No Family Passes!
I can't take credit for this idea. My husband came up with the idea of the 'family pass' and it refers to people with children who expect the entire world to become kid friendly simply because they decided to procreate. They are also the people who expect everyone else to tolerate their child's temper tantrum or property destruction. It's the mom on her cell phone, with a double-wide stroller, taking up the entire aisle at the mall while both children run in circles around her. She expects you to walk around. After all, she has CHILDREN!
I admit, there have been times when I've been guilty of trying to use a 'family pass'. It's usually unintentional, but that's really no excuse. When I decide to take my children out in public, it is my job to make sure that they behave in a way that is appropriate for the setting. If I take them to the park, they can run, yell, laugh and be loud. If I take them to the library, they have to speak softly, sit quietly during story time and choose books calmly and gently. If I find that they are not behaving appropriately and are not responding to my requests to change their behavior, I need to remove them from the situation.
The other part of this concept is that some parents expect every setting to be 'child friendly'. Some places are not for children. Fancy restaurants are only for people who know how to behave in fancy restaurants. Bars are for people who can drink alcohol. Any event that occurs after 10:00 PM does not have to be child-friendly. Those kids should be IN BED!
My husband likes to use a rather extreme example to illustrate this point. He said it's like a family with little children walking into a strip club and complaining that there are naked ladies, cigarette smoke and alcohol.
So, if you've been guilty of trying to use a Family Pass, please know that this pass is only in your head. It doesn't exist. Many people don't have children. Some people want to go out occasionally without their children. These people shouldn't have to deal with someone else's badly behaved kids when they are trying to enjoy 'adult time'.
I admit, there have been times when I've been guilty of trying to use a 'family pass'. It's usually unintentional, but that's really no excuse. When I decide to take my children out in public, it is my job to make sure that they behave in a way that is appropriate for the setting. If I take them to the park, they can run, yell, laugh and be loud. If I take them to the library, they have to speak softly, sit quietly during story time and choose books calmly and gently. If I find that they are not behaving appropriately and are not responding to my requests to change their behavior, I need to remove them from the situation.
The other part of this concept is that some parents expect every setting to be 'child friendly'. Some places are not for children. Fancy restaurants are only for people who know how to behave in fancy restaurants. Bars are for people who can drink alcohol. Any event that occurs after 10:00 PM does not have to be child-friendly. Those kids should be IN BED!
My husband likes to use a rather extreme example to illustrate this point. He said it's like a family with little children walking into a strip club and complaining that there are naked ladies, cigarette smoke and alcohol.
So, if you've been guilty of trying to use a Family Pass, please know that this pass is only in your head. It doesn't exist. Many people don't have children. Some people want to go out occasionally without their children. These people shouldn't have to deal with someone else's badly behaved kids when they are trying to enjoy 'adult time'.
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