I've been taking the kids up to the play area at Patrick Henry Mall about once a week. They love it! I've enjoyed meeting new moms and chatting. I have lots of thoughts while I'm there. Mostly, I feel bad for several of the kids. I never get annoyed with the other children; I get annoyed with their mothers. There should be two separate play areas- one for parents who are actually going to tend to their kids and one for parents who are going to play on their I-phones or talk to their friends (nothing wrong with either of those things ever) but with blatant disregard to the behavior of their children.
I'm not hovering around my kids because I'm nervous they will fall down or go "bonk" as they like to call it. I'm hovering because other kids push them, hit them, and bully their way around the tiny play area with no correction from their mother (never been in there with a dad), and I would never want them to do those things to start with or in return.
This past week there were about 13 moms in there (more crowded than I've ever seen), and only two other moms who were actively parenting. At one point, my new mommy friend literally lifted up a child in the air (who was wearing pjs and had a nasty poopy diaper the WHOLE time we were there) and asked loudly, "Whose child is this?" I tried so hard not to laugh out loud at her solution to the problem, but the kid was literally sitting at the top of the slide pushing children back down the steps. When he pushed my new mommy friend's kid, it was her breaking point. Before that we were kind of looking around wondering who he belonged to & taking care of the crying children he was pushing. NO ONE ELSE SEEMED TO CARE.
My new mommy friend told the poopy diaper kid's mom what he was doing, and the poopy diaper kid's mom took him from my new mommy friend and yelled at him. She proceeded to put him back down (she HAD to smell that poop) and he ran off and started playing crazy again. Poopy diaper kid's mom returned to her two friends.
There was a fourth mom making an attempt with her child, who was HUGE....not fat, but the tallest and broadest three year old ever. He ran around that place like a football player seriously pushing all kids out of the way. Reese got so scared every time he came near her and would try to get me to hold her (granted she's a little more wussy than other kids I know). Every time he charged up the slide stairs, literally pushing kids aside, his mom said (on repeat), "Wait your turn! Wait your turn! Ok, go ahead I guess." Every. Time. She was doing the best she knew how though, so I don't judge that. It's kind of laughable now.
Please hear me- I do not think that I am a perfect parent, or near perfect. I know I miss my kid's bad behavior at times and sometimes even think it's funny. I do however try very hard to avoid this in public and when other kids are involved. I just don't think it's that hard if you are consistent. Until then, I'll keep going back to the mall because the twins love it and it's indoors amidst this nasty weather. I will keep my judgy thoughts in my head there and help when I can. I'll try to meet new moms and invest in them as best I can.
Any funny/crazy behavior stories? Any places you avoid because your blood pressure can't stand it?
