OT - Story: My child hating reputation

I was one of 6 kids. I don't know how old I was when I first went to Olly's
restaurant, but my older brother and I were still in high chairs. We also
behaved in church, and traveling, and other cultural activities. With 6
kids, that was the only option.

Tina


"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
When DD was a baby, she had to prove her behavior at Macdonald's and
the
like before going to anyplace better. snip... ballet would have been
just
fine for these kids had they been a couple of
years older, and if the parents had picked an afternoon matinee of "The
Nutcracker."

I think it depends on the CHILD and the PARENT~~~~
My parents took me to some famous restaurant in New Orleans - (can't think
of
the name now) when I was about four years old....
the people at the next table were giving my parent's the evil eye when the
waitress seated us next to them. (oh god - a KID!.. you know the look).
As the elderly couple left from their meal - the man walked over and
handed my
mother a silver dollar and said "this is for the young lady, she's the
most
well behaved child we ever saw."

I also went to the theatre, and ballet as a very young child. Dressed to
the
nine's - black patents, velvet dresses and white gloves... and I knew how
to
sit properly like a lady - and WATCH...
course - I loved it...
which would explain why I danced ballet as a child - and did theatre all
up
through my college days! LOL

I also hate kids who KICK THE BACK OF A SEAT! generally my response is
to
turn to the parent and say sweetly "would you like to exchange seats with
me -
so I can sit and kick the back of your kid's seat?.... G

unfortunately -even ADULTS do that one some time - last week we went to
"Lord
of the Dance" and my friend complained that the lady behind her kept
kicking
the seat......
she finally gave the woman the evil eye - and she quit...



Cheryl
DRAGON BEADS
Flameworked beads and glass
http://www.dragonbeads.com/

It sounds like the parents were lazy.

However, I also have been on flights coming home to Alaska, where the family
(often military) has been Outside visiting family and they have been in
transit for 12 hours or more. By the time they're on the final leg, the
kids are either exhausted and asleep finally, or exhausted and unable to
sleep and extremely uncomfortable (as well as the parents). The airlines
try to avoid serving meals, and the lay-overs are often too short to rest or
even eat.

I've often traveled to Calif, getting up at 5 AM for the 8 AM flight,
changing planes twice, and arriving at the Oakland airport at 7 PM, and
having been only several bags of peanuts and a 3 or 4 inch sandwich.

Tina


"vj" wrote in message
...
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from
(Lee S. Billings) :

]Screaming kids (especially *very* young kids) on a plane are a pain, but
I'll
]cut 'em a little slack during the periods of ascent and descent.

oh, i would too. but it went on for 4.5 HOURS.
with both parents sitting right there beside him.


-----------
@vicki [SnuggleWench]
(Books) http://www.booksnbytes.com
newest creations: http://www.vickijean.com/new.html
-----------
I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America,
and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples,
promising liberty and justice for all.

Funny. It's the opposite for me. I never would have done anything like
that when I was young. But now I'm willing to say what needs to be said.

I do remember the time there were people talking loudly behind me in a movie
theatre. After dirty looks, etc, I finally turned around and asked them to
talk a little louder because there were parts of their conversations I
couldn't hear. It worked, by the way.

Tina


"Kathy N-V" wrote in message
.com...
On Tue, 11 May 2004 15:44:23 -0400, Lori Greenberg wrote
(in message k.net):


I gotta give you credit. I wouldn't have had the guts to do anything
about
it...well, maybe not in the fashion you did and I'm surprised that
the
people around you didn't stand up and applaud you.

I had a lot less tolerance in those days, and a lot less self control.
This
happened when I was no older than twenty. BTW, I got a lot of grateful
smiles from the other patrons, but we were all so frazzled from the
plinking
I think that we really weren't going to stand for any additional noise.

I'm so mellow now, I'm practically comatose. (I'd best not say that
around
the family, because they'd probably choke from laughter.)

Kathy N-V

I agree with all your tips. And I also agree that many of them have extra
costs that may not be in the budget of the young family. And of course most
people are not semi-professional travelers.

