These knuckleheads would be ignoring their children other ways just as much had cellphones not been invented.

Threat to children? No, it's a threat to the rest of us, having to put up with children screaming and running around like madmen while the parent is on the phone completely ignoring them.

Don't worry. This problem will solve itself eventually.

You're kidding right? I talk on-line when I'm baby-sitting alot, and the children I baby-sit love me.

I normally entertain my kids with internet porn. Is that wrong?

Why the silly tag?

Teaching your kids that a phone call is more important than they are is self is asinine and selfish. Pay attention to your kids, people. Cell phones are communication tools, NOT the town square.

/damn kids these days/
//git off'n my lawn!!//

Before cell phones the parents would ignore their children by gabbing with one another. It's no different.

I take my dog to the off-leash dog park and am the only one running around playing with my dog and keeping an eye on her so she doesn't get into a fight. Most of the other owners bring chairs and sit down on one end of the field to talk or read a book while their dogs play on their own. I had to start bringing a squirt bottle with water to spray on dogs who start to cross the line between play-fighting and actual-fighting because their owners aren't around to stop them. It's frustrating.

Kids are meant to be ignored... It conditions them for the crappy mediocre life they will lead, in which they do not matter to anyone.

Turn the damn phone off.. All My Children is on.

/nothing new here

UpsideDown: Before cell phones the parents would ignore their children by gabbing with one another. It's no different.

I take my dog to the off-leash dog park and am the only one running around playing with my dog and keeping an eye on her so she doesn't get into a fight. Most of the other owners bring chairs and sit down on one end of the field to talk or read a book while their dogs play on their own. I had to start bringing a squirt bottle with water to spray on dogs who start to cross the line between play-fighting and actual-fighting because their owners aren't around to stop them. It's frustrating.

I started taking a spray bottle with me also . It caused a big uproar. Oh, wait... you were spraying the dogs weren't you... never mind...

seminole87: Feltonl: I normally entertain my kids with internet porn. Is that wrong?

It is generally approved so long as they don't do ATM.

No problem. Most kids think ATM is disgusting.

Yeah, it is a wonder I survived my childhood on the farm. Mom would turn us out of the house in the morning. Meal time we checked in with her. We were taught to stay out of trouble and help each other out.

Maybe it is just city kids that don't have the smarts to survive with mommy's constant attention.

Single White Male: Don't worry. This problem will solve itself eventually.

Don't be so sure. All they have to do is survive to breeding age, and I've read kids are getting fertile younger. We could be up to our armpits in morons by 2050.

I take care of my kids! (new window)

lol wtf

/brb

Brown Sauce: I take care of my kids! (new window)

She... She's kidding, right?

As a teacher, I've seen it a lot when parents pick up their kids after school. Some parents actually have to be told to get off their phone, make eye contact with their child, acknowledge him or her and ask about their day - you know, pretend they matter.

Miss Smartass: Brown Sauce: I take care of my kids! (new window)

She... She's kidding, right?

I sure hope so - her surname is Testes-Harder

mmagdalene: As a teacher, I've seen it a lot when parents pick up their kids after school. Some parents actually have to be told to get off their phone, make eye contact with their child, acknowledge him or her and ask about their day - you know, pretend they matter.

How do the parents respond when you tell them that?

Madame Ovary: Maybe it is just city kids that don't have the smarts to survive with mommy's constant attention.

We city kids had it no different. We would go out in the morning, check back at mealtimes. We'd spend the day at the park, roller skating around the block, riding go-carts down "Dead Man's Hill", or playing in the abandoned warehouse over on Lincoln Street. The only time any of us were in danger is if we weren't home by the time the streetlights came on.

/OMG, do NOT be late coming home. If those lights came on & you weren't in the front door, God help you.

to all of you saying a kid is more important than a phone call

Miss Smartass: Brown Sauce: I take care of my kids! (new window)

She... She's kidding, right?

I feel pretty old right now, because when I was a kid, helicopter parenting was all the rage (pun very much intended). However, parents and care-givers ignoring the kids is not a new phenomenon, especially when it comes to cell-phone obsessed parents. The worst kind of parent is the kind that will be the cell-phone obsessive that constantly ignores the bad behavior of the kid, but then turns right around and becomes the screaming helicopter parent of DOOM when the kid is chastised or disciplined by the school, because obviously the precious little snow flake couldn't have done something so horrible that it deserves a detention.

