To ask why people let their kids run riot?

[alfie22]

Sat in the GP waiting room and there's a child of about 4/5 running around screaming and shouting so loudly. Mother is sat on her phone not paying attention to her DC. There's a patient here who is clearly unwell and obviously the mother isn't considerate enough to calm her child down.

AIBU to think there is a time and place for this? Do some parents just not care about what their kids do?

Child just tried the handle of a doctors office and mum still didn't bat an eyelid

Because they are knobs basically.

There are really only two types of people in the world, knobs and not knobs.

OP as a father of two children under 3 years of age I could not agree with you more.

YANBU in the slightest!

However you’re going to get flamed on here by people itching to say the following:

• the child almost certainly has a hidden SN

• The mother may be having a hard day, (...therefore everyone else in the surgery needs to have a hard day also..!)

• Kids need to “express themselves” and there’s nothing wrong here, YABU etc

We are rapidly losing sight of behavioural norms due to parents “need” to create their own little bubble with their phones and demand time away from parenting.

With the resultant effect that everyone else is forced to endure someone else’s life choices.

I'd have a bit of sympathy. You don't know why she is there and what is going on in her life.

Different ideas on parenting styles.
Differing views on what behaviour is acceptable.
Lack of parenting skills (partners thinking they should stop the bah input but not knowing how to)
Exhaustion.
Mental health issues.
Laziness.
Lack of awareness.
Lack of consideration for others.

The number of reasons is as varied as people's personalities.

Yes it is annoying especially in a place where people need rest and there might be dangerous things about.

There is no one easy answer and no easy way to stop it.

I struggle with my MH but I'd still never sit back and let my child run wild around a doctors office

GinDaddy bingo and there you have it!

Because other people tut, passive aggressively start threads rather than ask the mother outright to sit her child down quietly and entertain him.

On the other hand there would then be a reverse thread about 'the woman in Drs who blah blah' - because no one ever COMMUNICATES verbally anymore.

Speak to her , I wouldn’t sit quietly in a doctors surgery of all places and listen to a child run amok. She’ll get defensive but the other patients will thank you for it .

I wonder why the receptionist hasn't said anything, especially about trying the door

Said child rolling around on the floor and kicked me in the leg. I had to say something then

Lizzy just proved your point Gin.

Who gives a damn what your personal issues are. Dont inflict your brats on others!

I was bumped into by a toddler on a balance bike last week in the walk in centre. She banged right into the infected bite on my leg I was there for. I’m not sure how I managed to restrain myself from giving the mum a gob full!

As the mum of a child with autism and adhd as well as multiple health problems I get that it can be a nightmare at times however that’s my problem not Other peoples in the waiting room and I will always make every effort to ensure he doesn’t cause problems for others

YANBU although I will confess to taking my eye of the ball once or twice in the past just through sheer exhaustion. I told my DC off as soon as I realised but I had absolutely no idea they were even doing anything for a few minutes. Just sort of drifted into a world of my own and forgot where I was I think- it happens. This sounds different because the Mum was just staring at her phone.

A pet hate is children running a mock in restaurants. Witnessed it in the cinema before now too...

I’ve told children off before btw and been thanked for it . If you can’t control your children keep them at home . They are not the previous little snowflakes their parents believe they are and sometimes do need to be pulled up on their behaviour.

Precious

@Sirzy

Can imagine that’s full on at times and massive respect to you.

Personally think you’ve hit nail on head regarding effort etc, if people can see you’re engaging with them etc then fair enough. Not all children are immediately compliant, lord I know this , but at least one is trying to be mindful of the environment and your child’s needs

What did the mother say ?

@Purpletigers she apologised but let the child continue rolling on the floor

Can you speak directly to the child ? Might encourage the parent to actually interact with him /her .

Some people are completely useless at parenting, children should be taught to sit in a doctors surgery quietly.

What were the receptionists doing during all of this?

there is a woman who regularly goes to the same cafe as me on a Saturday with her baby. She never brings anything for the baby to do, or eat (she orders herself a slice of cake but won't allow the baby any). She allows the baby to crawl all over the place, under other people's chairs, all over the show while she's on her phone or sat on her arse just watching. I think eventually the staff has a word after one of them nearly tripped over the baby but last week she gave the baby the metal table number holder to bang while she was on her phone.

Utterly stupid clueless woman. When her DP comes in from the supermarket she hands the baby straight to him (and he does properly look after the baby) while she carries on with her phone.

It's incredibly stressful being in the room with this baby who could have a chair pushed back into him or hot tea dropped on him, listening to him bang bang banging. If their cake wasn't so bloody delicious I'd go elsewhere!

Many years ago, when my children were small, if we were out and about we would be chatting about stuff. Nothing earth shattering, just general conversation about things. In a surgery waiting room, I’d have brought some toy from home for the child to play with or books that we would read.

It disappoints me that I see so many people more interested in checking their phones than interacting with their children. As well as losing the ability to hand write p, they’ll be losing the ability to speak.

it's the law of unintended consequences, all as a result of the permissive society which started in the 60s. I won't go on.