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How To Tolerate Obnoxious Children
Obnoxious Kids
Obnoxious kids... those little brats seem to be everywhere! You can see them in grocery stores arguing with their parents because they want Lucky Charms instead of Cheerios. You will hear the tantrums coming out of Walmart because Little Junior wants a toy for going through all the trouble of staying awake an extra five minutes because Mom needs to buy groceries. Perhaps you have to encounter this little hooligans at family reunions. Annoying children... there is just no escaping from them!
So what can you do to totally get away from these persistently annoying mini-humans? Probably nothing! Your best possible solution is just to figure out a way to tolerate them. Let's face it, it is us versus them. Since many folks consider kids to be outright adorable, kids are going win every time. Let's just figure out how we can tolerate them.
Avoid Them
One of the best techniques when dealing with an obnoxious child is to simply avoid them. The first thing you can do is avoid places that are "kid magnets." A good example of some kid magnet locations are:
- McDonald's Play Land
- Playgrounds
- Chuckie Cheese
- Amusement Parks
- Toy Stores
- Arcades
- Video Game Stores
- Play Areas at Mall
If you avoid places known to be kid magnets, you can definitely limit your interactions with them. If you enjoy going to arcades, video game stores, etc., I would recommend visiting those places on school days when children are bound to be in school, unless they are playing hooky. In that case, a simple threat to call the local school and turn them in for skipping class is bound to turn an unruly child into a sweetheart in no time.
Of course, there are times when you can't avoid children. They tend to pop up at family functions, such as weddings and family reunions. People will even plop a kid in your arms when you least expect it if you are not paying enough attention. Apparently, you are supposed to be delighted to find a crying, fussy child in your care. In this case, you can try to limit your interaction with the child until he or she is taken away from you. Looking as awkward as humanly possible typically means someone will rescue you from the situation.
Bribe Them
So yeah, there you are still at that family function, and the older bratty kids are on your last nerve. Threatening them is certainly going to make you look evil, so there is a better way to handle that problem. Bribe them.
Yes, I said it. Bribe the little monsters. Is there candy? Give them some. Is there cake? Fork it over to them and tell them to hush about it. If all else fails, make sure to have change or dollar bills on you. Start with pennies with the youngest of the bad kids and work your way up. You may just have to bribe older kids with a dollar bill or two. Don't tell them it is a bribe. Tell them it is because they are too cool for you and you are paying them to go elsewhere. It really works sometimes!
Obnoxious Kids
How do you handle obnoxious children?
Join Them
Here is a fun fact about kids: they are mini versions of us. They are tired and cranky just like any of us, but they are a lot more vocal about it. Have you ever seen a kid throwing a huge temper tantrum in the middle of Big Lots during the holiday season? Sure, your first reaction might be, "Shut that kid up." But you know what your next reaction should be? "I wish I was that kid!"
Yeah, kids are on to something. The reason they are so obnoxious is because they are saying and doing what we wish we could do. They are acting in a way that is socially unacceptable for us adults, but totally fine for them. Admit it, you and I secretly wish we could do the same! That is why we want them stop crying in stores and yelling at restaurants. I also want to yell at restaurants when someone tries to make me eat salad instead of fries. I want fries, too!
Instead of giving an obnoxious kid the stink eye next time he or she is throwing a fit, maybe take a deep breath and appreciate that the kid is just saying what you are thinking. And of course, if that doesn't work, maybe you ought to leave the Taco Bell and throw your own tantrum in the privacy of your own car. Sure, you can't have the fun of throwing a public temper tantrum anymore, but you can certainly throw your own fits in private.
Copyright ©2015 Jeannieinabottle
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Comments
Actually there are ways for an adult to throw a temper tantrum in public. For instance, take out your cell phone and pretend to be telling your troubles to someone. With a cell phone in hand at a supermarket or shopping mall, you can scream, complain, bawl, curse. I once observed a woman carry on like that for over an hour in a big city bus station.
Thank you for this!! Nice to know I'm not the only one who often feels this way about kids. I've often left shops because of way too many children running down shop aisles with their parents completely oblivious to the fact that not everyone wants to deal with them!!
I thought you were going to tell us to throw a temper tantrum in Big Lots so the kids could see how embarrassing and annoying it is! Ha ha.
Parents should leave the store when their kids act up. Drag them out kicking and screaming!
- Author
B. Leekley, I am going to keep that in mind. I might use that very technique the next time I feel the urge to throw a tantrum in public.
Laura M-C, I know what you mean. Everyone thinks their kids are cute even if they are totally obnoxious. I can't stand unruly children in a store.
bravewarrior, oh, there are so many times I want to throw myself down on the floor and burst into tears at stores or... even better... at work. And yes, parents should leave when their kids act up. I did recently see a parent do just that at a restaurant when her child just would not calm down. I was thankful for her!
