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AIBU?

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Original poster

The other side of "naughty British kids"

101 replies

AngryGreasedSantaCatcus · 31/08/2023 07:40

I'm posting on AIBU as this is where most of the threads about how awful British kids/parents/parenting are , and this is a "reply" to all of them.

Just came back from holiday in a resort that is not really aimed at Brits. As a result, there were only one or two British families there beside us. The majority were German with some French, Russians , Turkish and Romanians.

Well, guess what? Plenty of "naughty" kids despite their lack of British passports.

Plenty of screaming and screeching.
Inconsiderate splashing/jumping in the pool getting people on sun loungers and their belongings wet.
Running all over the place , include in restaurants. Several falls and accidents.
Trying and sometimes succeeding to throw the entertainers in the pool. Even an adult did that.
Recklessly picking up cat/kittens, chasing them, annoying them, carrying them about etc.
Dozens of dropped plates.
Ignoring safety signs and lifeguards, diving, jumping and hanging off the bridge, railings etc.
Swimming in the pools after hours, or when one was shut for emergency cleaning or in the 18+ ones.

Probably more that didn't register as we were busy having fun ourselves. None of this actually bothered me(bar the cats situation) and we really enjoyed our holiday.

However, I really wanted to make a point that no, it's not just British kids and that no, other nationalities don't have better (behaved) children as a rule.

OP posts:
Fivebyfive2 · 31/08/2023 07:51

I'm absolutely baffled by all the fawning over (usually) French children/parenting. We went to France on holiday a few times when I was a kid and would often chat to some families staying around by us, very often French families. The kids ran around at mealtimes, ate chocolate for breakfast, sulked at their parents. Nothing awful, just kids/teenagers being over excited/tired and pushing boundaries I guess.

I'm 35 now and have a 3.5 year old Ds. We haven't been abroad with him yet but I'm pretty sure when we do we'll see a mix of differently behaved kids from different places.

jeaux90 · 31/08/2023 07:53

I want to know where you went so I can avoid it Grin

Testina · 31/08/2023 07:55

I just spent 2 weeks on holiday with a switch of hotel and town half way. First hotel we were the only Brits. Second was Tui-on-Sea and almost nothing but!

Children’s behaviour the same in each (and mostly pretty good).

I will say though, there was a very marked difference in adult lobster men. Brits: sort your sun cream out!

toomuchlaundry · 31/08/2023 07:55

Me too @jeaux90

Original poster
AngryGreasedSantaCatcus · 31/08/2023 07:55

jeaux90 · 31/08/2023 07:53

I want to know where you went so I can avoid it Grin

It was actually a brilliant holiday and we thoroughly enjoyed it.Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
AngryGreasedSantaCatcus · 31/08/2023 08:06

Testina · 31/08/2023 07:55

I just spent 2 weeks on holiday with a switch of hotel and town half way. First hotel we were the only Brits. Second was Tui-on-Sea and almost nothing but!

Children’s behaviour the same in each (and mostly pretty good).

I will say though, there was a very marked difference in adult lobster men. Brits: sort your sun cream out!

Yes, these were obviously the noticeable behaviours. A lot more children perfectly well behaved and doing their thing.

It just frustrates me to see so many threads painting British kids as feral monsters while other nationalities are portrayed as paradigms of virtue and good behaviour.

I'm not even British so I have no actual skin in the game.

OP posts:
CharlotteBog · 31/08/2023 08:12

Throwing entertainers in the pool?
You mean people? And adults tried this too?

Original poster
AngryGreasedSantaCatcus · 31/08/2023 08:15

CharlotteBog · 31/08/2023 08:12

Throwing entertainers in the pool?
You mean people? And adults tried this too?

Yeah . One particular kid was doing it on a daily basis, so there might have been some kind of "understanding ".

But yeah, one adult pushed one of the entertainers(fully clothed, with money ,phone and fags in his pockets) in the pool and then got very surprised/offended, when they all left and that the poor guy was pissed off. 🙄

OP posts:
LadyBird1973 · 31/08/2023 08:19

There's a thing in this country of constantly criticising ourselves and thinking other nations do everything better, from food to clothes style to raising kids. We even carry on like we were the only country to ever have an empire and constantly flagellate ourselves about how awful we are, as if no other nation did it too! It's bollocks - countries are populated by individuals, some of whom will be better at parenting/stylish dressing/whatever, than other individuals within that same nation.

Girasoli · 31/08/2023 08:22

We were at a theme park in Italy yesterday...most kids were Italian, German or British. Heard English and Italian kids get told off equally! (I don't speak any German so if any German kids were getting told off I don't know)

Trixiefirecracker · 31/08/2023 08:22

I don’t understand why MN always rant about the terrible British kids situation either. I think (well I know) there are good and bad behaviours from children all over the world. Maybe it’s just a British bashing thing? We like to tear ourselves apart a bit and clearly others do as well! 😂

SeulementUneFois · 31/08/2023 08:23

Ok if you read the foreign papers you'll see that other countries self flagellate too :).
Though maybe on different subjects.

