Parents: What do you do when your young child freaks out in public?

[BrianNole09]

First, let me state that I'm not anti-kid or anti-family. Not at all.

That being said, it seems like I see a lot of kids freaking out in public places, like restaurants and the parents doing absolutely nothing about it even if the kid is loud and bothering other people.

I was just in Subway (it kinda sucks) and there was a lady in line with 3 kids. One of the kids, probably 5 years old, was whiny and loud. I'm not sure if he was crying, but he was so loud and obnoxious. I understand it's a kid and this is what kids do, but the Mother did nothing the whole time to correct the kid.

She was probably in there for 10 minutes before they finally left. The kid ran screaming out and followed her.

What's proper etiquette when your kid freaks out in public?

 

[The Tradition]

I always dragged them outside and beat their asses.

 

[Hy_dro]

If my 2 and a half year old starts acting up in a public place they get a verbal warning and a stern look. If it continues usually tears come next.

 

[The Tradition]

I always dragged them outside and beat their asses.

Now days, I probably would have been arrested.

 

[themelrosemauler]

Tell them to stop acting like an asshole. The world doesn't revolve around you ya little prick.

 

[BrianNole09]

Tell them to stop acting like an asshole. The world doesn't revolve around you ya little prick.

Their parent would probably shoot me

 

[Gimmered]

Normally kids only act that way because that behavior worked in the past. That being said, sometimes at mealtime, kids will act out because they're hungry and it's past their normal meal time. Once in a while patience is the best answer.

 

[SSG T]

Not sure, my kids never freaked out. Other than crying as a baby, which isn't freaking out, which we would then take care of whatever the problem was (hungry, change diaper, rock to sleep, etc).

 

[TunzaHawk]

I don't take them out in public until they're 10. It ensures I don't have these issues.

 

[ANYCHawk]

I don't take them out in public until they're 10. It ensures I don't have these issues.

and they don't leave the basement until they are 7. It's all about gradually giving more responsibility so they understand how to handle it.

 

[YellowSnow51]

I have Adrian Peterson come over and I leave the room for 5 minutes.

 

[Catfish_ Crazy]

You need to select better places to eat, replace the subway with a delicious Casey's sub.

 

[ANYCHawk]

I have Adrian Peterson come over and I leave the room for 5 minutes.

the ole bait and switch

 

[QChawks]

 

[hawkbirch]

I kill them and shove them in your crawl space.

 

[The Tradition]

I kill them and shove them in your crawl space.

ZING!

 

[BelemNole]

Don't know, it never happened.

 

[Big Hawk D-Port]

Hard to say in this case, but often times your kid is trying to get a reaction out of you by acting out in public. Ignoring the behavior is often times an appropriate response, since it denies the child the reaction they want and discourages them from doing it again.

 

[General Tso]

My guess is everyone here was a kid when they were younger.

 

[ANYCHawk]

My guess is everyone here was a kid when they were younger.

Not Lute, he was born as a 45 year old.

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

A couple quick taps on the remote that controls shock collar they always wear usually does the trick. They're not just for dogs anymore.

 

[DavenportHawk8]

The child is trying to get your attention and trying to get something. If you give in, then that behavior will happen more and more. If you ignore it, eventually they will learn that the behavior is not allowed.

Now if they are just acting out and being disrespectful to the parent and other adults, then there is an issue. You used to be able to give a little slap on the butt for that behavior, but now if you do child services is knocking at your door and your being arrested for abuse.

Now if my children are acting up and its "bothering" other people, then I remove them from the area and we talk about it. If they are whinning because they want something, they do not get it if I have to take them out. Our 3yr old acts up only when she's hungry or if she wants something. The other night in church she wanted a toy that another kid was playing with. We told her that it was his and a meltdown ensued. We removed her and came back 10 min later and she never noticed it again.

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

I walk out and leave them with the check.

 

[UNIowaHawk]

I don't generally have issues with the 4 year old acting up. Sometimes she cries when she doesn't get something she wants, but it's generally quiet and I let her cry. I don't want to cave in and get her the stuffed animal at Target just to make her stop. That's sets a bad precedence.

