Other People's Children

[optigrrl]

We all have to deal with the public - from time to time (hehe). Occaisionally there are children involved. For myself, I have noticed a trend of people who come into a place of business and completely forget they have kids in tow. They have their hands on fragile products, they want to play with dangerous displays that could injure them or they just run around completely "free" towards the door or the street!


...and the parents are super-focused on anything else but the kids.

There was one time that I was helping a mother with a purchase, she was telling me some story about something - and out of the corner of my eye I just happened to see her 4 yr old successfully tipping over an 80lb display tower. I reacted just in time to prevent any serious damage to the child. And the mom continued her blather as if nothing had happened.

Another time, a mom was in a shop looking and the father was there - he puts a 5yr old child up on a make-shift bar stool to sit and the child stands up and jumps up and down on it as if it is a toy. I look towards the kid, the father with concern and he just ignores it! So I approach the couple and child and engage the kid and subtley coax the child down. What does the dad do? Curtly tell the wife that "it must be time to leave now."

So let me ask - is it our responsibility to watch out for other people's children? Do you say something to the parent, or just let whatever happen, happen?

What do you do in these situations?

[1968]

We all have to deal with the public - from time to time (hehe). Occaisionally there are children involved. For myself, I have noticed a trend of people who come into a place of business and completely forget they have kids in tow. They have their hands on fragile products, they want to play with dangerous displays that could injure them or they just run around completely "free" towards the door or the street!


...and the parents are super-focused on anything else but the kids.

There was one time that I was helping a mother with a purchase, she was telling me some story about something - and out of the corner of my eye I just happened to see her 4 yr old successfully tipping over an 80lb display tower. I reacted just in time to prevent any serious damage to the child. And the mom continued her blather as if nothing had happened.

Another time, a mom was in a shop looking and the father was there - he puts a 5yr old child up on a make-shift bar stool to sit and the child stands up and jumps up and down on it as if it is a toy. I look towards the kid, the father with concern and he just ignores it! So I approach the couple and child and engage the kid and subtley coax the child down. What does the dad do? Curtly tell the wife that "it must be time to leave now."

So let me ask - is it our responsibility to watch out for other people's children? Do you say something to the parent, or just let whatever happen, happen?

What do you do in these situations?

Liability issues aside, it is not our responsibility to watch other people's children, but it is our responsibility to protect our offices and the things in them. I typically say something light-hearted to the child (e.g. To kid greasing up the windows: "If you keep that up, we're going to make you come in later and wash the windows." To kid handling frames: "Be careful with that or your mom might have to give me your allowance.") which cause the parent to get involved with the child.

[rbaker]

First of all, don’t provide goods or services to children. Nobody ever made a nickel selling glasses to snot covered children. Second, do not allow them in the store even if accompanied by a parent. In fact, you might want to discourage breeding pairs from seeking goods or services. Post large signs clearly stating that children are not allowed admittance. This can be reinforced by hiring a bouncer (preferably a dwarf) to ID the little ankle biters. Audio tapes of the Spanish Inquisition will go a long way toward creating the proper atmosphere and videos are even better. If all else fails just have a tray of syringes in plain sight – not the wimpy kind but the big veterinary mothers that you can get at the Farmers Coop.

Not only are children (and most parents) unruly, noisy and destructive, they are cheap and typically enjoying good vision; losers from the business standpoint. They also assume a very large proportion of our hard earned tax dollars. Not only do we have to educate the little idiots we have to bus them all over town and feed them lunch.

Would you like to see some pictures of my grandchildren?

[DragonLensmanWV]

[quote=rbaker;200245]First of all, don’t provide goods or services to children. Nobody ever made a nickel selling glasses to snot covered children. Second, do not allow them in the store even if accompanied by a parent. In fact, you might want to discourage breeding pairs from seeking goods or services. Post large signs clearly stating that children are not allowed admittance. This can be reinforced by hiring a bouncer (preferably a dwarf) to ID the little ankle biters. Audio tapes of the Spanish Inquisition will go a long way toward creating the proper atmosphere and videos are even better. If all else fails just have a tray of syringes in plain sight – not the wimpy kind but the big veterinary mothers that you can get at the Farmers Coop.

<Bursts through door>

NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!!!!

Sorry, I didn't want to do that, but had to.:D:D:D

[chip anderson]

When ever I find myself becoming inpatient with children, and yes, I have had them destroy frames and equipment. And I will correct them if I have to, but don't if possible to avoid it. I try to remember:

"Suffer the chilren unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
and:
"He that does not come to heaven as a little child, shall not enter therein."
Jesus Christ (for those of you unformiliar with this).


Chip

[DragonLensmanWV]

When ever I find myself becoming inpatient with children, and yes, I have had them destroy frames and equipment. And I will correct them if I have to, but don't if possible to avoid it. I try to remember:

"Suffer the chilren unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
and:
"He that does not come to heaven as a little child, shall not enter therein."
Jesus Christ (for those of you unformiliar with this).


Chip

Good advice - none better.

We have a small play area for kids with some semi-destructable cardboard cubes that if they tear up, no problem. Distract 'em is my advice.

[Cindy K]

Although Chip's words of perennial wisdom hold true, there is much to be said about the parents of these little heathens that wreak havoc in the dispensary. When I witness a lack of public parenting skills I have no difficulty in asking (and very nicely, I must add) the kids to NOT do whatever they were doing only after (and again, very nicely) asking the parent(s) to ask the kid(s) not to do whatever form of destruction they were engaging in.

