To think this rules to apply to "our little darling"

[NootNoot]

Hard hat on & fire extinguisher ready

Went to Kew Gardens over the weekend- gorgeous day, place was packed, lots of families. Plenty of youngsters running about, shouting, having a great old time.

Walking past the Orangery there is a lovely display of small blue flowers which have cropped up on the grass- not bluebells but tiny little meadow flower type things. Signs every 5-10m saying "these are part of our meadow collection, please stay off the grass". Small child aged about 3, running up & down through the flowers, stamping on them, picking them etc. Parents looking on indulgently, taking photographs etc.

Middle aged man with a rather fancy camera (looked like a realy Kew enthusiast) lost his shit with the parents- pointed out the child was destroying the flowers, clearly states keep off grass etc etc. Parents just smile benignly & said "oh but she's having so much fun"..

I appreciate toddlers can be tricky/wilful etc but for the love of god that surely isn't an excuse to trash the place? There's tonnes of "plain" grass areas to run about/pick daisies etc. FWIW we crossed paths with them later on & the father was watching the child pulling petals off the magnolia trees!!

You'd think people visiting Kew would have some vague notion about how plants work. If they let their kids stomp on the spring bulbs, not only do they get spoilt for this year, but they also won't be able to properly replenish the bulbs for next year - so don't just keep off the flowers, keep off the leaves too. This is an issue in bluebell woods too.

YANBU! Hate parents like this

It staggers me how many parents smile indulgently as their toddlers run and kick at pigeons and ducks while out in parks and public places. Just because they can, in theory, get away from your little horror doesn't mean they should be allowed to torment them!

I saw a small toddler screaming and shouting at a large bird at the Wetlands Centre last year, my DD wanted to do the same, I said very loudly no as it was cruel and a terrible thing to do to a wild bird/animal. The parents gave me such a look but seriously why did they think that this was ok? I think that they were just clueless rather than malicious.

I think we need to be good citizens and speak up if we see these things happening, even if its just pointing this out to a member of staff for them to deal with. Some parents just seem to be oblivious to the damage their DC are causing.

TheHouseofIllRepute I'd have been furious at the child killing the chick (not really an accident!)

How rude. Not the child.You can't expect a 3 year old to know right from wrong. You have to show them.

Total nightmare. My DD 3 has known for at least the last year that you don't pick flowers ( except dandelion clocks!) - it's not that hard! and whilst we often take her to such places, we make sure that she (and DS) are kept under close supervision.

It makes me mad when other people let their kids run riot as then mine wonder why they have to behave differently, and I am the grumpy mummy who stops them having fun.

I write for hours every week in a library that is opposite a duck pond. The number of parents who allow their children not just to chase the ducks but to harass and stress them for minute after minute is incredible. Boys, in particular, are allowed to get away with far more than girls.

Just seen an article on Mail Online (sorry) about a dad who was taking his two young daughters to visit their mum (separated) on Mothering Sunday and as they were passing a council park or some such, the girls asked to pick some flowers for their mum and nan. Bloke said they could (says he also told them not to pick too many but I doubt that somehow). Anyway, police woman turns up and points out that this is illegal. Dad FILMS the officer and has a go for making his girls feel like criminals. Apparently the dad accepts it is illegal but thinks the officer should have let it go as "he pays his taxes and therefore pays her wages". The 27 daffs were confiscated and taken to a care home - as they had been picked, they weren't to go to waste. Dad of course says as they'd already been picked, they should have been allowed to keep them. Moron.

Fortunately, most of the comments don't support the dad, pointing out that if everyone did this, there would be no flowers left for everyone to look at (and I have the say the daffs everywhere this year have looked fab).

But he is a perfect example of the parenting being criticised, quite rightly, on this thread.

My DH works at Kew he has no problem telling anyone they are behaving like dicks no matter what age. Watch out for a gruff northern grump..

