General discussion - Mom and Dad Esq.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Spraypaint back out of the trunk.

If you are trying out a brand-new situation on the kid, I would think you could have an exit strategy in place in the event you find you overestimated their tolerance. If you are at a place so long (unexpectedly, or whatever) that their systems can't take it, they are legitimately freaking out and leaving is the right thing for everyone. I never signed up to be part of your disciplinary training, but I guess you have signed up for people to tell your children who are freaking out in public that they are ill-behaved brats who should be left at home with a mean sitter. I mean, you are keeping them in the public place to show them the consequences of their actions, right? Including mean strangers.

Have y'all been fixed yet?

Please.

waitstaff isn't bothered by kids. kids are predictable and easy to ignore. They make a mess? the Mexicans clean not the waitress.

waitstaff have problems with drunk asshole guys who try and paw/come on to the them, or self-important woman who think they're really really smart and better than the pitiful waitress. you know. like mediocre lawyers who try and flex their brain muscle and take a pompous stance.

I'm sure B&B should be leaving a bigger tip, but that was true pre-kid.

[leagleaze]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
You should never have admitted your kid has tantrums in public places to which you have brought it, and that you really think that total strangers should be more than happy to put up with it. What kind of answer did you think you would get? Sheesh.

Given this is the lawyers with kids board what kind of responses did you think you would get? Did you think it was the FB?

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by leagleaze
Given this is the lawyers with kids board what kind of responses did you think you would get? Did you think it was the FB?

Given that it was Ty and bnb, and perhaps Atticus, with whom I was screwing around, I didn't think one of them would be that silly. I would not have responded in that way to, say, vietmom or even SAM.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Given that you work at least full-time, and have (at least as far as said on this board) one quite young child, I would not be so sure that you have spent as much time taking care of children as I have. Also, you have experienced but one child, and since you are still in the process of raising it, can't see the results of your decisions. But hey, if my genetic material isn't in the kid, I couldn't possibly know anything and am not equipped to make any comments. I tend to think though that you are blinded by your adoration for your particular child (which is quite handy, from an evolutionary perspective) to fathom that not everyone is willing and eager to make sacrifices for your kid.

Which makes me confused as to how any of us do anything, since we as a profession are all outsiders brought in to solve problems and resolve issues not of our making.

You should never have admitted your kid has tantrums in public places to which you have brought it, and that you really think that total strangers should be more than happy to put up with it. What kind of answer did you think you would get? Sheesh.

And as a confirmed childless spinster, your role here is what, exactly?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by taxwonk
And as a confirmed childless spinster, your role here is what, exactly?

She reminds us that parenting can go horribly wrong.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by taxwonk
And as a confirmed childless spinster, your role here is what, exactly?

Amusing myself.

Originally posted by ltl/fb
I never signed up to be part of your disciplinary training, but I guess you have signed up for people to tell your children who are freaking out in public that they are ill-behaved brats who should be left at home with a mean sitter.

We don't sign up for a lot of things, including batshit crazy strangers who attempt to speak directly to our children in public. Dealing with inconvenience and frustration with good grace, however, is a quality that separates adults from children. Now go to your room until you're ready to play nice with the rest of the world.

[Not Bob]

Originally posted by taxwonk
And as a confirmed childless spinster, your role here is what, exactly?

Perhaps to point out to the parents that their little tyke's delightful expressions of individuality may not provide as much joy to others at the 9 pm screening of "Kill Bill"?

Not that any of us need reminding about the whole time and place for kids thingy. The strippers in the Champagne Room at Salome's 6 and One Half Veils (the now-closed Exotic Dance club in Podunkville) used to love it when I wheeled in with the Not Bobette in her stroller. Bending over to pick up the spilled Cheerios was part of the act.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
Please.

waitstaff isn't bothered by kids. kids are predictable and easy to ignore. They make a mess? the Mexicans clean not the waitress.

waitstaff have problems with drunk asshole guys who try and paw/come on to the them, or self-important woman who think they're really really smart and better than the pitiful waitress. you know. like mediocre lawyers who try and flex their brain muscle and take a pompous stance.

