PHOTO COURTESY OF BLOG.ETUNDRA.COM

Illustration depicting a young girl misbehaving at a restaurant, she is in, with her family.

If you can’t control your kids, or if your kids are loud and awfully behaved, don’t take them to public places. You should be at home learning how to discipline your child and teach them not to be rowdy.

Picture this: You’re sitting in church at 9:30 in the morning on Easter and you just want to hear your preacher’s message. Suddenly, a choir of “angels” starts to cry. Loudly. They may be your little angels, Brenda, but to everyone else, those are actually four toddlers screaming and crying. Can someone just invest in a baby wagon and haul them to the nursery?

I, for one, do not like kids, and I haven’t for years. When I was a kid, as in five years old, I told my mom, “The zoo would be a lot more fun if they didn’t allow all these kids,” because they were screaming and throwing temper tantrums, no doubt. 

If I were a parent and heard that my kid was acting a fool in daycare or saw that they were being rowdy and a pain in the ass to other people in a public setting, I just wouldn’t let that slide. 

And you can’t say, “Oh, they’re just kids/babies. Let them live.” I’ve seen plenty of well-behaved kids who don’t scream and cry 24/7. 

It’s like tipping. If you can’t parent your kid, don’t have kids. If you can’t afford to tip, don’t go out to eat. It’s that simple. 

Also, there should be a minimum age requirement for kids. Like height requirements for them at theme parks.

For one, your three-year-old kid isn’t going to remember going to Disney World for their birthday. Or any other experience, for that matter. 

If you’re thinking about taking your kid to the theatre, think for two seconds about whether they can sit still for long enough. If they can’t survive an hour without getting antsy, don’t bring them. I don’t need little Suzie talking in her outside voice directly behind me at a show.

Airplane rides are the same thing. Sometimes, it can’t be avoided, and I get that. But if that’s the case, at least make an effort to keep your kid in check and not annoy everyone else on the plane. 

When bringing your small children, like, let’s say, under the age of seven, think about how they act. Think about how long you’ll be there and what the event is. If they can’t behave and cause problems or an unpleasant experience for those around you, and even for yourself, maybe rethink bringing them. 

Find a sitter or, better yet, parent your kids at an early age. 

Categories: Opinion