I just read that, Shatners

Dad says Mother's day was ruined, ruined!, and the girls felt criminalised. Well, they wouldn't have been told off if he's had an ounce of common sense. They did ask him if they could pick them.

The most pathetic sadface ever.

Yes saw that one Shatner - anyone that uses the words "paying my taxes thats your wages" type comments immediately self identifies as an utter knob. Heartening to see the majority of the comments echoed this thread. Sorry but I did find this type of parent was more common when we lived in North London.

That said this thread has really made me want to go to Kew gardens again! (not to allow my dds to pick flowers obviously)

Uppity jerks. I hate people like this. Yanbu

pitterpatter
I look at my eldest getting pushed out the way at things, put to the back of the queue, not asked to do things because they aren't pushing but are politely waiting with their hand up quietly. Sometimes getting upset as they don't get to have a go / get asked.
and i think, actually, did i get it wrong? Should i have let them push in front, should I have taught them to battle to the top instead of thinking politeness gets you places.

Your spot on with your Wolves and Sheep analogy.

What happened next?

Did they go their separate ways or did the man let rip again... or just eye roll?

YANBU btw

This reminds me of the my walk at the weekend - several thousand year old white horse on the hillside, lots of signs saying "please do not walk on the horse etc, you will damage a landmark". I saw from a distance two families let their children not just walk on it but they were throwing around the chalk which the horse was made of. I was too far away to say anything - but that type of entitled behaviour makes me very angry - ruining things for others

I was at an NT property with a maze yesterday. Sign said No Bikes or Prams so we dutifully parked up DD's scooter and went in the maze.

Couple of primary aged kids in there on massive mountain bikes. No parents to be seen. Saw them playing hide and seek, dragging the bikes through the hedgerows, leaves flying everywhere.

Put my best teacher voice on and told them off. Can't stand destruction like that.

Urgh what is wrong with people. I told Finn off at an animal park last summer he was screaming and banging on windows at a monkey the signs clearly said do not bang on our windows as monkey is elderly and frightens easily. i looked finns indulgent parents dead in the eye as the indulgently told finn i was a nasty lady .

Cheshire1973 Your post made me laugh (in a sympathetic way!) I work in the heritage sector too and your stories all sound very familiar. It's the way the parents always seem to say 'it's fine, don't worry' when you approach and ask them to please control their children.

Although actually, the weirdest things are always done by adults. I haven't had anyone shoulder-barging a door (yet) but I've seen someone lick her finger and run it down an oil painting!

MrsJayy Oh god that makes me so angry. I can't stand going to zoos any more because of all the parents who stand there hammering on the glass while their kids shout 'Daaaaaad, it's not moving, make it move!'

I did see finn later on in the day his dad called him over to stand beside him . I wasnt grumpy just said he would scare the animal

At the magnolia tree they were approached by a more "mature" staff member & told them very clearly (bluntly) that is is NOT ok to touch/pick/pull the plants EVER by ANYONE & it is the parents responsibility to ensure that such behaviour was stopped. That seemed to rock them back a bit but I doubt it would change their attitude. Poor magnolias barely last at all without some oik pulling their petals off :-(

Blinky-blink: It was Saturday yes, but they 100% didn't apologis, the child ran/stamped the ENTIRE length of the flowers & left an obvious swathe of destroyed flowers behind them.

The gentleman who chastised them- and he really was quite civil in a "excuse me it says keep of the flowers" type approach rather than "OI GET YOUR BRAT OFF THE PLANTS"- had collared a staff member about it, but by the time he'd explained/pointed the child had come out of the flower patch.

We are Kew members. DD knows full fucking well not to do that sort of thing.

And if she tried it, she'd get told.

Good job I wasn't there, I love Kew and I'd have lost my shit with the entitled, stupid, selfish, arrogant fuckwits.

I said very loudly no as it was cruel and a terrible thing to do to a wild bird/animal

I think I love you.

Screaming at a bird? That would have incensed me even more than the flower massacre.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH, the stories on this thread are giving me the rage!