Things that I find mildly irritating v.2

[Indiscipline]

A child less than 3 or 4 that is screaming is not necessarily a parenting issue.  On flight 15 years ago, my son - at 3 years old - ... his eardrums wouldn't 'pop' on the descent - he ended up rupturing them and being mostly deaf for a couple of weeks.  Kinda hard to "control" the response to that kind of pain.

That's terrible and uncontrollable, and I would never complain about a situation like that.

Kids are gonna be kids. It's when parents behave like kids that I start to worry about the taxpayers and voters of tomorrow.

[Evermind]

A child less than 3 or 4 that is screaming is not necessarily a parenting issue.  On flight 15 years ago, my son - at 3 years old - ... his eardrums wouldn't 'pop' on the descent - he ended up rupturing them and being mostly deaf for a couple of weeks.  Kinda hard to "control" the response to that kind of pain.

Don't get me wrong, Chad, I'm not complaining about parenting on this one. I get it, I really do, there's pretty much nothing parents can do about it... but it's still irritating for me as a fellow passenger there (especially after getting up at fuckall a.m. in the morning and then having a flight at 10 p.m.). I mean, isn't that what this thread is about? I meant no disrespect to any parents with small kids by the way.

[ReaperKK]

A child less than 3 or 4 that is screaming is not necessarily a parenting issue.  On flight 15 years ago, my son - at 3 years old - ... his eardrums wouldn't 'pop' on the descent - he ended up rupturing them and being mostly deaf for a couple of weeks.  Kinda hard to "control" the response to that kind of pain.

That's terrible and uncontrollable, and I would never complain about a situation like that.

Kids are gonna be kids. It's when parents behave like kids that I start to worry about the taxpayers and voters of tomorrow.

Under 3 and I usually give a pass because that is a situation that can be out of their control.

[TAC]

especially after getting up at fuckall a.m. in the morning

 
Yeah, pretty much the worst time to get up. 

[jingle.boy]

A child less than 3 or 4 that is screaming is not necessarily a parenting issue.  On flight 15 years ago, my son - at 3 years old - ... his eardrums wouldn't 'pop' on the descent - he ended up rupturing them and being mostly deaf for a couple of weeks.  Kinda hard to "control" the response to that kind of pain.

Don't get me wrong, Chad, I'm not complaining about parenting on this one. I get it, I really do, there's pretty much nothing parents can do about it... but it's still irritating for me as a fellow passenger there (especially after getting up at fuckall a.m. in the morning and then having a flight at 10 p.m.). I mean, isn't that what this thread is about? I meant no disrespect to any parents with small kids by the way.

I hear ya.  Last trip mrs.jingle and I went on was exactly that.  Less than a 2 year old that could settle down for about an hour, and just wailed.  It's irritating for sure.  All I was trying to say is that those kinds of situations are also understandable, and I have a lot of sympathy for the parent - imagine how irritating it is to them... when the screaming kid is on their lap, and not only screaming, but flopping like a fish out of water.

[wolfking]

There was this fucking kid in the supermarket yesterday being a little cunt, yelling, screaming, crying and just being an obnoxious little fuck.  The mother was an absolute fucking bogan who didn't even try and discipline the kid.  I almost kicked the kid myself.  Kids like that deserved to be kicked.  I'm not a parent but you can tell when they are trying and fighting a losing battle, that's tough and understandable, even though a kicking could work well.  But when parents are that fucking dumb and ignorant and don't give a fuck or even bother to understand how much their kids are disrupting and pissing everyone else off, that fires me up.

[lordxizor]

Started to type something out, planned to not  bother, but managed to post anyway. Don't mind me.

[wolfking]

Did the mother give in to the kid's tantrum (assuming it was a tantrum and not just an obnoxious kids)? If she didn't, she did the right thing. If she did, she was just encouraging the terrible behavior. It is incredibly difficult to break kids out of tantrums. There is no logic going on in their brains at all, it's pure emotion. Usually about all you can do is ride it out or maybe distract them someohow to snap them out of it. I read a parenting thing once that said you as a parent are not at the store to make friends. I

This kid was carrying on from the moment I went into the supermarket until the moment I left.  Would have been 15 minutes in total.  The thing that pissed me off was that she was not midly embarrassed at all.  It's like she was at home with the kids, that's what got me, the blase attitude in publc.  This kid was going to get what he wanted, he had her wrapped around his little fucking 2 year old finger.

