why dont parents control their kids in stores??

Question

why is it every time i go to the store unruly kids are running amuck and mom does absolutely nothing to stop them?? i dont know how many times i have been nearly knocked down from kids running through the store and behaving rudely and sometimes the parents just smile at this behavior when i do not find it at all cute!

im impressed with all the comments from mothers themselves who commented on this question . obviously most of you understand this problem and are not a part of the group of moms who wont control them and feel its everyone elses responsibility to plan around their kids bad behavior . frankly , i thinks those moms that dont control their kids are lazy moms that probably dont pay any attention to anything their kids ever do as long as its not their nerves their getting on ! but for those moms who do keep their kids under control , thankyou so much .your well behaved children are greatly rewarded for having parents that do care enough to control them,instead of being rude with comments like some that responded.

Answer 1

Unfortunately, many parents just don't know how to be parents. Even though there are a million books telling parents what to do and what not to do, they often contradict each other, so new parents often don't know what to believe. People often raise their children the way they were raised, so if their parents didn't discipline them, they won't discipline their own kids. Add this to the fact that many parents often work, go to school, or do both, and you get a lot of people who are just too tired to care what their kids do in public. That doesn't excuse it, however.

I've been a retail manager for several years and I resent having to discipline people's kids for them. If I can see that a parent is trying their best to keep their child under control, but simply having a hard time doing it, I won't say anything. But if a child is running wild in my store and disturbing other customers as their parents sit idly by, I don't hesitate to ask the child to calm down or ask the parent to please control their child. Most of the time, the children will calm down when I ask them, but if they don't and their parents get huffy about my request, I'm more than happy if they leave. I would rather that one customer with an unruly child walk out than ten others who leave because they cannot shop in peace. So you are not alone.

Answer 2

I have 3 kids and sometimes I have no choice but to take them all to the store. Some stores have the carts that have the pretend car attached to it so I can put 2 in that and my 7 yr old will walk with me. But sometimes I can only put my 2 yr old in the cart and that leaves my 7 and 4 yr old walking. Most of the time they are on their best behavior, but once in awhile their 'listening ears' aren't working. Shopping is done when that happens. Discipling your children in public anymore is a hard thing to do these days. If you don't spank them or raise your voice, you get dirty looks. If you do spank or raise your voice, people give you even worse looks. A lot of kids just know that they won't get in the same kind of trouble at the store than they would at home. They're smart!

Answer 3

Oh! I hate that, especially when shopping for clothes and they are running through the clothes racks, or playing with the toys at Wal-mart running around. my son was always was under control in public places. If not, he stayed home with grandmom or daddy next time. That's a cop out Travis S you can control kids without being abusive. You also do not have to be a mom to know how children should act in public, Its called respect.

Answer 4

These days I am always complimented on how well behaved my children are. A year ago my youngest was "hell on wheels". My husband (military) was out of town, she was 2 years old and I couldn't control her a lot of the time. I had no choice but to have her with me most of the time and I did discipline, but I am sure that an outsider wouldn't always have seen it.

I agree that there are some people out there who do not parent their childre, but some may just be having a bad day.

Answer 5

I like to think my kids aren't like that. For the most part they have a lot of self-discipline because we practice socialization a lot. I am always talking with them and discussing what is okay and what is not. Most parents don't know that they can do that. like the example of the lady telling the girl that hitting the cart is not okay. Most kids are okay with that, but they never get that. What they get are people getting angrier and angrier and then finally blowing up.

Of course, paying attention to your kids, rather than focusing on the big apple red white and blue annual linen sales is more work, but it's our job. I don't see how it'd be easier to ignore them until they are misbehaving and then hit them to shut them up.

My problem is more the adults! They are so rude, think that their desire to get THIS can of green beans supercedes the fact that I was already there looking at them. I've had my cart shoved out of the way (with the baby in it!) I've had adults hit *me* with their carts, push my kids out of the way instead of asking them to move, they expect us to read their minds about where they are going and just magically float out of their way. They practically run and cut me off at the registers, I guess because they are so much more important than anyone else. They'll block the entire aisle while talking to a friend on the cell phone, and then frown when we say excuse me to get by. How come no one complains about adults who are rude?

Answer 6

I know it drives me nuts.i could never ever do that when i was a kid and if i did i would get my head knocked out of me by my mom. kids these days its a whole different generation now and there growing up i different times then we did, where discipline was natural and any kid got it if they stepped out of line. parents need to be in more control of there kids lives, sometimes kids do that because there parents are not involved in there daily activities and do things to get there attention and there there's just some that do it just do do it. all i know is, i could never run around in a store without my mother's permission and More in likely her answer would be NO. (only if if was my b-day or something..LOL)

Answer 7

I understand waht you are talking about. When i was younger my mother would have poped me one. Now a days you can't touch a child without someone saying anything. But it mostly has to do with the fact that the child is the one who runs the household. The parents let them do what they want so the kids do what they want whereever they are. There was a time i was in subway kid threw a tantrum mother slapped the kids hand but he still cried ans she took him out the store and drove off. i was thinkging good for her.

Answer 8

It's society. The whole mentality of "Don't tell your kids NO, they'll get a complex" or "Spanking your children is abuse" is causing people to raise undisciplined brats who think they can get away with doing whatever they want without any consequences for their actions. I'm sorry, but my kids are at my side or in a cart when they're with me in a store. If they can't behave, we leave the store and go straight home where I paddle their little behinds and put them to bed. My kids know that if we're leaving a store without buying anything, they're in deep doo doo...

Answer 9

Either too lazy or just can't keep up with them. A store is where you really need to watch your kids! Everyday I hear about one being taken. That in itself should be enough to open the parents eyes but, too many parents just don't care anymore.

Answer 10

Some parents may be afraid to discipline their children in public because sometimes certain people (usually childless) accuse them of abuse.

Others are ruled by their children.

I'm not afraid to give my son a swat on the rear end if he acts up--and he knows it--in fact, he seldom acts up in public. Here in Ohio, you are EXPECTED to keep your child in line, according to a law I read regarding discipline.

In the store, my son sits in the seat in the cart.