[happy_doughnut]

Originally Posted by Redpyramidhead

I DO NOT see why in the original article, parents became upset at a simple sign with a very simple request on it, BUT I CAN see why parents who actually do put in the effort to try and control their children and a lot of the time to no avail, might be frustrated. Not all parents have enough money for babysitters 24/7.

I disagree simply because if parents really made an effort to discipline, not control, their children, then their children would be well-behaved, and neither parent nor child would have to worry about this. If parents really tried to discipline, then they would avail.

A child, unless medical problems are involved, will only go as far as the parent will let them. Any further than that shows they didn't place a boundry line that was to be respected.

It makes sense to keep children out of some places, but in others we're just going to have to deal with them.

I disagree again. I should not have to deal with ill-behaving children that are not blood related to me. I should not have to because I am not their parent--they are not my responsibility. Their parents are responsible for them and should keep them in-line, so that third parties need not be affected.

None of us are parents here, so we can't really imagine what its like to try and keep kids under control.

For one, you don't need to be a parent to experience the fun-ness of keeping a child in-line; it is aggravating and chaotic and much more than what these two adjectives encompass. Secondly, objectivity is best sometimes. And thirdly, there just is no excuse for these bad parents.

And btw, to this day, I play with chopsticks when I go to chinese restaurants...

Playing with chopsticks in Asian restaurants [or any other place where they are administered] is not only annoying, but rude and disrespectful to the culture. They do not set them there so silly us can use them for our own amusement--they are set there so that we may use them as eating utensils, since that's precisely what they are, if we can want to.

You don't see people trying to break forks and spoons, do you? If you did, you would think they were insane. I guess the same doesn't apply to foreign utensils.

This honestly pisses me off more than you can imagine. I myself don't know how to use chopsticks because no one ever taught me. I tried to learn on my own, but I just wasn't able to. When I go to Chinese or Japanese restaurants, they always have them there [obviously]. But, since I don't know how to use them, I use the forks, spoons, knives, and so on that they have conveniently placed on the table alongside the chopsticks. I'm neither going to make a fool of myself, pretending I can use them when I can't, nor going to be disrespectful and ridiculous.

If anything, we should appreciate that they have the hospitality and sensitivity to place the other utensils there for us to use, instead of automatically assuming that because we like Chinese food and are in a Chinese food restaurant, we thus must also be able to eat with chopsticks.

And I can go on and on about why this pisses me off so much.

. . . adults can be just as annoying

Sometimes even moreso than the children themselves.