Rant of the day

[delalluvia]

OK, I'm just blowing off some steam here.

I just came from a visit to my doctor.  Now this doctor is not a general practitioner and not a pediatrician.  He is a specialist in digestive system problems.  Now I'm not saying children don't get issues with their digestion, but it's a lot less common than adults and elderly people getting them.  So, the office is full of health magazines, AARP magazines and Golf Digest.

I'm sitting in the waiting room with other people, watching the news on TV.  In comes a mother with a young child - about 8 or 9 years old.  She checks in with the nurses while the boy sits down.  He is engrossed with the news, showing as it is, the horrible disasters of the tornados across the southeast.  A high school has been hit!  Teenagers are being dragged from the rubble and....

The mother snaps the TV off.

I'm like - hello!  I was watching that.

She sits down with the child and starts to look at a childrens book with him.

A few minutes later, the TV - apparently automated - comes back on.  The mother instantly jumps to her feet, goes to the nurses desk and asks that the TV either be turned to children's programming or turned off.

She had absolutely no consideration for the wants and desires of the other adults in the room.  A man and I exchanged amazed glances.

Obviously the welfare her child was her primary concern instead of courtesy and the rest of us just better like it.

    Don't be a Parent Nazi.   

[jpwagoneer1964]

The mother was merely censoring her childs viewing, something she should have every right to do. Had you no consideration for the right of the mother to determine what here  child watches? You can always catch the new later.

[delalluvia]

The mother was merely censoring her childs viewing, something she should have every right to do. Had you no consideration for the right of the mother to determine what here  child watches? You can always catch the new later.

She has every right to censor what her child watches.  She has no right to do so when it interferes with other people's rights.  She wasn't in her home.  She was in a public office.  Sorry, she wants to censor what her child watches, go wait outside. 

[jpwagoneer1964]

She has every right to censor what her child watches.  She has no right to do so when it interferes with other people's rights.  She wasn't in her home.  She was in a public office.  Sorry, she wants to censor what her child watches, go wait outside. 

Just goes to show when your narcissistic it just to much trouble to think of others. In a situation like this when children are likely to be present we should be kind and yield to their (parents) wishes.

[delalluvia]

Just goes to show when your narcissistic it just to much trouble to think of others. In a situation like this when children are likely to be present we should be kind and yield to their (parents) wishes.

Well, I think I pointed out, that is was UNLIKELY that children would be in that office.  I think the mother should be kind and yield to that fact that she and her child were in the minority there and not insist the office cowtow to her wants.

In general though, I think it depends.  Children nowadays have been raised to the level of little gods on earth where everyone else should step aside for them.  And I do, in many circumstances, but not in all of them.

For example, on another board I go to had a long discussion on whether gay pride people should be allowed in city parades.  The parents of the discussion were entirely against it because - well, gay pride people were often 'obscene', dressing suggestively or saying sexual things or cross dressing and that was just entirely too adult for the children observing the parade.  After all, it was 'family' event and such things - and people - should not be allowed.

We had to talk long and hard to finally convince these Parent Nazis that a city parade was a PUBLIC event, not a FAMILY event and like it or not, gay people were part of the PUBLIC too.

[opinionista]

Oh Del I sympathize with you. I have no problem with children in general. It is with the parents, sometimes. I run three or four times a week, usually during weekdays and Saturdays. Well, I had to give up going on Saturday because the park I go to tend to be full of parents who walk their baby strollers right on the running circuit and have no consideration whatsoever for us the runners. Some of them, when they see me running their way, and as I approach they put the stroller right on my way. One idiot made me fall onto the ground once, then had the nerve to say it was my fault because she walking her baby and I should've gotten out of the way. WTF! It is the fricking running circuit! I raised such a fuss, told the woman she was at the wrong place, and actually putting her baby in danger by being there because some people run fast. I wish the park police would tell them something, but it is a park after all.

[opinionista]

Just goes to show when your narcissistic it just to much trouble to think of others. In a situation like this when children are likely to be present we should be kind and yield to their (parents) wishes.

You have a point but the mother should've had consideration for the others. It is not about being kind and yielding to parents wishes for the sake of their children, it is about having manners and showing respect for the others. She could've easily asked if anyone minded if she turned the TV off. I'm sure the others would've complied. In fact, with such behavior she set a bad example for her kid.

[injest]

I had to take some time and figure out why this bothered me.

People use children as a club too much nowdays. And as Del said like little gods on earth. Children are born self-centered. No one is born with good manners and concern for others, it is learned behaviour.

And when you enter a place (regardless of what that place is) and everyone there is engaged in an activity, it is rude to make them stop that activity. Especially without so much as a by your leave.

Did you see the study that came out yesterday that indicated that college age people are getting more and more self centered? I think this is the cause. That everyone must bow to them.

I love kids don't get me wrong. Like them a LOT better when they have good manners. You are not doing them any favors by making them think the world is going to stop for them.

[delalluvia]

Oh Del I sympathize with you. I have no problem with children in general. It is with the parents, sometimes. I run three or four times a week, usually during weekdays and Saturdays. Well, I had to give up going on Saturday because the park I go to tend to be full of parents who walk their baby strollers right on the running circuit and have no consideration whatsoever for us the runners. Some of them, when they see me running their way, and as I approach they put the stroller right on my way. One idiot made me fall onto the ground once, then had the nerve to say it was my fault because she walking her baby and I should've gotten out of the way. WTF! It is the fricking running circuit! I raised such a fuss, told the woman she was at the wrong place, and actually putting her baby in danger by being there because some people run fast. I wish the park police would tell them something, but it is a park after all.

Have you noticed this too?!?!?  I thought maybe I was just imaging things.  I have been run off the sidewalk and into the street with cars passing because people pushing baby carriages refused to follow each other single file on one side of the walk and instead took up the entire trail/walk traveling side by side!!  Behind them are flustered runners, other walkers and shoppers and bikers and everyone fumes in silence because they might be chastized as a child hater if they speak up.  I commend you for actually speaking up for yourself.

I guess that's the reason all of us in the waiting room who were watching the news with horror - who knows who there might have had friends/famly in the area and been concerned - said nothing when the mother took command of the TV.