AIBU to wonder why parents let their DC run around the bank SCREAMING and banging into people?

[Denj33]

.....without saying a word? (and just smiling at them when they step on people's feet)
My 13 yr old DD just had to stop him swallowing paper and running out the door, and his mum just laughed, no sorry or thank you even when her DC was pulling my DDs hair

Yuk! Can't stand indulgent parents like that!

Because they are selfish people who can't see things from other people's pov.

Maybe shes having a shit morning and just cant be arsed?

That's no excuse Amber the child had to be stopped from running off! Becomes everyone's problem, but she 'can't be arsed'!

No, but generally I can't stand other people's children either! We don't let them run around making a lot of noise unless it's in a park or play place. A bank isn't either of these!

Free range kids, the world is their creche.

Its totally disrespectful to allow your children to run around anywhere where there are other members of the pubic, the worse for me are mothers at the tills whilst there children just stand there messing with things that other people may want to buy picking up sweets putting in mouth and then putting back, what happened to saying DON'T TOUCH.

But I'm sure they would be the first to complain if someone's DC stepped on her toe.

There were two young kids running in screaming circles round Blockbuster last Saturday when we were in there. Their dad was pointedly ignoring them, he did look knackered though

DS1 (4) said "MUMMY THOSE CHILDREN ARE BEING VERY NAUGHTY TO RUN ABOUT IN A SHOP AREN'T THEY? WHY ISN'T THEIR DADDY TELLING THEM OFF MUMMY?"

When I worked in a bank we had a nappyless child run around the banking hall and do a poo on the floor.

I let DS be a bit of a pest in the childrens ward at the hospital once and the nurse was glaring at me . In my defence my Dad had died an hour before and was lying in the hospice next door, I just had to get DS's allergy apt out of the way first.

If I had said anything and apologised I think I would have ended up a snivelling wreck on the floor. I'm usually pretty strict.

There's a difference between being emotional and having a hard time with stuff, therefore DCs get away with a bit more. This mother was laughing at her DCs behaviour, she did not see anything wrong with it.

And also different to it taking place in a hospital, where, by definition, shit that might make you temporarily less bothered by socially unacceptable behaviour than usual could be not unreasonably expected to have happened.

I was once in a dentist's waiting room, sitting quietly in a corner chair reading a magazine when a free-range child who had been rampaging round the room tried to push my legs out of the way to get right into the corner (there was nothing there, so not as if I were blocking toys or anything) and when I didn't move, started screaming. His mother glared at me and said "he only wants to get past" (to where? The wall?) to which I replied "and when he says "excuse me please", he' ll GET past."

:facepalm:

Have any of you actually read Free Range Parenting? Its not about raising "feral" children, it's about not being a helicopter parent and about giving them age appropriate opportunities for independence.

This can be my kids sometimes. Sometimes I have no choice but to take them to places others rather I didn't. They aren't naughty but can play up if I've had to queue or wait a while. I do tell them to sit or be still but they're kids. If they're annoying you in that small snapshot of time where our paths have crossed just think how I feel. Flame me now. :)

Thank fuck for these parenting books. We'd all be feckless, feral slobs now without them.

FreePeaceSweet, I think most of us can spot the difference between the harassed, frazzled mother trying to get her dcs to behave when they're determined to go off on one regardless, and the mother who doesn't appear to give a shit. The mother in the OP was laughing at her kid's behaviour. The mother in mine didn't get involved until he started screaming - and then it was to tick me off for not moving my legs at his unceremonious shoving.

I didn't even know "Free Range" was an actual parenting technique - I've used it for years to describe children who appear to have no boundaries (like the 6yo who started going through my handbag when we'd gone to her parents' house - who we didn't know - to choose a pair of kittens. When I moved it out of her reach, she started to grizzle and her mother said "oh, she won't damage anything, she does that all the time, she's fascinated with handbags". That's very sweet. How about teaching her that other people's possessions don't get touched? That handbags aren't toys and might contain things you wouldn't want your daughter playing with?)

Amber - having a shit morning? Ok to upset/ annoy/ inconvenience others then!

Likewise - free range parenting? Ok to upset/ annoy/ inconvenience others!

Free range parenting blog here it is well worth a look, and not a feral child in sight :-)

Freesweetpeace. I'm apparent too. We all have to do that.i have empathy, it's hard, but no excuse to allow selfish behaviour

A parent. Silly ipad

Yep a shit morning, have you never had one?

Would something like this bother me? No bigger things in the world to worry about TBH. I'd be more likely to feel sorry for her really,

Ive got to go somewhere in about 30 mins that would be much easier for all concerned if I didnt have to take my 9 yr old with me, but I do so what can I do? Hopefully he'll be impecably well behaved and I wont read a thread about him/me later.

Yep many many.