Thank you so much for trying to ruin my vacation! I say "try", because as hard as you pushed, we managed to push back harder and eventually get it evened out, but there was a lot of tense moments and complaining that did not need to happen. Let me preface this by saying that this does NOT apply to my friends and family - I have yet to see them fall in to this category. If you, however, see any of yourself in this, perhaps it's time for a heart-to-heart.
I'd first like to thank the parents of the two toddlers at the National Historical site - the ones with the heavy-duty anglo-saxon names. What a joy your kids were. For starters, I can't imagine why the thought that the kids would enjoy something like that ever seemed like a good idea. Their constant screaming and whining and throwing themselves down on the ground should have been the first red flag. Thanks so much for the entertainment of having to follow them around while they pitched a constant fit. How great it was to have them run around, being disruptive and destructive. And what fine role models you must be. The sign says "NO SMOKING"? Heck, that doesn't apply to you - just go for it. Let's forget for just a moment that you are surrounded by woodlands and highly combustible buildings hundreds of years old. Heck, I'd have respect for you as you threatened me and started counting (only to not do anything to back that up), cigarette hanging out of the corner of your mouth....... You owe me the cost of 3 admissions, plus something for aggrivation.
A follow-up kudo goes to the guy who took the toddler in to the high-cost gift shop, only to have the child accidentally destroy some stuff, and then take off without owning up to it - another fantastic role model. Why teach the kid to take responsibility for their actions? I'm not saying that the little one meant to do it - which just proves my point that perhaps taking them in there in the first place wasn't a good idea - but what a great opportunity to teach them that even if it is an accident, you have to make things right. Instead, you reinforced the notion that the current generation already runs rampant with that NOTHING is their fault. So let's instead blame the people who run the gift shop (in an effort to help fund the site) for putting out breakable things. How dare they?
My second big thanks goes to the parents of the "tween" at another place we stopped. How wise of you to buy your kid the sneakers that have those stupid little wheels in them. For starters, they're dangerous to the kids. Second, the kids use them at totally inappropriate times. It's no wonder that so many public places have banned them. I would be surprised if this place hadn't, but then again, following the rules is too much to ask for some people. Your kid thought it would be fun to wheel around (without being under your supervision) and when they ran into someone who was minding their own business, rather than just going on their way, they decided to make an issue out of it. Rather than just letting it drop or admitting they shouldn't have been doing what they were doing , they turned a simple reflex of putting a hand up to try and brace for an impact in to a "hit". Embarassed, the kid probably stomped off, found the parents, and fibbed that the person hit him, for attention or effect (the fact that they were tooling around on wheels in a busy public place tells me it's an attention thing). We were all kids. We've all done this. Problem is, my mom would not have believed me had I been making it up. She had that way of getting to the truth. Furthermore, she wouldn't have allowed me to get away with it without apologizing to the person I bumped into. She wouldn't have gotten into a screaming match with the person who was the innocent bystander in all of this. She wouldn't have lectured them. She wouldn't have continued screaming long after the other person walked away, not wanting to fan the flames further. I know the innocent party. They used to teach small children and they mentor abused children who were removed from their homes. They were an abused child themselves - they don't hit children. Perhaps you need to tell your kid the difference between right and wrong, and that lying is a bad thing that can get innocent people in trouble. In other words, TELL THE TRUTH. You owe me the cost of admission for 4 people, and the cost of 2 sets of cab fare for running out and back to this site, and big-time for having to watch your tirade.
A side thanks goes to all the reckless baby stroller operators out there. I'm sure your 3 month old baby woke up in the morning and begged you to take them to the museum, fair, etc. How fun for the kids to have to be shuttled around all day to things they can't comprehend. How great for them to be banged around all day when you continually push the stroller in to other people. I'm not saying you can't take the babies out, but how about something more age-appropriate? If you want to go, try a babysitter, and go by yourselves.
My last big thanks goes to the people who just can't resist showing off their vast knowledge in public - whether you want it or not. Thanks so much to the people who stood behind me at a display, telling me ahead of time what all was going to happen. I guess the fact that I hadn't seen it before didn't occur to you, or it did but you just didn't care. I also appreciate it when you take the time to tell me how you've seen this before, but it was someplace else, and it was much nicer. Not content with letting it drop after we asked you to stop telling us about it before we've seen it, you had to then go accost someone else in my party at another display and proceed to start all over again. I'd demand my admission back, but I'm already getting it from the lying tween, so I'll just take your promise to stop doing that - ever again.
I'm not anti-kid. Not at all. But I am anti-bad behavior, and there's so much of it out there, and not just from kids - you adults do your fair share too, and in all honesty, the kids just don't come into the world behaving badly. There was an excellent article on MSN once about how we're doing the current generation no service by holding them blameless or everything, but apparently, no one has read it. Also, apparently no one watches shows like "Shalom In The Home" where they show that kids want, need, and respect boundaries, and that they really want parents - not pals. That's been proven time and again - it's a shame no one listens.
I'm sure I'll get the usual hate mail. I've been told that since I don't have kids (the good lord did not bless me in that way), I'm not allowed an opinion where they are concerned, but that's crap. If I'm forced to have to spend time with them, then I'm allowed an opinion. Besides, as I've said before, the kids get the bad behavior from somewhere............
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