Don't Check Out of Parenting

My sister and I took the kids over to Play Town to let the kids get in some fun and burn off energy.  Play Town is a local business that caterers to families with children under the age of 5.  It's a large room filled with activities. You can find a inflatable jumpers, slides, mini roller coasters, a playhouse, toy cars, bikes, etc.  I think Play Town and other businesses like it are GREAT!  It gives parents, like me, a chance to let their child play in an air conditioned and safe place with equipment that typical families wouldn't spend their money on.  These places also give our children the opportunity to socialize with other kids around their age or observe ones that are older.

However, and that is a BIG however, these places ARE NOT DAY CARE CENTERS!  My biggest pet peeve are the parents that bring their children to these places and then checkout of parenting.  They are the ones that are on their cell phones, reading, on their lap tops, or engrossed in a conversation and hardly even look up to see what their child is doing.  I'm not saying that they can't do those things but they still need to parent.  Moms/Dads you still need to watch your child's behavior.  You still need to intervene when they are being rude, pushy or otherwise acting up.

Now that I'm done ranting, let me explain.  As I was saying my sister and I headed over to Play Town with the kiddies in tow.  The place was PACKED!  There had to have been at least 35 kids of all ages running amok. We were there for about 10 minutes when a boy ran a bike into Izzy's foot while horsing around.  Yes, I was PISSED and yes, I corrected him.  Did I see the parents?  NEGATIVE.

Forty-five minutes later another boy was kicking a beach ball around HARD.  I personally saw him hit 2 other kids in the head with it and he also kicked the ball right into my 8 month pregnant sister's stomach.  As before I corrected him and asked him not to kick the ball indoors.  I never saw the mom. About 15 minutes later that same boy was still kicking the ball dangerously close to Izzy.  I told him "Please don't kick the ball indoors, someone can get hurt."  I don't know if he's ever been corrected before but he started to cry.  I asked him where his mommy was and it turns out she was a few feet away and not once corrected his behavior.  She gave me a dirty look as she swept him up in her arms.  Look lady, if your child runs amok and is or will hurt Izzy I have no problem correcting them.