[lordxizor]

Did the mother give in to the kid's tantrum (assuming it was a tantrum and not just an obnoxious kids)? If she didn't, she did the right thing. If she did, she was just encouraging the terrible behavior. It is incredibly difficult to break kids out of tantrums. There is no logic going on in their brains at all, it's pure emotion. Usually about all you can do is ride it out or maybe distract them someohow to snap them out of it. I read a parenting thing once that said you as a parent are not at the store to make friends. I

This kid was carrying on from the moment I went into the supermarket until the moment I left.  Would have been 15 minutes in total.  The thing that pissed me off was that she was not midly embarrassed at all.  It's like she was at home with the kids, that's what got me, the blase attitude in publc.  This kid was going to get what he wanted, he had her wrapped around his little fucking 2 year old finger.

I had changed my mind about posting that, but apparently I accidentally did. If she was giving into his tantrums and giving him what he wanted she was in the wrong and I agree that's annoying. In that case she's only encouraging the behavior. If she didn't give in, she won the battle. Sucks those things annoy others, but reality is people need to shop and kids have tantrums. They sometimes overlap. Again, as I started to say in the post I meant to not post, it's not my job as a parent to ensure the other people around me are having a great shopping experience. It's my primary job to be a good parent. Sometimes leaving the store is not an option. Sometimes my kid is in full blown tantrum mode. I have to get my shopping done. And it is incredibly difficult to make kids stop tantruming without giving in to what they want. It's only happened once or twice to me over the years (and not for 15 minutes), but I dragged my kid around the store buying what I needed and didn't give in. Often the best thing to do for tantrums is to firmly state no and then ignore them. Again, not knowing exactly the situation you describe, I can't say whether the mom was right or wrong. But either way, yes it's irritating when you have to listen to it.

The reason I didn't mean to post my previous post that I accidentally did was to avoid further hijacking of the thread. You have every right to be irritated, which is the purpose of this thread. The judgmental tone of your post kind of irked me, but I wasn't there and it's very possible she was in the wrong.

[jingle.boy]

Handling a tantrum: Boss level

It's worth the watch.  This vid has 20M views on FB.

[gmillerdrake]

Handling a tantrum: Boss level

It's worth the watch.  This vid has 20M views on FB.

Really cool. Parenting is not for cowards and is not easy. If you choose to try and cut corners and make it 'easy' on yourself.....the end result will show up in your kids behavior.

Not trying to say me and Mrs. Drake have it all figured out.....that's FAR from the truth.....but we're certainly trying our best and know what a massive responsibility it is.

[Grappler]

Not trying to say me and Mrs. Drake have it all figured out.....that's FAR from the truth.....but we're certainly trying our best and know what a massive responsibility it is.

Which is why it really makes me mad when non-parents think it's ok to say "oh, that person is a shitty parent," when they have no idea what other variables have led up to the public meltdown.   I used to think that before I had kids.  Now that I do, I have so much sympathy for other parents dealing with a young child's meltdown in public. 

My daughter is 3 and started refusing naps.  So she gets tired and her energy levels ebb and flow during the day.  Catch her at the wrong time and a small thing will set her off - and sometimes you can't work a schedule around those times, or the kid will say one thing (I'm not tired/hungry) but isn't being honest and you don't know any different because they're refusing the snack that you brought with.  Maybe the parents are tired and stressed out and they've reached the "I don't give a fuck anymore" level and just need to get their shit done, regardless of the kid's mood.

So many variables to any given situation with children and it's so frustrating when someone else questions your parenting skills on a whim because they are annoyed.  Come walk a mile in my shoes buddy, with a 3-year old and a 10 month old and only getting 5 hours of sleep a night, at most, for 10 months straight, plus working 50 hours a week, managing a household, and having to be Daddy at all times, despite whatever else needs to be done.

[gmillerdrake]

I have so much sympathy for other parents dealing with a young child's meltdown in public. 

Totally. If you pause to take a look around the immediate area when a kid is having a public meltdown.....you can easily peg who has kids and who doesn't. The people that do either seem unaffected or have that 'sympathizing' look on their face and the people that don't have some sort of look of disgust or annoyment displayed.

