Parents, what are your biggest pet peeves with other parents?

Question

I live in the midwest, and I know I shouldn't be judgemental, but the way people raise their children around here aren't exactly up to snuff.
The only time I complain about it is when people put their children in harms way.
For instance: My biggest peeve is when parents leave their child unattended in a shopping basket or allow them to stand in the back of the basket while it is moving. Don't parents realize that the kid could fall and seriously hurt themselves or even suffer from brain damage?
I also have a friend who bites her daughter if the daughter bites her first, or slaps the daughter when the daughter slaps her or any one else.
Do things like this happen else where in this country and do they bother you as much?

Answer 1

You are right to be concerned there but my biggest peeve is when the children are outright loud, disruptive and the parents do or say nothing to control the situation. I have been to many events where meltdowns and tantrums have been thrown and the parents are probablly too embarrassed to do anything in hopes that other people won't find out that screaming child belongs to them! I think the child pulling on your pant leg gave you up so deal with it!
When a child has a biting problem or a hitting problem you don't deal with it by biting them back or slapping them back. This only gives the message that the action will be condoned and that the behavior is acceptable. This also causes me to cringe and bite my tongue but I would never keep my concerns quiet if it was a child hurting my children or if I feel as though there are actions that could cause a child harm. Next time you are out shopping, let the parents know that their child may fall out of the cart...chances are they will realize that there are people watching them and they will make sure that they supervise their child better.

Answer 2

Holding babies while smoking, propping a bottle up, giving a 2 year old a sucky, giving a baby a sucky period when there is no reason too (they aren't crying or anything I mean) Walking around a store without a care in the world and the baby is SCREAMING, I've seen mothers hit their kids for no reason go to a restaurant get lunch and not give the kids anything when they are clearly hungry. Small babies without a hat or proper coat on and it's -40. Walking across the city with a small child at 3 am. People leaving their small kids in the car, running and going into a grocery store. We've all run in to pay for gas or drop the movie into the drop box, but the grocery store where you can't see the kids?!?!? added-It's not illegal everywhere to smoke in the car with kids. It's legal where I'm at. Also, the car seat one is a good one. I work at a place with a drive through. There are so many babies that aren't even in car seats and parents are driving like morons.

Answer 3

My biggest pet peeve with other parents is parents that don't mind their own business when your trying to raise and discipline your own children.And then people wonder why everyone's kids are out of control when the public opinions and the law aren't supportive and taking all of our rights away from us! For instance "when my son is misbehaving and screaming and hollering at the top of his lungs and I turn around and tell him to knock it off right now and go to class" DON'T call social services and accuse a parent of emotional abuse because I told him to knock it off! True story!...or "when someones child is constantly knocking things off a store shelf or attempting to steal and the parent is trying to do the right thing by making him return what he stole or making him pick up what he knocked over on purpose" Don't tell the child "Oh that's okay hunny" or "he's so cute he can keep it". It truly does take a village to raise a child and apparently the lessons he is learning outside the home are the ones that are making the biggest impact. I mean the kids thinking is" why listen to Mommy when everyone else says it's alright? " I have lived on the west coast all of my life and have just recently moved to the Midwest and the problems are still the same.

Answer 4

First of all.....kids are in harms way not matter what they are doing.....if you wanted to keep you kids safe all the time...well then don't have any........kids are going to get hurt, they are going to get stiches, break bones, get into trouble.....but you are right there are things that are avoidable.....and they should be sitting down int he cart.....but still there are more things they do that you can't avoid.

As far as the biting....I agree with your friend....when my son bites he gets bitten back...thats how they learn it hurts.....if he slaps me, he gets his hand slapped and then a time out.

My pet peeve is parents try to be a friend before a parent.....We have to be parents first and friends second....they say "well I don't want my kid to be mad at me" I am sorry you can not avoid making you kids mad. Parents have to be the bad guy sometimes...and many are afraid to do that.

Answer 5

Bad parenting isn't limited to geography. Nothing gets on my nerves more than a child throwing a tantrum in public or running amok and the parent completely ignoring it. What you let your kids do at home is one thing, what you let them do in public is another. I for one do not think it's cute or amusing that a child is screaming at the top of his lungs in the middle of a restaurant while the parents don't do anything to stop it. It shows a complete lack of respect for the other people who are being subjected to their irritating children.

Answer 6

Mine is parents who bring there children into the store (mostly in the summer), filthy with a dropping diaper that has clearly not been changed in forever. They are being brought in early in the morning, so you know that had to go to bed this filthy.

Sorry, I have one more. I can't stand it when parents take there children outside in cold weather and not have a coat/jacket on them. Then you look at the parent and they have a coat, hat and gloves on.

Some people just don't deserve to procreate.

Answer 7

Well, mine is dirty kids. It makes me sick. My kids do leave the house unless they have been bathed and put in good clothes. I hate going to the grocery store and seeing kids that look like they haven't bathed in a week. The whole biting thing doesn't biother me too bad. I'm guilty of it. At the same time though, my girls have each only bit one time and never did it again after being bit back.

Answer 8

They problably do happen everywhere. I live in the Midwest, too. And, thank goodness--my children are grown. Children seen to rule the parents today. They do not know what the word ''NO'' means------except to know that if a parent says it enough times, the parent will get tired of saying it and finally say ''YES''.

Answer 9

parent's letting the kid's be the parent's and the parent's being the kid's . no control of their kid's . the little girl's dressing like little hoochie momma's . and wondering why my little girl got raped by a pediphile. mom's and dad's worring about their career's more than their kid's moral's and standard's

Answer 10

for me its ,slaping ,hitting ,spanking and beating.
oh yah! and parents not doing anything when there kids are being snots.