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: You need a license to carry a gun, drive a car, and catch a fish but anyone can breed.

[Snitgirl]

When I see the toddler going for something and the parent isn't paying much attention, you'll hear me say

"oh boy, that is REALLY EXPENSIVE"

After that, the parent usually places the child quickly on their lap.

[Traciangela]

One of the best things that you can do I have found, is focus most of your attention on the child. Look straight at the child and say, "What's your name and How old are you" stuff like that. Then, the parents will tend to pay more attention to the child. The reason I think this works is that the children are usually trying to get attention and if you give it to them, they will forget about playing with frames.

I have 3 children (ages 3,5 and 9) and never take them somewhere like to purchase glasses for myself, except maybe my 9 year old.

[For-Life]

They have to bring their children though. Their 6 year old knows more about glasses than all of us.

[cocoisland58]

There seems to be an over abundance of unruly children these days. Perhaps I am just old now but when I took my children to a store they stayed with me and behaved(or else!). I don't see a lot of discipline being handed out and I always think to myself, if a kid is this much of a terror at 5(which is usually a pretty good age)and the parents aren't handling it at all, when he's a teenager it will be too late. If a child is grabbing frames and playing with my displays I have no problem taking things out of their grubby little hands and giving them the "evil eye". The eye usually works pretty well. If the "parents" don't like it they can go elsewhere.

[MarcE]

I hate to sound like my father, but you are right. THere is an overabundance of unruly children and it goes up to about age 28. I'm not so old that I should talk about the 'next generation'. In fact, many of these unruly child-like adults are in MY generation. I talk to a lot of business owners, and they all see the same thing. They can't find professional, prompt, accountable employees that will show up to work for 2 weeks straight. As children they are unruly. As adults they are unprofessional and unemployable.

Am I generalizing? My wife thinks so. As a product of the US military, I see the value of discipline.

This lack of parent-provided discipline leads to lack of self-discipline in adults and near-adults. A lack of self-descipline leads to bankruptcy, unwanted pregnancy, drug-use, school drop-outs, auto accidents, and on and on. And these things lead to a generally miserable and unhappy life.

Most parents say that they "just want their kids to be happy". If that's true, discipline your children early and let that grow into self-discipline as they mature.

In the military a lack of discipline gets people killed. Since auto accidents and drug use are the number 1 and 2 killers of teenagers respectively, I don't think civilian life is much different.

[EyeManFla]

This isn't the first time we have discussed this on the Board, so I will repost my previous remarks:

During the 1980's I had a small dispensary on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, Maryland. I had quite the cross-section of patrons as the little shopping center bordered along N.I.H., Middle Class Bethesda and the Rockville projects. What I discovered in the 10 years there I referred to as "The Callahan Curve" in a discussion at a Washington Guild meeting on evening:

The more educated the parent.........the more intolerable the child!

To make a long story short, to paraphrase my late Mother, " Instead of reading all those child rearing books ( she though Dr. Benjamin Spock was a complete moron, thank God she never lived to see all that "it takes a village crap!"), you should be using them to swat your kids butt within them!"

Coaching football for decades taught me that you CAN love a child and require dicipline...and get that love back in return.

[KStraker]

When ever I find myself becoming inpatient with children, and yes, I have had them destroy frames and equipment. And I will correct them if I have to, but don't if possible to avoid it. I try to remember:

&quot;Suffer the chilren unto me for of such is the kingdom of heaven.&quot;
and:
&quot;He that does not come to heaven as a little child, shall not enter therein.&quot;
Jesus Christ (for those of you unformiliar with this).


Chip

Personally, I prefer these verses; Proverbs 13:24 -- "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly." Proverbs 19:18 -- Discipline your children while they are young enough to learn. If you don't you are helping them destroy themselves. Proverbs 29:15.To discipline and reprimand a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child. The problem seems to be the parents not the kids. If they act up in here, we offer some gentle reproach. If that doesn't work, I suggest to the parents that they may want to prevent their child from smashing a display and getting hurt or incurring a bill for damages. The displays are clearly marked " For your childs safety please do not let them play near the glass display case."

[chip anderson]

I'm with K but the subject is "other people's children". Of course we could take the rod to the parents but I don't think we would get too far with that.

Chip

[jcasowder]

We're pretty blunt with our patients. If their child is playing with something, we tell the kids to leave it alone, that it's not a toy. I treat the kids like I do my daughter. I don't tolerate unruly behavior. Usually the child stops. If they don't, we'll ask the parents to get them to listen, as it's disruptive to other partons and we can' give them the service they need with all the distraction. If they leave, then oh well....

When I was younger, I didn't think about touching anything in a store because if I did, my parents would crack me a good one. Thank goodness most people here discipline their kids, and they'll do it in public without batting an eyelash. Down here you can sign a waiver allowing the schools to spank your child if needed. The South rules!!!!!

I was spanked and came out OK, I think............

[obxeyeguy]

I once had 3 1/2 yr old twins in with mom, who spends a lot of $ with me. They were running around, all over, and after they left I had noticed that in my private restroom, there was toothpaste all over(mine) and the only toothbrush low enough for them is my frame one for ######! Yes also had toothpaste on it. Nah, Nah, nah, they didn't.......hahahahahahah Couldn't help myself.

[Robert Martellaro]

So let me ask - is it our responsibility to watch out for other people's children? Do you say something to the parent, or just let whatever happen, happen?

What do you do in these situations?

I take the obstreperous brat to the side and repeat some words of wisdom from my man -W.C. Fields

I like children. If they're properly cooked.

They usually behave from there on.