Sure there are just moments of kids being brats and parents just not doing their jobs......but I think the majority of them are what you described.....moments where most people don't understand the variables.

[Stadler]

What?

I think a lot of new parents are more worried about their kids liking them than parenting them.  Plus, if you've got two parents who are not on the same page, that is not good. I know a divorced couple with two kids, and the mom gives the kids whatever they want, never tells them no, etc., and the dad now has reached the point where he gives in way more than he used to, likely because he doesn't want the kids to think of him as a mean father, as opposed to their "great" mom who gives them everything. 

This.    This is my stepkids dad.  He just doesn't GAF.   He doesn't speak to two of the kids (they are 100% in the right, by the way) and now just throws stuff at his youngest.  You want McDonald's?  Let's go!   He works in IT, so the kid wants a computer?  Sure!   You want to surf the interwebs?  Right on!   (Some of the videos he's described to his mom and I are... I can't watch them myself, let alone a 10 year old).   

I'm with GMD on this; parenting isn't easy, and there are no shortcuts, pills or get out of jail free cards.   It's a 24-7, 365 job, and you're either in or you're out.   I'm at the point where if I'm in an airport, or public place like that, and I even get a hint that the parents are at least trying and giving it the effort, I will absolutely say "Hey, I've been there!" or something along those lines.  What  I don't abide by is the notion of just "ignoring" them.  You're still in a public place.   In a restaurant, every kid on the planet at one time or another has been tired, or acted up, but that's not reason to just sit there enjoying that second plate of quesadillas and pretending like it's not happening.   

Along the same lines, though, I find precocious kids very irritating.   You know who I mean - basically Macauley Culkin in Home Alone.   Or any of those kids they trot out on those Steve Harvey (who I really like, by the way) shows, where the kid is quippy and snarky and just completely out of his/her lane. 

[gmillerdrake]

Along the same lines, though, I find precocious kids very irritating.   You know who I mean - basically Macauley Culkin in Home Alone.   Or any of those kids they trot out on those Steve Harvey (who I really like, by the way) shows, where the kid is quippy and snarky and just completely out of his/her lane.

This leads me to something I find extremely irritating. This whole 'viral' video stuff of babies hysterically laughing at their parent doing something silly....or really anything 'viral' based around cute/funny etc etc things that small children do.

Because.....THATS WHAT EVERY SMALL CHILD DOES.  I detest the fact that these viral moments are passed off as some unique behavior that is just SO cute/funny etc etc when literally every one of our kids have had those EXACT same moments. Drives me friggin' insane for whatever reason

[Chino]

Along the same lines, though, I find precocious kids very irritating.   You know who I mean - basically Macauley Culkin in Home Alone.   Or any of those kids they trot out on those Steve Harvey (who I really like, by the way) shows, where the kid is quippy and snarky and just completely out of his/her lane.

This leads me to something I find extremely irritating. This whole 'viral' video stuff of babies hysterically laughing at their parent doing something silly....or really anything 'viral' based around cute/funny etc etc things that small children do.

Because.....THATS WHAT EVERY SMALL CHILD DOES.  I detest the fact that these viral moments are passed off as some unique behavior that is just SO cute/funny etc etc when literally every one of our kids have had those EXACT same moments. Drives me friggin' insane for whatever reason

On the flippity flip, as someone who doesn't have kids, I get a kick out of some of these. Watching babies react to magic tricks is hilarious. There was one I saw come through a day or two ago of a baby hearing an echo for the first time in an empty hall/stairwell. They dad would make a big "WHOOP" sound and then the kid would look totally black magic mind fucked. Then the kid started making noises and hearing her own echo and couldn't stop laughing. I thought it was cute.

Maybe it's how I fill the childless void in my heart, I don't know.

[gmillerdrake]

Along the same lines, though, I find precocious kids very irritating.   You know who I mean - basically Macauley Culkin in Home Alone.   Or any of those kids they trot out on those Steve Harvey (who I really like, by the way) shows, where the kid is quippy and snarky and just completely out of his/her lane.

This leads me to something I find extremely irritating. This whole 'viral' video stuff of babies hysterically laughing at their parent doing something silly....or really anything 'viral' based around cute/funny etc etc things that small children do.

