Uncontrolled children in public - irresponsible parents

You are right and made a perfectly reasonable request to the father to control his child
The museum staff should have backed you up and should have told the irresponsible father to take his child out if the child could not behave appropriately. A museum is not a play area perhaps the father was too stupid to realise that.

Old Git I'm with you, there is a lack of discipline which results in a lack of consideration for others, and I see this on a daily basis which I fear will get worse with each generation. I also would like to add that I'm quite annoyed at the end result for you in the museum, it should not have been you asked to leave, the museum guard needed to reprimand the parent. What would have happened if the unruly brat damaged any of the exhibits, no doubt the museum might have taken a different attitude.

Asda and Tescos are terrible, all full of oinks!

I find ASDA to be about the worst not that I use ASDA, however, Let them keep the lavish displays, the pricey products, and the kid who will barely miss these when he skates about when his father gets him a good clip round the ear (not). Let them get on with the potential mess they've created for themself. They have what the kid's father doesn't. His respect of his children, his own self respect, and the store's kind indulgence. Take control of your kids and make them mostly into adults you would be proud of. If you allow them to ruin your lifefrom afar, you've only yourself to blame. Work hard, play hard, and teach your children how to play without annoying other people in shops and museums.

You should visit our local Tesco, screaming brats everywhere,

"I want this or I'm going to have a tantrum,"

Used as a playground; we have even seen kids kicking a ball around in the store!

Just waiting for a accident to happen (especially in the cafe) and see who is held to blame.

I don't want these people spoiling my visits either. They are trying to distract my attention from the exhibits. They might pick-pocket me whilst I'm not looking, and particularly if I have a very large wad of cash in my pockets (I often do - silly maybe, I know). By sleight of hand they could lift my money clip, a good idea that I learnt from my cousin (America) and he hadn't been pick-pocketed for ages. Also when I am in a supermarket taking stuff off the shelves, one of these horrors tried to pull the display down, the parent was not going to take responsibility for the child. Whilst I am keeping out of their way my concentration is lapsing. I am actually in danger of losing goods out of my shopping-cart. To make absolutely sure I am only going to choose what I needed, I always write a shopping memo. Absolute silence is the best way to concentrate on what goes in your shopping cart. I don't trust anyone who loiters around me, when I am not looking after my cash money (I don't use charge-cards any more, but that's another gripe).

You are definitely not a miserable old git, and I feel quite angry at the museum for asking you to leave and not the chav kid and parents. It seems to me these days that our kids are out of control with the attitude of some parents I'm here with my child get out of the way and what are you going to do about it. I have been fortunate to travel to many wonderful places but I can't help but notice how well behaved the local children are compared to our own spoilt brats, there was no screaming, running and climbing in inappropriate places, the children are willing to give up seats on public transport for more vulnerable people (unlike our own how haven't got a clue due to parents not teaching them to give up a seat - I'm in my late forties and still when travelling on busy public transport let someone in more need than me have my seat) and they are generally better behaved in adult public places. It seems to me that what it boils down to is the teaching of manners and to respect other people around them, yes let's the little darlings run riot in the playground or the park but should be taught the difference between a supermarket or museum and that it is not the local park, as well as kept under strict supervision, we need to go back to children should be seen and not heard.

The chav parents who allow their children to ride in the main part of the trolley are the ones who are most annoying. ANYTHING could be on their shoes, including dog muck, and their feet are where people put their food. I might add that I managed to raise my children without ever sitting them in the main part of a shopping trolley.

It's such a pity there's no respect no politeness no consideration in this country anymore. Britain's education these days is worse than China.

I feel the same way about kids in the supermarket. Shopping is enough of a chore without having to tolerate screaming toddlers, & older children who think that the supermarket is a playground. They hurtle around like mad things, & if they collide with your trolley, it`s always your fault & not theirs. All supermarkets should provide creches for mothers to leave their children so we can all shop in peace. Mothers would benefit too, ecause then they wouldn`t have to listen to "mum I want this, mum I want that", & no tantrums to deafen us.