The french papers always critique their civil service, their health service, etc.

Athena51 · 31/08/2023 08:30

I work at a university that hosts international summer schools, the majority of kids (many French and Italian, the most fawned over on MN) are absolutely feral monsters away from the control of their (undoubtedly chic, slim) mothers Smile

francesthebadger · 31/08/2023 08:31

Yep, big group of French kids here playing hide and seek under the dining room tables and chasing around squealing. They are having a good time. As are their parents. Live and let live?

Original poster
AngryGreasedSantaCatcus · 31/08/2023 08:36

I know self flagellation is a thing. My view might be slightly skewed as there are so many "anti children" threads going on at the moment , it's almost like it's fashionable to hate/despise children. It feels like something more than the usual "aren't we rubbish" self deprecation thing.

British kids aren't any better or worse than other kids.

OP posts:
MumblesParty · 31/08/2023 08:37

It’s not a UK thing, it’s a MN thing. It mainly flared up after Brexit, when MN decided British people were evil, their children were vile feral creatures, and we all wanted emigrate to idyllic mainland Europe except we couldn’t because of Brexit. Ever since then, MN is overrun with posters saying that everything, literally everything, is better in the EU. I believe that even dog poo doesn’t smell over there, and no one gets ill. Oh but if they do, they can have open heart surgery there and then if needed, for free, within 5 seconds of calling the ambulance. And all the women of all ages are effortlessly stylish! And teens are charming.

Regholdsworthswaterbed · 31/08/2023 08:38

True. You want to see feral teenagers then look no further than Dutch kids.

Original poster
AngryGreasedSantaCatcus · 31/08/2023 08:40

MumblesParty · 31/08/2023 08:37

It’s not a UK thing, it’s a MN thing. It mainly flared up after Brexit, when MN decided British people were evil, their children were vile feral creatures, and we all wanted emigrate to idyllic mainland Europe except we couldn’t because of Brexit. Ever since then, MN is overrun with posters saying that everything, literally everything, is better in the EU. I believe that even dog poo doesn’t smell over there, and no one gets ill. Oh but if they do, they can have open heart surgery there and then if needed, for free, within 5 seconds of calling the ambulance. And all the women of all ages are effortlessly stylish! And teens are charming.

Edited

Some things ARE better. Thyme for example.Grin

OP posts:
dooneyousmugelf · 31/08/2023 08:42

I didn't know anyone thought otherwise. When I was younger it was the Italian kids who had the reputation as the worst behaved (I grew up outside of the UK).

DarkPsy · 31/08/2023 08:54

I'm currently in Greece and keep getting compliments on my well behaved kids (ds saves his meltdowns for the hotel). Greek kids are feral! Tantrumming, fighting, throwing sand at each other and every other word is Malaka! Kids are definitely more free here. They form gangs and charge up and down the beach playing, it's actually quite nice to see.

Original poster
AngryGreasedSantaCatcus · 31/08/2023 09:30

dooneyousmugelf · 31/08/2023 08:42

I didn't know anyone thought otherwise. When I was younger it was the Italian kids who had the reputation as the worst behaved (I grew up outside of the UK).

There's several threads a year about how much worse British kids are compared to others. People see what they want to see.

OP posts:
UnctuousUnicorns · 31/08/2023 09:38

My parents, my husband, and I, on three separate occasions while travelling or visiting a place, have experience of groups of French schoolchildren (high school age). We compared notes on our experiences, and concluded that on all three encounters, they were the most abysmally behaved kids we had ever seen. Needless to say, the teachers were nowhere to be seen.

Longagonow96 · 31/08/2023 09:40

LadyBird1973 · 31/08/2023 08:19

There's a thing in this country of constantly criticising ourselves and thinking other nations do everything better, from food to clothes style to raising kids. We even carry on like we were the only country to ever have an empire and constantly flagellate ourselves about how awful we are, as if no other nation did it too! It's bollocks - countries are populated by individuals, some of whom will be better at parenting/stylish dressing/whatever, than other individuals within that same nation.

Careful! That's MN heresy right there. You'll get banned.

suckrifice · 31/08/2023 09:53

jeaux90 · 31/08/2023 07:53

I want to know where you went so I can avoid it Grin

Me too. A nightmare. 😅

Original poster
AngryGreasedSantaCatcus · 31/08/2023 09:55

Like i said it's not really a place aimed at Brits, but just in case, it was Dream World Aqua in Side,Turkey. We actually went twice, so there must obviously be something wrong with us.Grin

OP posts: