As a parent of a 4 year old myself, I'm kind of offended that someone else is telling me where I can and where I cannot take my kid. If he's well
behaved, I don't see a problem. BUT I do agree to an EXTENT!
For example I was just at the movies with some friends to watch Final Destination 5 3D and two couples brought their kids in to see it. The first
couple brought in a toddler and a baby. That I disagree with. Who brings a baby to a movie that is not ment for kids? If it was Cars, that I could
understand. It's a kids movie! But this was not a childrens movie so we had to listen to a crying baby. Then the toddler kept getting up to walk and
peered over our chairs looking at us and trying to talk to us. The parents never did anything but giggle. We couldn't be rude to the kid because it
wasn't her fault. But my friends did make loud enough remarks that it was rude to bring a child especially if they couldn't be quiet. To leave them
home!
The other couple who brought in their son who was probably around 8. He was well behaved so that didn't bother us.
What I'm saying is there are places for children, then there are places not ment for children. If there is a high scale restaurant that wants to ban
kids, fine. If a place like Olive Garden (that is a bit fancy but not much) wants to ban kids, I might be a little upset because personally whenever
I've taken my son there he acts fine. He's never acted up. If a place that I regulary go to, who has kids menus and booster seats, wants to ban them,
then I would be highly upset. They would definitely be losing money. If I want to go out to dinner every once in a while with my son, he shouldn't
always have to eat fast food. He likes his corn and broccoli to! I know, shocker.
Grocery store? How can you honestly ban kids from a grocery store? That's ludicrous. I shouldn't even have to explain why!
Airplanes.... I don't fly but it would make sense to have a no kids section... then a family section. No harm, no foul. But you can't ban kids because
what happens if you have family across the ocean or country and someone is dieing? You can't leave your child alone, you can't always get a sitter and
you can't always take a car (too far, won't cross oceans or isn't in that good of condition.) That's only one example why parents bring their kids.
It's not always some selfish reason.
Bottom line, teach your kids respect and manners. That is a PARENTS job! Even the best of parents though will have moments where their child acts up
for whatever reason. It doesn't mean you ban them from every place. Personally, if I'm somewhere and my son starts acting up and you see I am trying
everything to get him to calm down (reasoning, disciplining, whatever... just some examples) I would love for someone else to walk up to him and talk
to him, or make funny faces or crack a joke because I know my son. He would end up listening. He gets shy around strangers and if a stranger walked up
to him and did that he would be like
and cut it out. If all else fails, I'll leave!
Now I know most of these people in this forum are talking about ignorant lazy parents and I agree but I am just showing... I had my son when I was 20.
I'm not like that but my son still has his moments. So all of a sudden if my child acts and you happen to see it, I'm a bad parent? Some of the people
who have commented in this forum really need to grow up. It's not fair to ban children everywhere like that. If it's getting that bad, then if they
are foolish enough to try and ban children then they should be wiser to make parents go to a parenting class or something.
edit on 27-8-2011 by ScorpioSyndrome because: misspellings