Because.....THATS WHAT EVERY SMALL CHILD DOES.  I detest the fact that these viral moments are passed off as some unique behavior that is just SO cute/funny etc etc when literally every one of our kids have had those EXACT same moments. Drives me friggin' insane for whatever reason

On the flippity flip, as someone who doesn't have kids, I get a kick out of some of these. Watching babies react to magic tricks is hilarious. There was one I saw come through a day or two ago of a baby hearing an echo for the first time in an empty hall/stairwell. They dad would make a big "WHOOP" sound and then the kid would look totally black magic mind fucked. Then the kid started making noises and hearing her own echo and couldn't stop laughing. I thought it was cute.

Maybe it's how I fill the childless void in my heart, I don't know.

I can see that.....in all honesty I didn't even consider the 'flippity flip' enjoyment out of it. And can relate to the 'joy' you'd get out of it because moments like those are cool to have as a parent.

And I guess that's my irritation at the kid viral deal..... could be more directed at the parents themselves for uploading/posting it becuase it comes off to me as part of this whole aura and atmosphere of 'look how special or unique' I am/my kids are.   

[Chino]

Along the same lines, though, I find precocious kids very irritating.   You know who I mean - basically Macauley Culkin in Home Alone.   Or any of those kids they trot out on those Steve Harvey (who I really like, by the way) shows, where the kid is quippy and snarky and just completely out of his/her lane.

This leads me to something I find extremely irritating. This whole 'viral' video stuff of babies hysterically laughing at their parent doing something silly....or really anything 'viral' based around cute/funny etc etc things that small children do.

Because.....THATS WHAT EVERY SMALL CHILD DOES.  I detest the fact that these viral moments are passed off as some unique behavior that is just SO cute/funny etc etc when literally every one of our kids have had those EXACT same moments. Drives me friggin' insane for whatever reason

On the flippity flip, as someone who doesn't have kids, I get a kick out of some of these. Watching babies react to magic tricks is hilarious. There was one I saw come through a day or two ago of a baby hearing an echo for the first time in an empty hall/stairwell. They dad would make a big "WHOOP" sound and then the kid would look totally black magic mind fucked. Then the kid started making noises and hearing her own echo and couldn't stop laughing. I thought it was cute.

Maybe it's how I fill the childless void in my heart, I don't know.

I can see that.....in all honesty I didn't even consider the 'flippity flip' enjoyment out of it. And can relate to the 'joy' you'd get out of it because moments like those are cool to have as a parent.

And I guess that's my irritation at the kid viral deal..... could be more directed at the parents themselves for uploading/posting it becuase it comes off to me as part of this whole aura and atmosphere of 'look how special or unique' I am/my kids are.

For me, I think it comes down to the parent's intention. If a mom or a dad puts a video up on their Facebook page for their friends and family to see, and then it somehow ends up on a Youtube channel or on the news (I'm shocked how often that happens), I can't blame the parents all that much. But when you have the parents that have a dedicated Instagram account for their 8 months old, or a Youtube channel dedicated to their kid, that kind of gets under my skin (Daddy o' Five). It feels more like they're exploiting them for their own gratification rather than just trying to share something spur of the moment with loved ones.

[Stadler]

Along the same lines, though, I find precocious kids very irritating.   You know who I mean - basically Macauley Culkin in Home Alone.   Or any of those kids they trot out on those Steve Harvey (who I really like, by the way) shows, where the kid is quippy and snarky and just completely out of his/her lane.

This leads me to something I find extremely irritating. This whole 'viral' video stuff of babies hysterically laughing at their parent doing something silly....or really anything 'viral' based around cute/funny etc etc things that small children do.

Because.....THATS WHAT EVERY SMALL CHILD DOES.  I detest the fact that these viral moments are passed off as some unique behavior that is just SO cute/funny etc etc when literally every one of our kids have had those EXACT same moments. Drives me friggin' insane for whatever reason

On the flippity flip, as someone who doesn't have kids, I get a kick out of some of these. Watching babies react to magic tricks is hilarious. There was one I saw come through a day or two ago of a baby hearing an echo for the first time in an empty hall/stairwell. They dad would make a big "WHOOP" sound and then the kid would look totally black magic mind fucked. Then the kid started making noises and hearing her own echo and couldn't stop laughing. I thought it was cute.

Maybe it's how I fill the childless void in my heart, I don't know.

