Parents of children, why do you allow your children to misbehave in public?

I'm no parent, but I can tell you this. That your statement is a generalization. Also, there are some parents who need to have their children sat on, better punishment, and not thinking that every bratty little thing their kids do is cute.

You need to realize that parenting is hard. Especially if it is a small child. In most cases, we're damned if we do, and damned if we don't. If we raise our voice or punish our kids in public, we're bad parents, and we have to worry if someone called the CPS...then if we don't people think we're bad parents cause we aren't doing much. Personally, I have 3 children under 4. Grocery shopping with them is a nightmare. They cry and scream for any little thing they want, and I ignore them, and tell them that when they can ask nicely, I might get it for them, but until then, no. We are also on a tight budget, so most of the time, I only have enough money to buy what we need, and cannot afford $5 juices, or candies. After a while, they stop crying, but in the mean time, I get nasty looks. And I also get nasty looks when I've had it, and raise my voice to them.

my child is still a baby, 9 mos.

First, I DONT take him out to eat in restaurants, because chances are he will fuss and cause disruptions for other people trying to enjoy their meal. I get my sister who lives nearby to come and watch him.

Second, if I am out shopping and he starts to cry I immediately leave. Unless I am grocery shopping or something and it's just inconvenient... which is why I go in the morning when the store is least crowded, and I feed him before so hopefully he sleeps while we're there!

It's all in the planning, if you plan ahead, chances are you won't have problems in public.

As for when he is older, I will not tollerate screaming in stores or restaurants, I'll take him outside. I guess some parents are overwhelmed, don't know what to do, or plainly just don't care if their children make a scene in public.

I don't allow them to misbehave in public. If ever there was a tantrum, we leave the store immediately. I do expect good behavior when I go out for important errands and I always prepare them. I give them something to occupy themselves or snack on. I refuse to take them shopping if they are tired, hungry or bored. I would never expect my boys to sit in a hard cart while I browse for clothing or shoes that won't ever happen.

Kids need to be outside, in the park, having fun not shopping with parents for long hours especially little ones.

This is a big pet peeve with me as well. I see parents out with their children and the children are not being minded and are allowed to do whatever they want, including terrorizing other shoppers and the store itself.

I think those people should be made to leave at times like that.

I've always said that some people should never be parents.

My children have always been taught to behave in a store and they most always have. They certainly were never let to roam free and grab at everything and run down the aisles screaming.

I don't understand why some parents do this.

No one likes to hear a child cry in the store or the mall or a restaurant. Parents most of all. But life happens, and at least in my area if you react to a misbehaving child someone will accuse you of abuse...even if you just speak sharply!! My kids loved to go look at the toys even if I told them I had no money to buy anything for them on that shopping trip. Then of course came the begging that they promised they wouldn't do....then of course came the tears. UGH! Then I would proceed to the checkout with at least one child in tears...what an evil mother I am. I was honest, I let them look and then as if I wasn't stressed enough I had to deal with the nasty looks and abuse from perfect impatient mothers like you. I am glad that your children are perfect and firmly under your thumb. I wonder what they will be like when they are 17 and old enough to "give that nasty look" back to you.

I usually will leave and get outside and deal with it...

but there are moments when you can`t just leave....and if you leave the store how are you going to finish the shopping.

I know that things go much worse when I am not organised. If i absolutely have to go shopping now or there is nothing for dinner...or I don`t think ahead and realise we are going past a display or store that will cause troubles. Then I get stressed, my child acts up and all goes pear shaped.

Or of course there is the case when you are forced by circumstance to wait and cannot leave. I well rememberan afternoon in the immigration office. We can`t leave, and I have an exhausted, bored child on my hands. She tried to run off when my number finally got called. I thrust my paperwork at the clerks and ran after her and tackled her......biggest tantrum ever. I have to go back to the desk with a SCREAMING writhing child - no other choice.

If i feel in control of what is going on, then usually misbehaviour just doesn`t happen. If my daughter acts up I can deal with it calmly and firmly.

I am usually one of the strictest parents around in actual fact.....and have been complimented on how I will quickly pull my daughter up on something.

Shopping must be done. Yeah those buggies are horrible. But no matter what route you take Somebody is not going to be happy. Let them wander around, somebodys pissy about that, never mind mom stays in a panic about wheres the kid wandered off to now. Use one of those kiddie leashes somebody else gets pissy that you treat them like an animal. And now apparently you cant just put them in the buggies now or yet someone else gets pissed. Doesn't matter what ya do Somebody is not going to like it. So the quickest way when its just shopping that needs done?

You said yourself the buggy is uncomfortable to sit in, and discipline does NOT include punishment or nasty looks for things that are rightfully not liked by the child.

Wow, this is really judgemental. Unless you know what that parent has been through all day, you should not judge them based on their child's behavior in a store. I'm a parent of 2 children. They are usually well-behaved, but everybody has bad days. Sometimes the only thing you can do when your child is screaming or crying is ignore it. I will say, though, that when my children throw monster fits, I will leave the store, even if that means leaving a full cart sitting in the aisle. A child throwing a tantrum is not indicative of whether a parent is "good" or "bad".

-- Just a note: anyone who says their children never misbehave in public is lying! :) ---

I tend to agree with you.....I have 5 kids and my kids know how to behave in the stores. What gets me is when you are in the store and kids are unsupervised and grabbing at things and running and screaming through the store. You don't know how many times I see kids and wonder, Where are their parents??? But on the other side, sometimes parents do try to calm their children when they are crying but kids sometimes have a mind of their own.

I think ur question is rude because it seems to target ALL parents are this way..my children are well behaved...I have seen this happen and yes,,,it does tick me off to see a grown up acting worst than a kid..

The adults seem more intrested in what they want or how they look,,,these are the ones who do not need kids-when an adult is worried about how they look and not the children,,they SHOULD be reported,,or fixed!!!

-sometimes it depends on how the kids feel,,and of course the type of adult that is watching the children...

Here is a soluation for ur problem---

One,,MOVE to where there is not many kids,,or dont not go near stores that cater to kids!!!!

TWO---if u feel that the kids are being mistreated,,call the local law office,,or ur local D.S.S.

LAST--make a complaint to the store manager of this problem,,

Then again,,,u may be just like one of them if u ever have kids and we can complain about u.Later.

--------New Info---------------

thanks for being more in-depth,not all parents do this,u,,but the ones who do should be the one getting spanked,,not the kids...kids will do what they are allowed..and i bet these people are the same ones who cross the street,or cut us off in traffic--They are the stuck up ones who turn their heads,act as if they dont see u,so u need to give them the right aways...that bites..take care,later.