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Friday night we went to an Akron Aeros baseball game. We received free tickets from one of BFs friends, so we invited my sister and her friend, and one of my bestest friends, C, and her boyfriend, T.
We had pretty good seats {which pretty much just means I could actually see what was happening} in a pretty packed crowd. There was a family behind us with two small children. The whole bunch was there… grandma, grandpa, mom, dad, uncles, and a three year old and probably 5-ish year old.
At first I was all, “awe, they are taking the little ones to a game! How cute!” That was, until the peanut shell spitting started.
Let’s be clear. This is a minor league team. The rows of seats are very close together. But these children were chewing up peanuts, and spitting the shells in my hair/on my back and on C’s back. And the parents? They. Laughed.
Only after the laughing did the parents say “Don’t do that,” and then continued to laugh more. Way to reinforce not to do something when you think it’s FUNNY.C and I were visibly irritated. We were wiping the chewed peanut shells out of our hair and off of our backs. But I still let it go. Just kids, right?
That’s what I thought. Until the devil children children started to walk back and forth from Grandma {who just thinks EVERYTHING is “So cute!”} to mom and dad… using our hair/backs/clothes as ways to keep balance. Then the screaming began. Not your normal “I’m-at-a-baseball-game” screaming, but possessed-by-the-devil, screaming at the top of their lungs. In. Our. Ears.
BF could tell I was getting annoyed. And he didn’t try and calm me, as he usually does, because I think he realized I was within reason.
But then the one devil child, whom not surprisingly the mom let open the sippy cup, decided to dump the sippy cup contents onto my back/lap as well as BFs back/lap.
I can’t even say that this was the worst of it. Cause then the parents didn’t even apologize. They had the balls to say, “Don’t worry. It’s just water. Mostly. …and juice.” and continued to laugh at their devil-childrens antics.
BF, who always keeps his cool, was irritated. And then the dad said “If you want you can spank him,” to us.
I was furious. Furious! How could these people be so non-chalant about their children being downright awful in a place so public? Again, I understand that when in public settings, it’s impossible to have your children behave like little angels. I give the benefit-of-the-doubt to parents with children who just refuse to behave. But these parents didn’t even attempt to put their children in line. They thought it was funny. Cute, even. I was so disgusted. I did not go off on these people, but I felt that I had the right to say something. This morning I am frustrated that I let it go.
What do you think? Was I within my rights to say something to their horrible parents?
You would have been completely in line to say something. Especially when they said that you could spank him! That would have definitely made me something along the lines of, “Well I would if I was his mother, but, oh wait, that would mean that he would have a mother who cares about how he behaves in public, which obviously isn't the case.”
I would have done the same thing! I had a kid taking things out of my cart at the grocery store the other week and put them into his moms stuff on the belt. I told the little boy who was probably 5 that the food wasn't his and he told me “I do whatever I want.”
Finally the mom turned around and giggled and put the kid in the cart. After that he ripped off his shoes and threw them, I didn't tell her where they were I just gave her a dirty glare.
I get so annoyed when people can't control their kids to some extent.
You would have been completely right to say something. If those idiot parents had been able to think of what it was like to be in your shoes, they wouldn't have been laughing. You came to enjoy a baseball game with friends, not to be in the middle of a food fight.
Those parents should be reprimanded for being unable/unwilling to control their children in public.
I have a high BS tolerance (after being a pediatrician for 4 years, the sounds of kids crying is background noise) but when crap like that happens, I say something.
Unfortunately this does not surprise me. And you would have been fine to say something, but I really think it would have been a wasted effort. Obviously that family has no respect for other people and I am sure that wont change any time soon. So sorry they ruined your time!!
I would have freaked the eff out on those parents..I agree with the other girl that it would probably be a wasted effort but still, have some freakin decency.
wow… my blood boiled just reading your entry! I totally would have said something to the family. That was rude, inconsiderate and just over all unnecessary. I hope the entire family gets chicken pox, a stomach bug and uncontrollable diarrhea all at the same time… oh and the mom better have her period at its worst / heaviest flow too! LOL
i would have smacked the kids then id be on tv being persecuted like that person at walmart who did the same thing.
i mean i dont like kids, but i tolerate them. If you dont like dogs, fine, i keep mine on a leash, he doesnt run around sniffing you and barking at you and crapping in your yard.
people need to learn to discipline their kids or put them on a leash.
You totally should have said something, but I'm like you in situations like that….I'm afraid that because I don't have kids, if I make comments to parents who let their kids do whatever they want, they'll think I'm just the “bitchy girl who doesn't like kids.” It's not that at all. I have an elementary ed. degree after all…I just have no tolerance for parents who don't make their kids have any respect. Ugh.
This irritates ME and I wasn't even there. You poor thing having to put up with this. For sure you had a right to say something, but it sounds like they probably wouldn't have given a crap. What lousy parenting skills.
If the dad gave me permission to spank his child, I might have actually done it. You were totally in your rights to be annoyed and saying something wouldn't have been a totally horrible thing. Obviously they weren't raised well either if they couldn't even apologize for their children dumping a drink on you. How awful.
I get so annoyed when people can't control their kids to some extent.
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