I battle with both of these.  I see where both of you are coming from.   My grandson is being raised in a family that has a very significant social media presence.   ALL the kids - i.e., the parents and their sisters - have Snapgram and Instachat and Facespace and even a couple I've never heard of, and so my grandson is ALL. OVER. THE. INTERNET (obviously subject to account accesses and what not; you can't actually GOOGLE him, at least I don't think).  I don't say a word about it, I don't voice my opinion on it, because I'm not the parent, but I do feel a little uneasy when all these videos show up.   I get it, he is being raised by parents that don't have a problem with it and he'll be comfortable with it, and so likely not have a problem himself, but I wonder.   I just don't think every moment needs to be documented like that.   It puts - like I think Gary is alluding to - a false importance on things.    The boy's dad - my stepson, with whom I am very close - often asks me "when did [my daughter] walk/talk/shit solid/eat potato chips for the first time", and I'm like, I don't know.  I suppose I could look it up, but it's less about the normal life-milestones and more about the arc of her life.  I'm sure if there were significant milestones missed, it would be different, but while I understand (and appreciate) that others' might take joy in them, I worry about the over-emphasis on things that don't merit that weight.

EDIT:  I didn't see both of your subsequent replies when I posted this, so sorry for any duplication.

[gmillerdrake]

For me, I think it comes down to the parent's intention. If a mom or a dad puts a video up on their Facebook page for their friends and family to see, and then it somehow ends up on a Youtube channel or on the news (I'm shocked how often that happens), I can't blame the parents all that much. But when you have the parents that have a dedicated Instagram account for their 8 months old, or a Youtube channel dedicated to their kid, that kind of gets under my skin (Daddy o' Five). It feels more like they're exploiting them for their own gratification rather than just trying to share something spur of the moment with loved ones.

Completely agree with this sentiment on the matter.

[Chino]

Back to school pictures piss me off more than baby videos.

[Indiscipline]

Lots of good points, and they nicely tie with what was discussed earlier.

How can you realistically pull your kid out of a tantrum if she's spent her brief existence watching you continously filming/taking shots of her like a movie star and reacting to her every little common baby landmark like she's crapping Mona Lisas on command?

I raised a step-daughter, thus I probably lack that "true" visceral connection, nonetheless I feel a legit parent (and I'm felt as such - I'm the one she's always called "dad", not the natural parent) and I find overreaction as dangerous as indifference.

[lordxizor]

I absolutely hate the trend of mom's posting memes or photos about how happy they are their kids are going back to school. I get it. Raising kids is hard. But to actively praise how awesome it is to get them out of their hair really bugs me. Why the hell did you have kids if you don't want to spend time with them?

[Stadler]

I'm with you on that.   

(Though it reminds me of a very funny scene in "My Name Is Earl" where Joy walks in with her bags packed and Earl says "Happy Mother's Day!".  She says "I hope so!' and turns to her kids, standing next to their dad and says "Ok, kids, remember, it's Mother's Day, so if you need anything call Darnell and don' bother me!")

[King Postwhore]

That Staples commercial is killer as well.

[jingle.boy]

I absolutely hate the trend of mom's posting memes or photos about how happy they are their kids are going back to school. I get it. Raising kids is hard. But to actively praise how awesome it is to get them out of their hair really bugs me. Why the hell did you have kids if you don't want to spend time with them?

Mrs.jingle?  Is that you? 

She wants to cunt-punch anyone who ever expresses relief that their children are going back to school, or what not.  It's such a short time that we have them, and that our children look up to us as their everything.  jingle.kids are moving off to college at the end of this month, and I cringe at every person that tells us how awesome it's going to be having them out of the house.  It's an exciting time for sure, but it's a sad time filled with a sense of loss as well - double-duty for us with both of them leaving within 5 days of each other.

[Cool Chris]

I dunno guys, I don't get caught up in all these memes and didn't even realize this was one, but I am a father of two and I chuckled at that picture of the mom in the pool. Let's not over-analyze this too much.

[jingle.boy]

I dunno guys, I don't get caught up in all these memes and didn't even realize this was one, but I am a father of two and I chuckled at that picture of the mom in the pool. Let's not over-analyze this too much.

