enough

My girl Stacie just got home from a trip to Florida. Her first airplane travel toting both of the little ones along. On the way there she had more than enough hands to help "pass the baby" since she was traveling with her parents and sister. But, on the way back---flying solo. And ya know what? Her kids ROCKED! Why? Because she knows what she's doing and is one helluva ROCKIN' mom!

We spend countless hours talking about our kids. Yeah, I know. Boring to some. That's just what we do. But here's the deal. Our kids are SO damn good that when they do something just a little wrong, it seems like a big freakin' deal. It's not really---in comparison to other kids---but in comparison to their normal behavior. Whoa! Oddly enough it usually means something else is coming down the pipeline. Like sickness.

Anyway, we've talked about those kids (and families) you see on Super Nanny. If you've ever watched the show, you know what I'm talkin' about. Monsters. But why? Is it really the kids fault. I don't think so, at least not for the most part. It's the parents. Kids act the way they're taught, or allowed. And if parents don't hand out the crackdown---well, WTF do you expect?

Last night I was flipping channels on the boob tube looking for something to zone out to and found 20/20. It was a special John Stossel report called Enough and had detailed reports on the high cost of sneakers, people having bunches of kids without being married, and the one thing related to my rambling thus far, noisy kids. You really should watch this video.

In case you don't bother watching it, here's the basic story. Mom takes kids to restaurant. Kids behave badly. Really badly---climing on the walls, literally. Mom ignores the behavior. Restaurant owner lets them finish their food, then asks mom to not bring the kids to his restaurant anymore. Restaurant owner later posts a sign on the front door saying something like "Patrons of all ages eating at the restaurant should bring their quiet, indoor voices when walking through the doors". And---shocker, I know---everyone's got an opinion.

The simple fact is this parent allowed her kids to run around screaming, throwing things, climbing the walls, etc. As a parent, I'm appalled. Even if I wasn't a parent I'd be pissed as hell if I were trying to enjoy my meal and there was 'playground behavior' going on around me. Ultimately the restaurant owner took major flak from some, but also got overwhelming support from others.

So, what do you think? Is it the kids fault they behave badly, or is it the parents? And which side of the fence would you choose---supporting the restaurant owner, or never eating there again?