Thanks for your comments, everyone!
My first born would throw herself down on the store floor, bang her head, and hold her breath until she passed out if she was denied the toy she wanted!
I finally cured her of this habit by just pretending to walk out and leave her there on the floor!
Funny Hub; voted it that way, too.
Jeannie....I just know you've heard that there are no bad kids, just poor parenting. I have a feeling some genius CHILD came up with that one. The truth is, kids can be annoying and a lot of the time they are this and worse, despite having great parents. We can be loving, attentive, patient & on top of everything, from their health to safety and behavior.
Babies are born knowing they have a role to fill. From day one they're on the job. They know the rules. 1.) Keep the focus on ME. 2.) Make the appropriate noise & signals to get attention at all costs. 3.) Teach Mom & Dad to pamper, cater to, buckle under & LOVE us at all times, unconditionally. 4.) Know that making a scene in public is the easiest & quickest way to do all of the above.
If you ask me, Jeannie, this proves the little darlings are much smarter than any of us.......FUNNY and believe me, I KNOW this topic well!!
UP+++
Jeannie,
Love this hub and voted up/share.
Thanks for making me smile.
Kim
My favorite obnoxious child is a nephew who this past year at Thanksgiving went up a couple of notches on the family totem pole, at least where I am concerned. The entire extended family was sitting around the Thanksgiving table, passing food, telling stories, and the second grader's toddler aged brother started to get fussy at the table. My sister and her husband bickered back and forth over how to handle the toddler and Obnoxious Seven Year Old (who was forced to wear a suit and tie to Thanksgiving dinner) pipes up and announces, 'Welcome to Hell." People all over the US had been thinking those words as they gathered with their own families, but it took him to say it out loud. Now I make funny faces at him instead of ignore him.
This gave me a good laugh Jeannie. I love kids, well my own grandkids anyway, but even they have their moments. I have seen some really obnoxious ones in stores however....I can actually remember when my eldest son was about 4 and would misbehave in a shopping centre....he used to throw himself on the floor and if you tried to pick him up or scold him he would yell loudly..."Mommy, Daddy...don't hit me, please don't hit me"....we never hit him, but he made everyone think we did I'm sure....kids are just too mart for their own good.
Great hub, and so true I had to laugh. I remember crying in a store once, because I didn't know my dad was meeting up with my mom there, and as soon as I saw him I turned off the tears.
When I was about 8 I had a cousin who was about 5. One day I caught her (at home) opening the Oreos her mom had just bought us kids. She would open one oreo after the other, eat the icing, and put it back together. I just stared at her, thinking "you brat". So sometimes kids can't even tolerate kids. We laugh about that now.
- Author
mary615, it is good you figured out the secret to get her to stop. I imagine a child passing out in the middle of the store is a really bad scene. Thanks for the vote!
fpherj48, thank you for the votes! I think any kid can be annoying at times, just like any adult can be, too. Sometimes I even get on my own nerves! And I agree, a child came up with the "no bad kid" thing. I've met some pretty awful kids that belong to decent parents... and the other way around, too!
ocfireflies, I am glad I could make you smile. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the comment!
FlourishAnyway, you know, I think I would actually like that kid. Bratty... maybe, but a really observant kid. Hehe. Thanks for sharing your story.
Jodah, my cousin used to do the same thing. He would through a fit and if either parent said anything, he would loudly shout, "Don't beat me! Don't beat me!" or "Don't kill me! Don't kill me!" They also never laid a hand on him, but oh, the scene he would cause! Thanks for your comment!
MonkeyShine75, I know exactly what you mean. When I was a kid I used to be so annoyed by some of my cousins. Some were my age and some were younger. My aunt had 3 sons... each born one year after the other. They were a handful and I used to hide from them sometimes. One time, one of them tried to throw me in the pond. Bad kids... they can be obnoxious to kids and adults. Thanks for your comment!
I have two daughters, 18 and 15 years old. I don't expect kids to act like mini-adults, but it does seem like their parents are getting more inconsiderate. I take my computer to various Caribou Coffee Shops in the afternoon to work. Yesterday two moms were talking at a table while their little girls ran around shrieking, opening cupboards, spinning around display racks, and picking up food that was out for display. I blame the moms for doing nothing about it and subjecting the rest of us to it while we're trying to read, work, or study. The little girls were just bored and it was unrealistic to expect them to sit quietly while the moms chatted.
- Author
You are completely right. As an adult, I would expect to be able to go into a coffee shop and enjoy a reasonably quiet atmosphere. It is not like you were at Chuckie Cheese or something. I do agree some parents need to work a little harder to realize they are parents and if they don't reprimand their kids, it is no one else's job to do it either. Thanks for your comment.
if you join them, they get worst, don't they?
- Author
I suppose they could, but that could be more fun in the long run. :-)
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