Other People's Children

Thursday, September 18, 2008
For the most part, I like my own children. For the most part, I like their friends. For the most part, I like my relatives who are currently children.

Other people's children? Meh.

I'm not a cane-waving "get off my lawn" kind of gal. I enjoy our neighbor kids and kept our basketball hoop so they could play. I like Hallowe'en and make sure we have high quality candy available for trick-or-treaters. When kids come to my door selling whatever it is they sell, I always buy. I always vote for bond issues supporting education and kids activities.

But kids, in a general sense, just aren't interesting to me unless I have some emotional investment.

I'm sure part of that feeling comes from parents who allow their children to behave badly, both in public and in private. Screaming kids who interrupt other people's meals in restaurants, kids who run through public places such as grocery stores like they're in a playground, kids with bad manners.

I'm not saying children should be "seen and not heard," but I don't think expecting children to show a minimum level of courtesy and appropriate behavior in public is unreasonable.

Of course, I do love babies. As long as I can give them back.

10 comments:

The Mechanicky Gal said...

I'm with you Janiece. Childrean and dogs (and you KNOW to whom I refer, although since I have been in chargfe of a certain small furry brown dog while we walk, she has gotten a LITTLE better)) need to understand manners.
But when the parents don't? That just ruins it for everyone.

Cindi in CO said...

One of the reasons I quit the grocery store was because I was developing an intense hatred for peoople's kids. The store is a prime stage for really rotton behaviour, and watching completely ineffective parents beg their children to act right made me want to punch them. Not to mention what I wanted to do to the rugrats.

A prime example: One little shit pitched a fit in the cereal aisle, working himself up into such a froth that he literally puked all over the place. His mother? Simply grabbed the chocolate cereal the brat wanted and walked away. Leaving the long-suffering employees to deal with the mess.

And the check stand arguments! I WANT CANDY!! Jesus, kid, shut the fuck up, will ya?

Man, I do not miss that job.

Janiece said...

Amy, as you know, I simply will not own a dog that doesn't know how to act. The Incomparable Boogie™ has excellent manners. Because he weighs almost 100 lbs, and the idea that he would jump on my Hot Mom or my Hot Gram and push them over, inflicting some horrible injury, was simply unacceptable.

So he's a good, good boy.

Cindi, I'm glad my own kids never attempted to engage in such behavior. Because you know what the result would of been.

Random Michelle K said...

That's once of the reasons why I have a reputation for not liking kids. Because I HATE badly behaved kids.

But I have to admit that most of my friends have extremely well behaved kids, which is lovely.

Michael's nephew has gotten better, but I still won't babysit him or his sister, because Michael, bless his heart, is NOT a disciplinarian, so I get to play bad cop all the time, and HATE it.

Almost as much as I hate poorly behaved kids.

But well-behaved kids are AWESOME and a joy to be around. Too bad they're so rare.

Janiece said...

"Bless his heart."

Hehe.

John the Scientist said...

That's pretty much my attitude. I was surprised at how much I love playing with my kids, given that before i had them, I had thought that my serious relationship with them would start about age 10.

Jim Wright said...

I like kids just fine, deep fried of course or baked.

Kidding. I lump kids into the same category as larger folks. If they're ill behaved I develop an immediate dislike, if they are well behaved I mostly ignore them.

Eric said...

You better be kidding, Jim. What kind of cretin doesn't know children should be broiled or poached?

Jeri said...

Eric, are you dieting again?

Lance Weber said...

Our front yard is pretty much kid central for our street - probably because we have this awesome full length front porch.
I really don't hate any of the kids, although it's always fun getting the Curmudgeon Dad act on when they get out of hand.
I do tend to flip the bozo bit on parents pretty quickly based on their kids bad behavior, and once you flip that bit, it's tough to take them seriously about anything.