As a one-off, sure.  But when this mom (and thousands of other parents) makes these kinds of posts/pics her lifestyle, she's exploiting her motherhood.  That I don't agree with.

[King Postwhore]

Parents of young children don't feel that way.  Parents of teens, whole other ball of wax.

[lordxizor]

Parents of young children don't feel that way.

If you're talking about celebrating their kids going off to school, they absolutely do. Watch out on Facebook the next few weeks and you'll see tons of moms celebrating their kids going off the elementary school or even going to school for the first time.

Mrs.jingle?  Is that you? 

It's been me all along. I know everything you've posted about me here. 
 

[Stadler]

I absolutely hate the trend of mom's posting memes or photos about how happy they are their kids are going back to school. I get it. Raising kids is hard. But to actively praise how awesome it is to get them out of their hair really bugs me. Why the hell did you have kids if you don't want to spend time with them?

Mrs.jingle?  Is that you? 

She wants to cunt-punch anyone who ever expresses relief that their children are going back to school, or what not.  It's such a short time that we have them, and that our children look up to us as their everything.  jingle.kids are moving off to college at the end of this month, and I cringe at every person that tells us how awesome it's going to be having them out of the house.  It's an exciting time for sure, but it's a sad time filled with a sense of loss as well - double-duty for us with both of them leaving within 5 days of each other.

Best part of my divorce?  I had my kid two nights during the week.  She'd come home from school, do her homework on the counter while I cooked, and then we'd go in the other room and eat and talk.   

Worst part of my divorce?  My ex had my kid two night during the week.  It was hard to sit in the house by myself, cook by myself, so I'd go to the local bar and have a meal and end up drinking the rest of the night.  Not my finest hour (though it wasn't as bad as it could be.  It wasn't like I was banging strippers and stumbling home at 3 am not knowing how I got there). 

Maybe I was luckier than I thought, but I was an involved dad, and I loved my time with my kid.   Sharing music with her.  Sharing books.   Yeah, even sharing her Polly Pockets or whatever the fuck they were.   Now, she's like Jingle's kid(s), fixing to go to college and I'm like, "Hey, UConn is a good school!" (It's 20 minutes from our house).   

[King Postwhore]

Parents of young children don't feel that way.

If you're talking about celebrating their kids going off to school, they absolutely do. Watch out on Facebook the next few weeks and you'll see tons of moms celebrating their kids going off the elementary school or even going to school for the first time.

Mrs.jingle?  Is that you? 

It's been me all along. I know everything you've posted about me here. 
 

It's a natural reaction.  Kids are exhausting.  I would say most parents think they know what they are getting into but don't really know the depths of parenthood.   You're making to much about nothing.

[King Postwhore]

I absolutely hate the trend of mom's posting memes or photos about how happy they are their kids are going back to school. I get it. Raising kids is hard. But to actively praise how awesome it is to get them out of their hair really bugs me. Why the hell did you have kids if you don't want to spend time with them?

Mrs.jingle?  Is that you? 

She wants to cunt-punch anyone who ever expresses relief that their children are going back to school, or what not.  It's such a short time that we have them, and that our children look up to us as their everything.  jingle.kids are moving off to college at the end of this month, and I cringe at every person that tells us how awesome it's going to be having them out of the house.  It's an exciting time for sure, but it's a sad time filled with a sense of loss as well - double-duty for us with both of them leaving within 5 days of each other.

You're on the other end of the spectrum.  Kids leaving the nest is a whole new adventure to you sand the Mrs.  So many dynamics now for you two to work through.

[lordxizor]

Parents of young children don't feel that way.

If you're talking about celebrating their kids going off to school, they absolutely do. Watch out on Facebook the next few weeks and you'll see tons of moms celebrating their kids going off the elementary school or even going to school for the first time.

Mrs.jingle?  Is that you? 

It's been me all along. I know everything you've posted about me here. 
 

It's a natural reaction.  Kids are exhausting.  I would say most parents think they know what they are getting into but don't really know the depths of parenthood.   You're making to much about nothing.

I have no problem that they're a bit relieved to have a break from the kids.  I certainly appreciate a break. It's the public declaration basically stating "I'm so happy I don't have to take care of my children so I can sit around and drink wine all day" that bugs me.

[King Postwhore]

You should see my Facebook posts

don't let them lie to you, theydrink wine when the kids are there.