks, and crashing into our table. Mom was on her cell phone completely ignoring them. I finally told the kids they needed to stop because we were trying eat. Mom marched right over and told the kids to get away from the mean lady. This other poster reiterated I had no right to correct someone else's kids. Sorry, but if the parent has decided to take a vacation from parenting, I'm stepping in if he/she isn't.

That's ridiculous! When they physically contact me, my kids seats or table, you certainly can say something. That's like when a child is kicking my seat, or my daughters seat in a theater. I always turn around and say, "Please don't kick the seat". Mom/Dad are sitting right there and if they don't say something, I will.

 

[serenitynow]

I had to stop being friends with a good friend from college over the behavior of her children. Mine were a little older, but I could not tolerate her lack of discipline because it made a bad impression on my kids and drove me nuts. I tried many different ways to talk to her about it to no avail. She claimed her little monsters were just "free thinking" and "curious about their world". She didn't want to "crush their spirits". I told her children need limits, boundaries and rules for their own good and that by allowing them to run wild she was not doing them any favors in the long run.

After many embarrassing public scenes involving her children, I told her I couldn't stand being around her badly behaved free range children.

Finally we had both had enough, she told me to worry about raising my own children and I told her that I no longer wanted a friendship with someone whose children behaved so badly, both in my home and the world at large. That was about 10 years ago. I've heard through mutual acquaintances that she is homeschooling her little monsters because the school system just isn't set up for her "free spirited, seeking children".

The sad part is that they were such sweet babies and had so much potential. The sadder part is that I still miss the friendship we shared before we became parents.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Pictures please

 

[MommytoaPrince]

Must be a relative of the woman at The Plaza that took out her electric shaver and shaved her legs at the table while we were dining.

Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?!?!

The main things that we try to instill in our children are manners and respect. I could never, ever imagine people letting their children behave like some of the things listed in this thread! I have an 8 and a 4 year old so I can sympathize because I do know little ones can act out sometimes but that is when the parent steps in to make sure your teaching them that this is unacceptable behavior and then removing them so that they do not disturb other diners.

I am an elementary school teacher so I can honestly say that I have seen and heard things that have me so concerned for the current generation and the ones to come! I had a parent recently tell me that their child has been taught since they were little that the only people their children have to listen to/obey is the parents. They don't want their children to be confused on who they have to answer to so they tell teach them they do not have to obey any adults. And trust me...this child has already mastered this and has no respect for anyone in authority!

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

There was a "kids behaving badly" thread over on the resort side of the board a few years ago. One poster insisted that no one ever had the right to take someone else's child to task. I related a time when I was eating lunch at the Poly with my daughters (3 and 4 at the time) and two kids were running about screaming, chasing the ducks, and crashing into our table. Mom was on her cell phone completely ignoring them. I finally told the kids they needed to stop because we were trying eat. Mom marched right over and told the kids to get away from the mean lady. This other poster reiterated I had no right to correct someone else's kids. Sorry, but if the parent has decided to take a vacation from parenting, I'm stepping in if he/she isn't.

My aunt relayed a story about how some young kids were running/jumping/generally misbehaving near the edge of a cliff area at the Grand Canyon. The parents were ignoring the kids, so my aunt told them to stop. I certainly think that others do have the right, and even the duty, to take others' kids to task when the parents aren't parenting, especially when safety is involved (whether kids are running toward a cliff or walking on table tops at Disney World).

 

[Ava]

Another thing I hate is when people say you have to take kids out to eat so they learn to behave. No, you teach them how to behave at home and then they know how to behave when they go out. We always ate at the table, where you stayed in your seat, kept your hands to yourself, used inside voices and good manners. If you learned to do this at home, you can take your kids to a restaurant. You also can't take a child out when they are tired. If they are tired, get carry-out and take it back with you. It really isn't the rocket science people seen to make it out to be.

This is so true. If children are never taught or expected to have proper table manners at home, they will not know how to behave in a restaurant. Just today we took our 3-year-old out to lunch while her older sister was at a birthday party, and she behaved very well. Then at dinner at home she was sticking her hands into her bowl and making a mess. She got a warning, and when she kept doing it she got taken down from the table. She cried, and we asked her if she wanted one more chance to sit and eat her dinner properly with her spoon. She said yes, and after that she sat and ate nicely. If she'd done that out in public we'd have done the same thing.

I'm also thinking of my own 7-year-old. If she ever tried to run around or act up in a restaurant it'd be a LONG time before she ever saw the inside of one again, and she knows that.

 

[Disney Khaleesi]

I have very little tolerance for children at restaurants because I was never allowed to act that way in public when I was younger. My dad would always remove me from the restaurant if he felt I was being disruptive to his meal or other guests. Poor behavior was never tolerated and I hate it when children are allowed to run around at restaurants or screech constantly. I understand that kids will be kids, but there's also a limit.

 

[momtotaryn]

WOW. Just WOW. Some of the behaviors described in this thread is just shocking to me. I've come across misbehaving kids in public before, but I don't think anything to the extreme that's been posted here. And that lady shaving her legs at The Plaza? OMG, I would be horrified!

 

[goofymom/pop]

Omg I cannot imagine....shaving Ina restaurant, children on tables....egads....my daughter would bop my grandson for even yelling in a dining area and quickly remove him until he apologized. People! The entitled generation is still going strong. They think the world revolves around them. It's so sad.


And I thought it was bad when the guy sitting next to me at the airport starting flossing his teeth....ugh!

 

[L&Lfan]

I am so glad that Indiana still has a law that doesn't allow people under 21 in bars. While I feel bad that older kids can't go out to eat with parents because I would love to take my DD out with us because she is 19, but it does keep misbehaving kids out. I keep seeing posts where people want to bring toddlers to bars and I always think why? There are plenty of restaurants that kids would love, why would you take them to a bar where they will be bored?

Another thing I hate is when people say you have to take kids out to eat so they learn to behave. No, you teach them how to behave at home and then they know how to behave when they go out. We always ate at the table, where you stayed in your seat, kept your hands to yourself, used inside voices and good manners. If you learned to do this at home, you can take your kids to a restaurant. You also can't take a child out when they are tired. If they are tired, get carry-out and take it back with you. It really isn't the rocket science people seen to make it out to be.

I wish Florida state law kept minors out of WDW bars and lounges. I'd be all for it. We were at the Belle Vue Lounge at the Boardwalk Inn enjoying a pre-dinner beverage. Scenario: two kids running around, laughing/screaming and touching the stuff on the walls while the parents sipped their cocktails. They said absolutely nothing to them. Totally ruined our pre-dinner plans.

 

[loves to dive]

You would think a CM would have said something to the parents of the kids on the table, that has be against some safety code. I have said something to other people's kids, especially in lines when they are pushing or shoving. I never allowed my son to do that, if he misbehaved in a restaurant first we took a trip to the bathroom and if that didn't work, we were out of there. Once when we has about 4 he stood up from the table at a restaurant and put himself in the corner. My Mom and I just sort of looked at each other and asked if either one of us had seen him do something wrong. We hadn't so I got up and went over and asked him what he was doing. He said he felt sure he had the urge to be naughty and was being pro-active. He didn't say pro-active, I can't remember his exact words. I thanked him for his forward thinking but told him he didn't have to punish himself for his possible future acts. I can tell you it was very hard to keep a straight face on that one, he came back to the table and was a little gentleman the whole meal so maybe that pro-active punishment got it out of his system. By the way, I never put him in the corner in a public place, that was a punishment he got at home which was the most effective since he was an only child and I was a single mom so being apart from me, even if for 10 minutes and having to actually stand still was the worst thing he could imagine.