- Mar 14, 2011
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Quote:
My children did (and do) have to learn how to behave in public.
They understand there are times in public in which they are expected to behave like ladies and gentlemen. If we are out to eat and there is a tablecloth - that behavior is REQUIRED from them. They can't behave appropriately, one of us parents will excuse the child and ourself, go outside and wait for the rest of the family who can behave to finish a meal, then go home. But they also don't get the priviledge of going out to a nice place until we know they CAN behave in a reasonable manner.
Which means while at McD's, there is a ball pit and they may run around like monkeys, they must first sit politely at the table, eat their meal without being disgusting (I have boys, does that say enough), and then they may be excused by an adult to go calmly to the play area, and they can play as children will do. You can't control yourself enough to behave to eat without bothering adults, you have not earned the priviledge to go play in the ball pit. Yes, all the kids have had to sit at the table while siblings played. If I had a penny everytime I've been called mean/meanie, I'd never have to work again.
We start with sitting for a meal at home, then to McD's, then to Pizza Hut, so on, so forth. My 3 y/o does not always have the patience to sit thru a full dinner at Olive Garden, however if she brings QUIET toys, she can sit next to me and be a child than no one outside the waiter or our family will know is there. I also know that OG is too much for her, and prepare ahead of time.
Because I choose to have the children, that means I in turn also must deal with the various obnoxious behaviors that children learn to not do. However, that does not mean I need to subject mass society to proof that my children can be vile, obnoxious hellions.
The sad part? 3 of the boys were being idiots in public at Walmart. I very calmly asked them "Boys, is this how gentlemen behave in public?" and right away, they all stopped and shaped up. They weren't being horrible, but I know them, and I knew the next step was shrieking and pushing siblings and wrestling. Someone fluffed up and got furious that I expected my babies to act like gentlemen, boys should just be boys.
Yes, they can be boys, and wrestle, and shove each other into mud, and climb trees, and other generally stupid things boys do - but NOT in public when the rest of the world is exposed to them!
More so, teaching a child decent manners is hardly anything offensive.
My children did (and do) have to learn how to behave in public.
They understand there are times in public in which they are expected to behave like ladies and gentlemen. If we are out to eat and there is a tablecloth - that behavior is REQUIRED from them. They can't behave appropriately, one of us parents will excuse the child and ourself, go outside and wait for the rest of the family who can behave to finish a meal, then go home. But they also don't get the priviledge of going out to a nice place until we know they CAN behave in a reasonable manner.
Which means while at McD's, there is a ball pit and they may run around like monkeys, they must first sit politely at the table, eat their meal without being disgusting (I have boys, does that say enough), and then they may be excused by an adult to go calmly to the play area, and they can play as children will do. You can't control yourself enough to behave to eat without bothering adults, you have not earned the priviledge to go play in the ball pit. Yes, all the kids have had to sit at the table while siblings played. If I had a penny everytime I've been called mean/meanie, I'd never have to work again.
We start with sitting for a meal at home, then to McD's, then to Pizza Hut, so on, so forth. My 3 y/o does not always have the patience to sit thru a full dinner at Olive Garden, however if she brings QUIET toys, she can sit next to me and be a child than no one outside the waiter or our family will know is there. I also know that OG is too much for her, and prepare ahead of time.
Because I choose to have the children, that means I in turn also must deal with the various obnoxious behaviors that children learn to not do. However, that does not mean I need to subject mass society to proof that my children can be vile, obnoxious hellions.
The sad part? 3 of the boys were being idiots in public at Walmart. I very calmly asked them "Boys, is this how gentlemen behave in public?" and right away, they all stopped and shaped up. They weren't being horrible, but I know them, and I knew the next step was shrieking and pushing siblings and wrestling. Someone fluffed up and got furious that I expected my babies to act like gentlemen, boys should just be boys.
More so, teaching a child decent manners is hardly anything offensive.
