Palmetto Proving Grounds

Hey it's all good...like I said, we rarely take her out at all (normally get sitters or just eat take-out). I always hated to hear kids when I was out "pre-parenthood" and not much embarrasses me more than if my child tries to show her little ass in public, I'll head to the truck and have my wife get to-go boxes in a heartbeat. I tend to agree with you on the "order off the menu" being the deciding factor with only a few exceptions. Thanks for your response...

I agree, and this also applies at church and at USC games for me. I'm amazed when parents won't take a screaming, talking, etc. kid out of church, even during weddings, funerals, etc. It's a COURTESY to the minister, the people who are having one of the most special days of their lives videotaped, etc.

I've also been amazed over the years at sporting events when people bring kids to games that are FAR too young to enjoy or allow those around them to enjoy the experience. I know parents want to rush their kids being old enough to be able to handle it, but it's not fun being kicked and having to listen to whining and be subjected to the 1,000 trips to the concessions stand that start around the first 2 minutes of the game. Just as bad is when they buy the kid(s) a ticket "anywhere" in the stadium and then carry them to where their tickets are located and then try to squeeze them into the row so they can be together.

Just don't do it, and I bought 4 tix together before my girls were ever born, for the day WHEN THEY GOT OLD ENOUGH to be able to handle the heat, cold, length of games, etc. and they didn't come one game sooner than that. I'm proud of that, and they enjoy the game day experience, and more importantly, so do those around us as far as they're concerned. It's like my job as a teacher though, and not so much the kids' fault as it is their parents...

Big difference in 3 year olds and babies. Which were they?

Have your friends over to your house.

If you think it sucks having them sit in the table next to you, you should try waiting on them and then cleaning up after them. If the parents are obnoxious enough to bring them in, they're going to be cheap and the kids end up launching their cheerios or cheezits all over the place.

Glad i don't wait tables anymore. Only thing worse than a bunch of kids are the people that come in 10 minutes before closing and stay until an hour after no more food is served.

I have a 3 year old, and I have NEVER hesitated to take her to the bathroom, or outside if she started making a scene (which thankfully she doesn't very often). For some reason my wife would let it go longer than me, and we had a couple battles over that. I think the nicest restaurant we've taken her to is in the Yamatos, California Dreaming, Saluda's category. People in general have ZERO consideration for the people around them. The Sunday before Christmas we had our church had the little ones put on a manger scene re-enactment. With ages raging from 1 year to about 9 you expect something, but they were all good. However, there was one child in the congregation watching and he was a FREAKING DEMON. About 2 or 3 years old certainly old enough to know better. He was there with what I assume based on age were his grandparents (never seen him before). He screamed, and generally misbehaved the entire time. Then we had a dinner. The kid had kicked, hit, pushed down, or taken a toy from EVERY other child there before the night was through. Finally after he hit the last one (a 3 year old girl who's a lot bigger and was about to smack his but herself his grandmother comes over and says "did he hit her? I don't even know where he is" HE RIGHT AT HER FEET. The woman had been sitting at the table stuffing her face completely ignoring the kid while every parent there wanted to adjust his attitude. parents who don't control their offspring.

If we're talking peeves, I've got one. Happens in malls and airports all the time. Pisses me off in airports more because generally speaking, you're trying to get from point A to point B in a crowded place while hauling luggage and you don't have a ton of time. So you're trying to get to where you're going and all of sudden some imbecile decides to stop and ponder life right in the middle of where everyone is walking. Don't bother moving to the side. Just stop right there and let everyone try to work their way around your dumbass while you try to figure out why gate A-7 isn't in the C concourse.

Technically speaking you are correct but to me any child that needs to be picked up by mommy or daddy and carried around and be consoled then they are a baby (at least to me). Don't really care if they are 1 or 3 they are a baby.....

I raised my boys the same. They are now 22, 20 and 14. They knew without any second chances if they failed to listen we left. I don't care if we were at Disney.

I completely understand and I should have done something but I had just gotten laid off 2 months before and had been receiving unemployment checks. I couldn't stand it and didn't want to be a strain on society. Of course, this was 10 years ago before the economy tanked. If you're currently an unemployed strain on society I apologize.

AMEN to that. I love these lists because I have so many pet peeves that drive me nuts.
-My current number one is the person that goes 54 mph in the left lane and, due to the fact that they are gabbing away on their cell phone, they don't realize that there is a line of traffic a mile long behind them. This individual is almost always a fat woman.
-Anyone that writes a check at the grocery store=dunce. I really have to sit there and wait for you to write a damn check, note in your little ledger, tear it out, etc? Get a debit card, use a credit card, EVOLVE!!!! This is exclusively a senior citizen situation. I love our seniors. Many thanks to the greatest generation. But for the love of God call Visa pronto.
-Back to women.....why can't they figure out how to use the drive up ATM? They're designed so that you can stay inside your car while using it provided that you've got enough driving acumen to pull up next to the damn thing. If you have back up 7 times only to open the car door and get out to use then spare us all and just park your car and use the walk up ATM from the get go.

Umm no offense sir, but I suggest you let your wife go up front with your son and you sit with your daughter. JMO opinion though. You're 100% on the baby sounds a happy one is a joy and a pissed off one can knock the Earth's axis off by several degrees or at least mine could when she was too young to talk. I fear that by the time she's a teen what she say's may make me pine for the days of the screaming lol.

I agree completely with the poster who mentioned the games. You don't take a small kid to a football game, especially not a game against UGA, UF, LSU, or ScuM. They're not going to sit still, and you're going to have people around you using profanity. It happens and there's nothing you can do about it. People get so upset because their little one heard a bad word, but maybe it would be better not to have the little on in that situation. That being said I dressed a Bama fan down for multiple F-Bombs with several ladies near by last year, and he apologized quickly and actually sat down and realized he was wrong. I take my daughter (just turned 3) to "the Ray" quite often though because it's more laid back, there's the bounce house thing my wife takes her to do, we can walk around, or in extreme cases we can leave it if get's too late. Someone gave me what I think is a good litmus test for a child going to a ball game. When they can sit on the couch and watch the entire game with no fussing, then you try and OOC like Furman or whoever and go from there. I don't think she'll see a big time SEC game until she's around 7 or so. Parents have to remember their actions and kids actions also affect other people who've payed good money for what they're doing. Neither should have their experience negatively impacted.