Ikea - the perfect parenting laboratory

[sbj405]

Every time I go to Ikea (it's right by my house, I go a lot), I think that all people who are expecting should be taken there to observe the various parenting styles. Today's example: Girl in seat of cart screaming, older brother in the main part of the cart with the purchases, apparently cups (won't even touch the whole safety thing). Dad to son: "Given me one of those cups, so I can make her happy." :eyes: I wanted to tell him that everyone (Mom, Dad, kids, other customers) would have been a lot happy if he had let the kids play in the balls while the parents shopped.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

1. Last time I was at Ikea, it was on Labor Day.

It was HELL. Even more massive herds of people than normal. Kids running around. It was warfare. I don't understand why parents bring there obnoxious little spawn shopping in Ikea when they offer free childcare. Why must they torture the others? If the kid is well-behaved it's one thing, but a lot of them aren't. And it's the sort of place that will cause even a good kid to go crazy.

[sbj405]

2. Yeah, it seems like you could get your shopping done in half the time

without the kids in tow. I don't get it either. My friend has a 25 y/o daughter, who still talks about how she loved going to Ikea as a kid to play in the balls. :-)

[LeftyMom]

4. I keep my kid with me while I shop

I'm not in the habit of leaving him with strangers. That said, if he misbehaves I can and do take him straight back to the car with no hesitation. Luckily he knows that so I rarely have to do that anymore.

[progmom]

5. got to agree with you there

they don't let the parents in with the kids in the ball area - i'm just not ok with leaving progspawn there.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

8. That's fine then.

I have no problems with parents that do that. My parents raised me the same way. Unfortunately, a lot of them don't.

[sbj405]

12. I totally understand that. It's just the oblivious parents who

don't take the kid to the car when he's screaming.

[Mutley]

3. I like Ikea.

The merchandise is cute, and I have fun putting the furniture together, however, the store is just too massive and there are far too many people milling around for my comfort.

[Beware the Beast Man]

6. Maybe my senses are dulled, but kids being kids don't bother me at all.

Ever.

[progmom]

9. ...

:hug:

I love you, Beastman.

[Beware the Beast Man]

10. I love you too, progbaby.

:hug: :*

[GirlinContempt]

11. I agree

There is the odd time that I see a child REALLY over the top misbehaving, in which case their parents probably should do something (IE throwing merchandise around, at people, etc) but, babies cry, kids can be loud, they have energy. They're kids. And I very rarely see behavior beyond normal childish rambunctiousness that warrants this kid of "omg dumb kids dumb parents" reaction.

Interestingly though unrelated to this particular thread, I've seen people talk about 'fundies' with large numbers of well behaved children, and the reaction was "They've brainwashed their children" or "they must beat them so the kids never want to rebel" (with of course no evidence of that whatsoever). Quite the situation, if your kids are too well behaved, you must beat them and brainwash them, and if they aren't, you're a horrible parent and your kids are the worst thing ever.

[sbj405]

13. Maybe my parents didn't let me be a kid, but if I had ever

run in a store, screamed at the top of my lungs, pulled merchandise off shelves, well I don't even want to think about what would have happened. My parents weren't overly strict, but somehow we knew better than to act that way in public. Babies cry, I have no problem with that, but babies typically cry for a reason. It's when mom or dad is too busy shopping to check the diaper or feed the baby, that it bothers me.

I really didn't want to start another "kids in restaurants" thread. I really do think it's interesting to watch various parent's reactions to things.

[JVS]

7. I hate when the kids are so busy playing on the beds that you...

can't test the mattresses. I think I'll go somewhere else next time. Ikea saves money by not having sales staff present to enforce a certain level of decorum, fuck that bullshit.