I'm sure B&B should be leaving a bigger tip, but that was true pre-kid.

this spoken by someone who has never been a waiter. thanks for your insight, Hank.

fringey, will you help me design my patron saint of waitstaff emblem?

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

20% is stingy guys. We're fucking lawyers. Is there anyone here who would would even notice a few extra bucks for the waitstaff?

And kids can be a lift for waiters and waitresses sometimes as well as a mess. Dealing with thankful parents with rowdy kids sounds a lot more pleasant than dealing with dour old spinsters who just whine and whine and whine. The folks who really need to up their tips are the sourpusses who bitch about other folks.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
this spoken by someone who has never been a waiter. thanks for your insight, Hank.

you know, you persist in ignoring what I tell you, and I'd think by now you'd be starting to see that you'd be better off listening to me.

the record on Politics is no fluke. I don't say shit just to hear myself talk. I only post when I know I'm right.

I was a waiter, but I got fired. I told someone that only half ate their steak "people are starving in China." I hated the adults- kids were okay.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by ironweed
We don't sign up for a lot of things, including batshit crazy strangers who attempt to speak directly to our children in public.

How early is too early to teach kids about batshit crazy strangers? Wife was putting the smaller kid in the car yesterday outside Starbucks, and turned around to see a batshit crazy stranger -- y'know, the sort of person with mental problems which are obvious to the untrained and which would have resulted in her institutionalization until the reformers started to get their way in the late 80s -- talking and gesticulating wildly to the older (3.5 yrs) one there on the sidewalk. Hard to tell what he (the older one) thinks of all this. Hard to know how much you can tell him.

Incidentally, no tantrums were involved.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
How early is too early to teach kids about batshit crazy strangers? Wife was putting the smaller kid in the car yesterday outside Starbucks, and turned around to see a batshit crazy stranger -- y'know, the sort of person with mental problems which are obvious to the untrained and which would have resulted in her institutionalization until the reformers started to get their way in the late 80s -- talking and gesticulating wildly to the older (3.5 yrs) one there on the sidewalk. Hard to tell what he (the older one) thinks of all this. Hard to know how much you can tell him.

Incidentally, no tantrums were involved.

Well of course no tantrums were involved. They got their daily Starbucks fix.

Ok, I'll go back to the FB now.

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
How early is too early to teach kids about batshit crazy strangers? Wife was putting the smaller kid in the car yesterday outside Starbucks, and turned around to see a batshit crazy stranger -- y'know, the sort of person with mental problems which are obvious to the untrained and which would have resulted in her institutionalization until the reformers started to get their way in the late 80s -- talking and gesticulating wildly to the older (3.5 yrs) one there on the sidewalk. Hard to tell what he (the older one) thinks of all this. Hard to know how much you can tell him.

Incidentally, no tantrums were involved.

I don't know if it's living in New York or what, but the Weedlet (almost 4) seems to be able to sense the difference between kindly stranger and mental case. She just sort of smiles indulgently and gives the wackos a wide berth without making eye contact (I am so proud). All we tell her is that she shouldn't talk to strangers, and beyond "hi" and "bye" and "thank you" to the nice ones, she doesn't.

By the way, you might consider steering clear of that Starbucks if Fringey's hanging out in front on a regular basis.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
How early is too early to teach kids about batshit crazy strangers? Wife was putting the smaller kid in the car yesterday outside Starbucks, and turned around to see a batshit crazy stranger -- y'know, the sort of person with mental problems which are obvious to the untrained and which would have resulted in her institutionalization until the reformers started to get their way in the late 80s -- talking and gesticulating wildly to the older (3.5 yrs) one there on the sidewalk. Hard to tell what he (the older one) thinks of all this. Hard to know how much you can tell him.

Incidentally, no tantrums were involved.

Once the need for an explanation is inevitable, I prefer not to put it off - otherwise, they are trying to make sense of a world that doesn't make sense, because they are missing key information, and I think that is more frightening to them. If you don't explain the loon (see, tying threads!), the kid will be wondering, "gee, will I grow up like that", or "is that what happens if I don't eat my peas" or even "that guy is sort of like my Daddy after he's been drinking that frothy stuff; I wonder if Daddy will end up like that all the time." Far better that instead that the little guy understand, "OK, now I know what a Republican looks like."