But I really think that all these preparations only minimize the problem.
Ten or 15 or more hours of flight and confinement is way over the top for
most quite young children, especially those who have never been to school.
And often their parents are also exhausted too.

I can't remember my kids ever having been bad travelers. Not all kids are.
(Eg, my granddaughter can NOT sit still!) Usually parents can work together
with their children so that there is not a lot of disruption, but sometimes
the parents are conscientiously doing the best they can.

I just don't like hearing that it's bad to travel with children because they
might be disruptive, and/or that if the children are disruptive they have
bad parents.

Tina
"Kathy N-V" wrote in message
.com...
On Wed, 12 May 2004 17:08:51 -0400, Christina Peterson wrote
(in message ):

However, I also have been on flights coming home to Alaska, where the
family
(often military) has been Outside visiting family and they have been in
transit for 12 hours or more. By the time they're on the final leg, the
kids are either exhausted and asleep finally, or exhausted and unable to
sleep and extremely uncomfortable (as well as the parents). The
airlines
try to avoid serving meals, and the lay-overs are often too short to
rest or
even eat.

Are these parents totally inexperienced? To this day, I always carry food
when we go on plane trips, because even if food is served on a flight, the
odds that it's something my child will eat are slim. I carry a liter
bottle
of water for myself, so I don't end up dehydrated. A kid is allowed a
carry
on, so we always used DD's carry on for her food and entertainment needs,
as
well as a change of clothing, Just in Case.

Don't these parents consult with their kids' pediatricians before flying?
DD's pediatrician practically ordered me to give her some liquid benedryl
before boarding the flight, so she would sleep. He also had us try it on
her
beforehand, in case she had an atypical reaction and got wired from
Benedryl,
instead of sleepy. Bob got Benedryl as well, because he is NOT a good
flyer.

My favorite in-flight toy for DD when she was small was a roll of tape,
which
was a forbidden object at home. She'd roll out big lengths of it, and
stick
tape all over the tray table. It was quiet, neat, and kept her busy.
When
the flight was over, I'd gather the tape into a ball and toss it into the
trash on the way out. A piece of string in my pocket was also great for
impromptu games of cat's cradle. Of course, I have a million stories
tucked
away in my head for when everything else fails.

When she was older, I bought a bunch of those tiny classic games on
keychains: an Etch a Sketch, Boggle, things like that, and an egg full of
Silly Putty. Those things are also quiet and kept her occupied. She has
a
Game Boy and a Walkman with plenty of books on tape. DD will usually bring
a
book or two - things that are easy to pick up and put down. The Guiness
Book
of World Records was a recent travel book.

To make sure I behave, I always buy myself a silly "bodice ripper" or
Patricia Cornwell novel for the flight. I read very quickly, and usually
finish well before we land. I leave the novel in the seat pocket for the
next bored passenger.

I've often traveled to Calif, getting up at 5 AM for the 8 AM flight,
changing planes twice, and arriving at the Oakland airport at 7 PM, and
having been only several bags of peanuts and a 3 or 4 inch sandwich.

BTDT. I've found that Lunchables (a prepackaged crackers and cheese kind
of
thing marketed to children) are good for those kinds of flights. They
don't
require refrigeration for 24 hours or more, are very lightweight, and
taste
better than most airline "food." The turkey and cheese isn't half bad.
The
breakfaast ones and the pizza are totally disgusting and messy. Dried
fruit
is also light, filling and will keep you going on those flights that last
forever.

If I have time before the flight, I order a low calorie meal or a fruit
plate. The odds of the airline getting it right are about 50/50, but if
they
remember it, the quality is usually far better than most of the meals they
serve.