I know of one particular case that would frame this nicely from my hometown, but it's too long to type (and makes me very angry when I tell it, so I'd rather not).

mmagdalene: As a teacher, I've seen it a lot when parents pick up their kids after school. Some parents actually have to be told to get off their phone, make eye contact with their child, acknowledge him or her and ask about their day - you know, pretend they matter.

Why aren't the kids taking the bus home from school? Or walking? Hell, if Mommy is picking up the little snowflake from school, then he's getting more attention that way. Chances are very good that at SOME point during the ride home, Mommy's going to put the phone down & talk to her child.

This is why I'm planning neither marry nor have children.

RadicalArcher: The worst kind of parent is the kind that will be the cell-phone obsessive that constantly ignores the bad behavior of the kid, but then turns right around and becomes the screaming helicopter parent of DOOM when the kid is chastised or disciplined

Not just by the school, but by ANY responsible adult. I have no qualms about scolding someone else's child in a store or restaurant. Just because the kid's parents aren't controlling his behavior doesn't mean I still have to put up with it. Inevitably, though, the parent turns on me & starts screaming at me for not minding my own business.

Whatever--keep control of your monster and it wouldn't BE my business.

I find a lot of parents these days are complete retards who have no business having children. One day I was making my daily beer run. I usually cross Spadina avenue at a point where there is no crosswalk. For those of you not familiar with Chinatown in Toronto Spadina avenue is notoriously dangerous. You have two lanes of traffic in either direction and in the middle of the road there are streetcar tracks going in either direction. Traffic is usually heavy and people drive like idiots due to the nature of the area. So I'm crossing and there's this family. Two adults and three young kids crossing at the same spot. They eek the kids through traffic and get to the median not realizing there is a streetcar coming at a significant speed. I stopped them just before they all walked right in front of it. No thanks or nothing. At this point another streetcar is coming in the opposite direction but it is hidden by the streetcar that I had just kept these people getting squished by. They go marching right ahead and this time I actually had yell STOP! Another narrow miss. I explain to the mother that it is a very dangerous street and if you are going to jaywalk you have to be ultra aware. All in a friendly tone although I am pretty annoyed at the outright negligence. She looks at me like I am about to kill her and clutches the kids closer.

So I essentialy saved their entirely family from at best serious injury and get the hairy eyeball. Morons!

Quiet down, momma's stories is on.

Back in my day kid's days subsisted of grazing and play fighting in anticipation of the battles they would one day participate in for mating rights. If children had posessed the same level of dedication and tenacity we probably wouldn't have so many retards running around now.

/I for one welcome our new goat overlords

Poppa Boner: I find a lot of parents these days are complete retards who have no business having children. One day I was making my daily beer run. I usually cross Spadina avenue at a point where there is no crosswalk. For those of you not familiar with Chinatown in Toronto Spadina avenue is notoriously dangerous. You have two lanes of traffic in either direction and in the middle of the road there are streetcar tracks going in either direction. Traffic is usually heavy and people drive like idiots due to the nature of the area. So I'm crossing and there's this family. Two adults and three young kids crossing at the same spot. They eek the kids through traffic and get to the median not realizing there is a streetcar coming at a significant speed. I stopped them just before they all walked right in front of it. No thanks or nothing. At this point another streetcar is coming in the opposite direction but it is hidden by the streetcar that I had just kept these people getting squished by. They go marching right ahead and this time I actually had yell STOP! Another narrow miss. I explain to the mother that it is a very dangerous street and if you are going to jaywalk you have to be ultra aware. All in a friendly tone although I am pretty annoyed at the outright negligence. She looks at me like I am about to kill her and clutches the kids closer.

So I essentialy saved their entirely family from at best serious injury and get the hairy eyeball. Morons!

Well, in their defense, it's hard to feel good about somebody that saves the lives of a bunch of ungrateful assholes.

brigid_fitch: RadicalArcher: The worst kind of parent is the kind that will be the cell-phone obsessive that constantly ignores the bad behavior of the kid, but then turns right around and becomes the screaming helicopter parent of DOOM when the kid is chastised or disciplined

Not just by the school, but by ANY responsible adult. I have no qualms about scolding someone else's child in a store or restaurant. Just because the kid's parents aren't controlling his behavior doesn't mean I still have to put up with it. Inevitably, though, the parent turns on me & starts screaming at me for not minding my own business.

Whatever--keep control of your monster and it wouldn't BE my business.

I'm too creepy looking to get away with that shiat otherwise I would do it all the time.