No, I don't think you're a miserable old git at all. I am not one either - in fact I'm usually regarded as both a fun loving and attractive (youngish!) lady!!! The thing which really makes my blood boil is that I can no longer go into a shop or supermarket without being confronted with some kid riding a scooter in and out of the busy packed aisles. Who, in their infinite wisdom, ever proclaimed that this was acceptable practice in an enclosed public area? When I go shopping I would expect to be afforded the choice of going about my business in relative peace and comfort. How long will it take before some elderly person is either knocked or tripped up by one of these diabolical devices? Never, in the history of retailing, has anything like this been permitted in shops and stores. Neither security or management seem to do a thing about this yet, when I challenged Marks & Spencer, Sainsburys, and Waitrose at HQ level, all 3 confirmed that it wasn't allowed. Once, on entering John Lewis in Oxford Street, the first sight to behold was a girl of about 12 years old astride a large metal scooter at the base of the main escalator! Having had no acceptable response from John Lewis, I finally contacted Westminster City Council who agreed to visit the major stores along Oxford Street and sort out the issue with the management. For nearly six months I hadn't come across another scooter in store since my complaint ... until about a couple of weeks ago when, once again, a kid scooted along to the checkout aisle in Marks & Spencer's Food Hall. Once upon a time I would have expected so much better from 'my' M&S!!! It wasn't until I complained to the manager, the child's parents were advised that 'the riding of scooters in the store was not permitted'. Sorry to (obviously) join the old grump's brigade but, if I had my way, I'd ban the things from being brought into the stores altogether. Why a scooter needs to be taken out when going shopping totally eludes me. These articles belong in the street or playground, NOT in busy enclosed public areas! I can only suggest that, each time this sort of thing occurs in a shop or supermarket, complain to the management immediately. Good grief, if I'd have tried anything like this when I was a child, I'd have got a wallop and removed from the store! Needless to say this would never have happened as I was brought up to be taught both values and respect. Pity this has gone out of fashion now.

.....before so they know i mean business lol. im not an overly strict parent infact im pretty easy going but keeping your kids under control isnt rocket science. Make it fun for them, ask them to get you things off the shelves etc. we were oncs having a cuppa in a supermarket cafe and an elderly gentlement approached me and my partner and kids and handed the kids an icecream each out of his trolley. He said i had 3 well behaved polite children and they were a credit to us. I was chuffed to bits.

Larry Dart,
I totally agree with you about parents who take no notice of what their children are doing in the supermarkets etc. Its parents like that who drive me mad. I think that if i can control 3 kids in the supermarket then they should be able to control one! I feel sorry for single parents though who have to take their kids with them. Kids hate shopping and only seem to behave when they are getting what they want. My in laws have got busy lives so i always take at least one of my kidso with me (all 3 when they are off school eg in the hols). Their Dad waits in the car...i have to leavpe him out there as id spend double on my shopping if he came in lol. But before we go in the supermarket i say: any shenanigans from you lot and youre back in the car with your Dad! They all know theres no nagging for anything, no sliding around on knees, no climbing out of trolley and no running off! The "back in the car with your Dad" thing works a treat! Ive said it and followed through with it

"I do think that we should go back to the old values of teaching manners, respect and bring back children should be seen and not heard." JanieQ66

No chance of that happening in the UK with the "ME ME ME" instant gratification generation raising children to be carbon copies.

Hi,

I don't think you are a miserable old sod in fact you have made some valid points. A supermarket is not a play ground a children should be heavily supervised. If I wanted to be around unruly kids I would make the choice in venturing tithe kiddies playground at the local park. However as previously mentioned the supermarket or shopping centres are not playgrounds. I do think that we should go back to the old values of teaching manners, respect and bring back children should be seen and not heard.