Flying with kids isn't that bad, but you have to be prepared. A tired,
hungry
child getting dragged all over and bumped with carry-on items is going to
misbehave, I guarantee it. If you keep the baggage to a minimum, it's a
whole lot easier. When I travel with DD, I either check everything
possible
or send the bags ahead. It's not that expensive, but it does take time.
Once I decided that she was growing too quickly for either strategy, and I
bought her a new basic wardrobe in Vienna. (Not an option for everyone, I
know. Still, the clothing I bought turned out to cost just about what I
would have paid at home)

We've shipped our dirty clothing home via the cheapest postage rate, and
only
hand carried my meds and the things we needed for the flight. The clothes
arrived a month later, still dirty, but it was a whole lot easier than
trying
to manage a child, her car seat, a flight and luggage all by myself. We've
always bought DD a seat, even when she was young enough to go on my lap.
Overseas flights are just too long to have no space for your kid. We
brought
her car seat on the flight, and she slept almost the entire time.

Kathy N-V

I always bring food on board, especially if I'm travelling with the
kids. Most parents of young kids know not to leave the house without
some carrot sticks and graham crackers,and a bottle of water!

-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com
http://www.snipurl.com/kebay


Christina Peterson wrote:
It sounds like the parents were lazy.

However, I also have been on flights coming home to Alaska, where the family
(often military) has been Outside visiting family and they have been in
transit for 12 hours or more. By the time they're on the final leg, the
kids are either exhausted and asleep finally, or exhausted and unable to
sleep and extremely uncomfortable (as well as the parents). The airlines
try to avoid serving meals, and the lay-overs are often too short to rest or
even eat.

I've often traveled to Calif, getting up at 5 AM for the 8 AM flight,
changing planes twice, and arriving at the Oakland airport at 7 PM, and
having been only several bags of peanuts and a 3 or 4 inch sandwich.

Tina


"vj" wrote in message
...

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from
(Lee S. Billings) :

]Screaming kids (especially *very* young kids) on a plane are a pain, but

I'll

]cut 'em a little slack during the periods of ascent and descent.

oh, i would too. but it went on for 4.5 HOURS.
with both parents sitting right there beside him.


-----------
@vicki [SnuggleWench]
(Books) http://www.booksnbytes.com
newest creations: http://www.vickijean.com/new.html
-----------
I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America,
and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples,
promising liberty and justice for all.

I LOVE that story!
~~
Sooz
-------
"Those in the cheaper seats clap. The rest of you rattle your jewelry." John
Lennon (1940 - 1980) Royal Varieties Performance
~ Dr. Sooz's Bead Links
http://airandearth.netfirms.com/soozlinkslist.html

One of the things I really despise about our current culture is that we
have
completely discarded the notion that there is ANY venue which is
inappropriate
for children. What do these kids have to look forward to as they grow up?

Yup.

In Vegas, we went to a Cirque de Soleil show called "Mystere". CdS is pretty
overwhelming and intense, though beautiful. I was annoyed to see that people
showed up late for the show -- which includes performers *in* the audience.
Showing up late is kind of like jumping onstage. Really rude.

There was a tiny little girl there with her parents -- and in the 2nd row! She
started to wail about 5 minutes into the show. Really scream. Her daddy had
to carry her out of the theater -- winding his way among performers who were
doing things that required no distraction in order to keep the players safe!
It was madness.

The stupid thing -- after that, he came BACK IN with the child. More
screaming. Out again. Back in. Out again. I thought the ushers -- who have
a more-difficult job than most theater ushers do -- were going to have a
stroke. Finally he came back in and sat way back in the theater, up in the
back rows.

What the hell were those parents thinking? And if his daughter was going to
scream repeatedly, why didn't he stay out of the theater? (There were dozens
of things to do out there -- it wasn't simply a theater lobby, but stores, ice
cream fountain, casino lights, lots of entertaining stuff.) Sure, the poor,
poor guy had paid around $100 for his ticket. (And his daughter's.) But so
had WE. Everyone in the theater had paid at least $100 per ticket. Not only
that, but the slightest misstep in a performance could mean death to the
performer.

This tiny child was way too young to be there, period. Even
Kevin-The-Generous-Soul and Child-Adorer was miffed. It was just plain dumb.
~~
Sooz
-------
"Those in the cheaper seats clap. The rest of you rattle your jewelry." John
Lennon (1940 - 1980) Royal Varieties Performance
~ Dr. Sooz's Bead Links
http://airandearth.netfirms.com/soozlinkslist.html

You can say that again.

