Our Crying Babies..

I work in a very large grocery store, i am an asst manager for the front end, its not that i stand around and order employees, i'm right there with and doing whatever they do i do, registering, cleaning, zoning, stocking on top of it, i have breaks and scheduling and also counting drawers and supervising who does what and when, i am the complaint department, the advisor, the leviator, negoiator, decisioner and the go between, many other tasks i handle.. it can get to you mentally, and i know you can't make everyone happy, but i do my best..

Theres something that happens in grocery stores that i cannot understand.. it is parents with the crying children, don't get me wrong and i completely understand yes children do cry they can be unhappy when they don't get what they want, but time and time again parents from the moment they enter the store they will have a child that is screaming at the top of their lungs, the entire time they are shopping the child is still screaming from one end to the other, i notice the parent is either calmly ignoring it, or yelling back threatening disipline, frantically trying to give the child anything to quiet he/she, i've seen the child throw things out the carts, hit their parents, ask for food and then throw it.. the siblins are either distracting or teasing the child and antagonizing, all through check out the child is screaming, by this time i've got customer complaints, employees and cashiers have headaches, a child screaming or crying loudly for nothing can drive you insane..then  as they are all done and walking  towards the door to exit, the child suddenly is quiet..(hmm i wonder why) majority of this that happens the child is just plain out of control, sometimes theres child that are crying because they need a diaper change or are hungry.. well take care of this FIRST and then finish shopping, that baby is number 1.. beside the babies that need changing or are hungry, theres nothing wrong with these children, but there is something definetly wrong with the parents..

If this was my child i would straight walk back out the door, knowing there is a disipline problem that i need to check.. my child and this problem is going to be taken care of first, my child is going to learn that you do not act this way in a store or ANYWHERE..  at an early age my daughter was taught how to respect, how to listen, how to be sensitive, how to be good, i took the time to care and show her i care..

What are you feelings on this.. are the parents to blame, should they take steps to walk outside, or is it okay to let them scream through the store?

When I hear stories like this, it gives me creeps. I mean, I hope to have children some day, but when I see in how many ways one can make a mistake about their education and breeding, I start having second thoughts. Anyway, I sincerely think it's parents' fault for the most part, as discipline must be introduced to children from the moment they are born.

Catface, im sure if you recognize it now, you'll do fine raising a child and be a fantastic mother.. but i'm not trying to make something out of nothing, it is really bad.. i've tried to intervene in some cases, just by being kind and care what the child is crying for.. they will give you a dirty look like mind your own business.. so it's hard.. it makes me sad.. i just think about how the child will turn out, hoping his future will be okay

No doubt in my mind it is the parents' faults... a child will behave the way it is taught to behave. They would not be screaming in the store if they have been taught and disciplined from the start. On the contrary, they have learned that this tactic is correct because it works!

They will not learn otherwise from these parents either IMO, as the parent is not concerned with the problem of what effect their child's behavior is having on others in the store. Is not concerned with respect for others... is not willing to inconvenience themselves enough to take that child out of the store and deal with the problem on the spot. So here they are, not dealing with the problems they have not dealt with all along.

If they have a child crying in church, the library, or heaven forbid at a movie it is accepted that they will be asked to leave and not disrupt others. Why then are they allowed to scream and cry in other places like the store, or a restaurant? It should be just as acceptable to ask them to leave in those places and situations too. Responsible parents leave of their own accord out of respect for others. Perhaps if this was done and accepted in more places these parents would learn to take the responsibility they should be taking on their own.

And CatFace I absolutely agree with imagin that you would be fine raising a child, partly just because you are already concerned that you might not get it right which shows you care!

katt

THANK YOU for posting this.  I tell my son from the get go "do NOT ask for anything, do not run off, and do not misbehave" because I have and will swat him in the store.  Some parents don't believe in spankings, I do and always will no matter what anyone else says.  My daughter is given her favorite toy at the beginning of a trip and she is very good in the store.  I have to make sure she isn't hungry, though, or she will try to open the boxes.   And she loves Lowes

In a humorous vein, this is acceptable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWkZ_StRjU0

However, I realize that when children are so out of control that taking them outside is the only answer, then you know that there's some real problems with discipline.

A screaming child in the store drives me up the wall.  They usually want something they can't have and if they scream hard enough, they will get it.  It's all so wrong.

blue

I was born in 1972 and I was raised by grandparents.  And we all know that when you go out in public with them, you BETTER not embarras them.  All my grandmother had to do was give me a look or do the undercover pinch under my arm, which meant shape up or else. 

Now a days these parents try to be their child's friend and they have an instant tune out button when kid starts acting like a brat.  It is up to us to be consistent with discipline and love. 

I am a sixth grade teacher with forty students and my students do not disrespect me or misbehave in front of me, however, they are different with other adults.    I usually get the roughest group every year, which i Love. Unfortunately, kids are like dogs.  They since who they can and cannot mess with. I feel sorry for my substitutes .

Imagin.ation, put a sign up in front of your grocery store like restaurants do: 

WE HAVE A  RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE  IF YOU BRING IN A SCREAMING CHILD AND CAN'T HANDLE "IT". 

management

It is serious, people walk out because they can't take it, or can't concentrate on getting their own shopping done.

Another thing that i see all too often is the toy isle is not the baby sitter section, children are left there unattended, playing with the toys, opening them, bouncing balls, playing toss or football, combing barbies hair or redressing her, once some children opened the sidewalk chalk and attempted to make hopscotch.. i asked them to take me to their parents, they were in the deli (mom and dad) enjoying the free samples, i handed the parents the opened package and told them they can't allow their children to wander off, and get this.. the parents started scolding the children... i just walked away shaking my head.. alot of times at check-out children are there with opened candy or ice cream bars eating it, the parent is ignoring this and allowing it, i tell the parent that i need to ring up the candies and they'll have this fake look of surprise, take it away hand it to me and say i don't want it,  don't have enough money for it..now im the mean lady that took their candy and ice cream away ...

what are you teaching your child that it is okay to steal until you get caught, take things that aren't yours and play innocent? Wrappers everywhere, opened half drank soda, half eaten candy and food is always the scene in the check-out stands or stuffed into the modules of the displays.. it makes me sick ,not about the candy or food.. im sick about the parents that allow it and think it's okay.. the attitude of this is a big store whats a little candy, it's not about that, its what you are teaching your children