Have you been in a store and wanted to tell a parent, “Control your children”? Most people have witnessed children out of control in a toy store, grocery store, restaurant, etc. I am not speaking of a child throwing a temper tantrum, and the parent is embarrassed and trying to remedy the situation. I have empathy for that parent.

I am speaking of parents that allow their child to run around tables at a restaurant, run around a grocery store unsupervised, or pull out all of the toys on the toy aisle. These disrupting behaviors are disrespectful to people patronizing the business and to the employees. The child is also subject to dangerous situations:
      o In the process of avoiding the child, a waiter may stumble and drop hot food or coffee on the child.
      o In a grocery store, unsupervised children may pull a can, or glass jar, off a shelf onto themselves.
      o Pulling toys at random off toy shelves and leaving them out in the aisles is my biggest pet peeve. This is a tripping hazard, and unbelievably rude to the employees!

      o In today’s world, it is not safe to let any young child run around unsupervised. The possibility of kidnapping is real.

At a very young age, children need to understand that there are rules when they leave home, just as there are rules at home. This will keep them safer, and make them better people. They will learn boundaries, discipline, respect for their parents, respect for others, and best of all respect for themselves.

Next week we will address ideas that help young children learn to behave in public.
See my blog tomorrow and find out who gave me the idea for this blog???

Until then visit our Good Parenting Tips:  http://www.invitingsmiles.com/parenting-tidbits.html

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