The 1 year old is louder and I will remove him. Sometimes he's not mad, he just does this shrill scream, but I still remove him in public places for everyone else's benefit.

 

[The Tradition]

My guess is everyone here was a kid when they were younger.

And I got my ass beat and I deserved it.

 

[joelbc1]

In the spirit of HROT and Yellow....I bitch slap them. Sorry, that one was teed up way too high to resist.

 

[FranklinHawk]

Not Lute
he was born
as a 45 year old.

FIFY

 

[ClarindaA's]

Tell them I'm going to beat their ass if it doesn't stop.....if it doesn't stop, trip to vehicle, ass gets beaten

I've never had to actually beat their ass....My kiddos rock

 

[The_Joker13]

Tell them I'm going to beat their ass if it doesn't stop.....if it doesn't stop, trip to vehicle, ass gets beaten

I've never had to actually beat their ass....My kiddos rock

Uh huh(calls DHS)

 

[goldmom]

I kill them and shove them in your crawl space.

Are you posing as a clown at the time?

 

[goldmom]

My kids each tried it ONCE in a store, one in the cookie aisle and one in the cereal aisle.

I never hit them, I just said "Do you know anyone else in this store, because I'm walking out and going home. I guess one of these strangers who wants a little girl/boy will take you with them". Then I started to walk away.
Worked with both kids like a charm.

They're both great adults now and I love them with my whole heart.

 

[UNIowaHawk]

My kids each tried it ONCE in a store, one in the cookie aisle and one in the cereal aisle.

I never hit them, I just said "Do you know anyone else in this store, because I'm walking out and going home. I guess one of these strangers who wants a little girl/boy will take you with them". Then I started to walk away.
Worked with both kids like a charm.

They're both great adults now and I love them with my whole heart.

What if they called your bluff?

 

[goldmom]

Four year olds don't know how to bluff. Thankfully.

 

[IACub]

Other people's kids is why I never want to have kids.

 

[unIowa]

Here is the approach we took while our kids were at the age where these meltdowns were possible.

1. Parents should be taking their kids to kid/family friendly restaurants (the amount of background noise in these places typically drowns out a young child who is slightly acting up), think Red Robbin type establishments.

2. If parents have any sort of observation skills they will be able to see their child is heading for full meltdown, typically (like 99 out of 100 times) once this ball starts rolling it cannot be stopped. So before your jerk kid reaches that point give them the yank and get them out of out of that public situation (other people shouldn't have to put up with your child in those hysterical moments).

3. Eat from home more often around the dinner table and expect good behavior there first. You do this and most of the time you don't have trouble in public.

4. Set the expectation and back it up even if it means others in your family (yourself and other kids) get the short end of the stick. Nothing helps speed along behavior development than a few older siblings get the short end of the stick bc of their little brother or sister...they will help make sure it doesn't happen again.

 

[hawkbirch]

Are you posing as a clown at the time?

I drive my ice cream truck to the scene too.

 

[goldmom]

I see kids having meltdowns in stores on weekend afternoons. Most often it's because during the week at daycare that's when they're napping.

They're with Mom and Dad who are out shopping and apparently haven't made the connection that their child is usually asleep at 1 or 2 PM and can't understand why they're fussy and crying and they smack them. I feel very bad for those kids.

 

[butch25uni]

Tell them to stop acting like an asshole. The world doesn't revolve around you ya little prick.

But this Ponzi scheme economy we have does rely on continuing to feed the next sucker - remember when you hate that kid he will be helping to fund your retire someday (and not talking about SS)

 

[thedirtyglass]

when my boy was little and would get whiny in a restaurant, me or the boys mom would take him out of the dining area. I have had many cold meals.

The one tantrum he had in a store, i was getting a few things at the grocery store and he saw something he wanted and started throwing a fit. He wouldn't stop, i took him out of the cart, he was screaming and kicking as i carried him out on my shoulder, it took me 20 minutes to strap him in the car seat. we got home, he calmed down and then we went back out and he was well behaved.

None of this "you got to the count of three" crap where the child knows you are full of shit because you let him carry on and dont have any consequences for when you get to that three count