I have no problem with children in public. As long as they are as well-behaved
as I was when I was little.

I am the oldest of 10 children, and we were always expected to be on the
very best behavior in public. My parents explained that most people
expected the children in a large family to be poor, dirty and
ill-behaved.

We *didn't* have money, but they did teach us self-respect and pride.
Plus, if we dared to misbehave in *any* manner in public, when we got
home, we got one punishment for what ever we had done, and a second for
doing it in public.

Once, when I was about 18, we saved up enough to take the entire family
out to dinner at an inexpensive resturant - we had never all been out
together. When we went to pay, there was no bill. Some other guest at
the resturant was so impressed with our behavior - even the youngest who
was only about 4, that he had paid our entire bill.

I have never forgotten that. When I am in a public place and there is a
family with well behaved children, I make a point to complement the
parents. I got a good laugh one time, as I walked away, I heard the Mom
tell her kids "see - I told you people notice!"

Ellen


~~
Sooz
-------
"Those in the cheaper seats clap. The rest of you rattle your jewelry." John
Lennon (1940 - 1980) Royal Varieties Performance
~ Dr. Sooz's Bead Links
http://airandearth.netfirms.com/soozlinkslist.html

ROFL, I do that for my big kids AND for Mike! For extended-day roadtrips we
always pack sandwiches and fruit. The kids know now that the ONLY reason we
pull into a McDonald's (or other food place) is to use the bathrooms and
maybe get more water. They don't even try to beg for fries anymore.

KarenK

"Kalera Stratton" wrote in message
...
I always bring food on board, especially if I'm travelling with the
kids. Most parents of young kids know not to leave the house without
some carrot sticks and graham crackers,and a bottle of water!

-Kalera
http://www.beadwife.com
http://www.snipurl.com/kebay


Christina Peterson wrote:
It sounds like the parents were lazy.

However, I also have been on flights coming home to Alaska, where the
family
(often military) has been Outside visiting family and they have been in
transit for 12 hours or more. By the time they're on the final leg, the
kids are either exhausted and asleep finally, or exhausted and unable to
sleep and extremely uncomfortable (as well as the parents). The
airlines
try to avoid serving meals, and the lay-overs are often too short to
rest or
even eat.

I've often traveled to Calif, getting up at 5 AM for the 8 AM flight,
changing planes twice, and arriving at the Oakland airport at 7 PM, and
having been only several bags of peanuts and a 3 or 4 inch sandwich.

Tina


"vj" wrote in message
...

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from
(Lee S. Billings) :

]Screaming kids (especially *very* young kids) on a plane are a pain,
but

I'll

]cut 'em a little slack during the periods of ascent and descent.

oh, i would too. but it went on for 4.5 HOURS.
with both parents sitting right there beside him.


-----------
@vicki [SnuggleWench]
(Books) http://www.booksnbytes.com
newest creations: http://www.vickijean.com/new.html
-----------
I pledge allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America,
and to the republic which it established, one nation from many peoples,
promising liberty and justice for all.

Oddly, it seems like many other parents don't see the point
of doing this, and take their small children to fancy restaurants, where
the little tkes feel free to rampage. How sweet!

Yeah -- and the parents let the kids run AROUND all over the place. I
understand, of course I do! Let the restaurant babysit the kids while mommy
and daddy have a nice dinner! :-P I want to kill the little ****ers. I mean
cheeldren.

I once grabbed a kid's arm who was racing around and around a restaurant. I
said, "Cut it OUT." (The kid quit.) My (ex)husband went pale, and said never
to touch someone else's kid -- you can get sued. I didn't care because I'd
recognized his mom --- someone I'd gone to high school with 20 years earlier.
She could kiss my sweet Ukrainian ass.
~~
Sooz
-------
"Those in the cheaper seats clap. The rest of you rattle your jewelry." John
Lennon (1940 - 1980) Royal Varieties Performance
~ Dr. Sooz's Bead Links
http://airandearth.netfirms.com/soozlinkslist.html