Kids and Small Hotels and Breakfast Time Nightmares

hayleyc_2

We all have different ideas about how children should behave so it's very hard to judge whether the children people complain about are really out of control and running riot, or just behaving like normal children. Personally, as a parent of a 4yr old and a 2yr old, I think some people have unfair expectations of how children should behave in public. A two year old, for example, is not capable of sitting still for long periods unless they are ill! Regardless of how good a parent you are, children will always make mistakes, or have bad days just like the rest of us. They're learning (usually by example) how to behave. It's our job as parents and non-parents to provide that good example. How can we expect children to be polite, kind and tolerant of other people if we're unkind, judgemental and intolerant of them?

Person_one

shellsuit wrote: »

Someone asked how hard it was to control children, and I pointed out they didn't have any, so would have no idea of how hard it is.

It is a bit of a daft thing to say.

Not having your own children doesn't mean you never have anything to do with them and no clue about what they're like.

Plenty of teachers don't have children, I reckon they probably know how hard it can be to control them!

shellsuit

Person_one wrote: »

It is a bit of a daft thing to say.

Not having your own children doesn't mean you never have anything to do with them and no clue about what they're like.

Plenty of teachers don't have children, I reckon they probably know how hard it can be to control them!

To control children at breakfast time in a hotel or b&b, which is what the topic is about!

I don't know any teachers who take other peoples children to breakfast in a hotel or b&b.

Person_one

shellsuit wrote: »

To control children at breakfast time in a hotel or b&b, which is what the topic is about!

I don't know any teachers who take other peoples children to breakfast in a hotel or b&b.

I imagine lots of aunts and uncles and older siblings do.

Is controlling them in that one specific situation so completely unique that you really think only a parent can possibly have any comprehension of what it involves? Aren't children all different anyway? Maybe, just maybe, parents are only experts in their own kids, rather than having some sort of magical all knowing parental superpowers?

shellsuit

Person_one wrote: »

I imagine lots of aunts and uncles and older siblings do.

Is controlling them in that one specific situation so completely unique that you really think only a parent can possibly have any comprehension of what it involves? Aren't children all different anyway? Maybe, just maybe, parents are only experts in their own kids, rather than having some sort of magical all knowing parental superpowers?

OK, someone who has never had their own children, or cared for children, will have no idea how hard it can be to control children and keep them quiet at times when they just don't want to sit and be quiet.

Is that better?

Spendless

Experience is what I say makes the difference. My adult neice took my 2 out recently. My kids said she said they were going home, cos my DD dropped her drink, her ketchup and her ice skate. She's about to train to be a teacher- bet she has loads more patience within a year or two.

Lotus-eater

Person_one wrote: »

Why do we even have to go down the road of 'if you're not a parent you don't understand'?

Because you don't?

My DD's teachers/grandparents/aunties, all think she is a perfectly behaved little girl and so she is most of the time, alot of it when she is with them :rotfl:

I reckon that's down to my good parenting and I'm not joking.

Person_one

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Because you don't?

My DD's teachers/grandparents/aunties, all think she is a perfectly behaved little girl and so she is most of the time, alot of it when she is with them :rotfl:

I reckon that's down to my good parenting and I'm not joking.

You've mean you've had to put a lot of work into teaching your child to behave? Oh my word, clueless childless me over here thought they sprang from the womb knowing all the rules already!

Lotus-eater

Person_one wrote: »

You've mean you've had to put a lot of work into teaching your child to behave? Oh my word, clueless childless me over here thought they sprang from the womb knowing all the rules already!

Well there you go, even you have learnt something today.

belfastgirl23

The thing that bugs me is people who bring their kids out for a meal then proceed to ignore them for the whole time. My last hotel stay there was a family with mum, dad and the two kids. Dad was on his mobile all through breakfast and mum was texting/emailing. The two kids were just sitting there looking grumpy and bored (and were behaving remarkably well considering). I don't know how many times I've seen parents in the UK out with their kids and totally ignoring them, so the kids either behave or don't according to their own whim. I don't have kids but the reason I don't is that I am probably too selfish to give them proper attention. So what I don't get is why those people have had kids if they're going to ignore them.

Often when you see grumpy/annoying kids they're only being like that to see if they can get some attention. And it doesn't even work in many cases. I feel sorry for them really.

I don't expect parents to control their kids, just to engage with them. Then even if the kid is being annoying, at least it feels like someone is trying to make it better.