Kids WILL pay attention when being scolded by a 6'4" leather clad punk with a foot long mohawk. That's why all my breeder friends want me to baby sit for them. I always tell them I will molest their precious children if forced into that situation. For some strange reason that doesn't bother them so much. farkin' weirdos.

Falcc: Well, in their defense, it's hard to feel good about somebody that saves the lives of a bunch of ungrateful assholes.

Yeah the dark side of my mind makes me think these type of people should totally be Darwinned. Unforunately I am hardwired to protect no matter who the idiot is. It's kind of a pain in the ass.

Poppa Boner: Unforunately

Apparently I am getting drunk as well.

*slurp*

Poppa Boner: I'm too creepy looking to get away with that shiat otherwise I would do it all the time.

LOL--my husband tells me he has the same problem. He did use it to his advantage once. We were on a flight to Vegas & this little girl was running up & down the aisle, hitting anyone's arm that was on an armrest. After 4 passes and with no help from Mom, husband called the flight attendant over. Husband asked flight attendant to please control the child because as long as she was out of her seat, he was technically in violation of his parole.

That kid never left her seat again.

Falcc:

Well, in their defense, it's hard to feel good about somebody that saves the lives of a bunch of ungrateful assholes.

I like that circular logic.


The whole text-messaging fad just pisses me off in general. People are so tuned out to the world around them. At least if they were gabbing to other parents or babysitters in the park they would be expanding their social circle a bit and might even learn something new. Your friends will not leave you just because you aren't constantly texting them at every opportunity.

bring on the child hate!

I'm babysitting right now, so I'm really getting a

HEY YOU CRETINS, KEEP IT DOWN!!!!

kick out of these replies...

UpsideDown: Before cell phones the parents would ignore their children by gabbing with one another. It's no different.

I take my dog to the off-leash dog park and am the only one running around playing with my dog and keeping an eye on her so she doesn't get into a fight. Most of the other owners bring chairs and sit down on one end of the field to talk or read a book while their dogs play on their own. I had to start bringing a squirt bottle with water to spray on dogs who start to cross the line between play-fighting and actual-fighting because their owners aren't around to stop them. It's frustrating.

this. i've had to pull my dog away from some asshole (white guy in his 40's with a shaved head who works out obsessively) with the pit bull or boxer picking fights with other dogs.

AmazingRuss: Single White Male: Don't worry. This problem will solve itself eventually.

Don't be so sure. All they have to do is survive to breeding age, and I've read kids are getting fertile younger. We could be up to our armpits in morons by 2050.

2050? you're being awfully conservative.

pxlboy: bring on the child hate!

"Yon twat turds, crotch fruit, womb trophies, precious snowflakes and wee bairns offendeth mine eyes, ruineth the taut bellies of young slatterns, maketh visits to yon royal Chili's less than relaxing and causeth fine bosoms of the kingdom to become both saggish and foully milkened. Ban them at once!" (claps)

brigid_fitch: Poppa Boner: I'm too creepy looking to get away with that shiat otherwise I would do it all the time.

LOL--my husband tells me he has the same problem. He did use it to his advantage once. We were on a flight to Vegas & this little girl was running up & down the aisle, hitting anyone's arm that was on an armrest. After 4 passes and with no help from Mom, husband called the flight attendant over. Husband asked flight attendant to please control the child because as long as she was out of her seat, he was technically in violation of his parole.

That kid never left her seat again.

LOL

brigid_fitch: mmagdalene: As a teacher, I've seen it a lot when parents pick up their kids after school. Some parents actually have to be told to get off their phone, make eye contact with their child, acknowledge him or her and ask about their day - you know, pretend they matter.

Why aren't the kids taking the bus home from school? Or walking? Hell, if Mommy is picking up the little snowflake from school, then he's getting more attention that way. Chances are very good that at SOME point during the ride home, Mommy's going to put the phone down & talk to her child.

Mommy will put down the phone right after rear ending the car in front of her because she was too damn distracted to drive. If she is a good mommy she will at least try to provide first aid to her crotchfruit.
/can't stands cell phone use while driving
//Nothing like performing some useless task when you are doing the most dangerous task you do every day.

naveline: pxlboy: bring on the child hate!

"Yon twat turds, crotch fruit, womb trophies, precious snowflakes and wee bairns offendeth mine eyes, ruineth the taut bellies of young slatterns, maketh visits to yon royal Chili's less than relaxing and causeth fine bosoms of the kingdom to become both saggish and foully milkened. Ban them at once!" (claps)

you do not disappoint.

Anybody else notice the picture of the "Mom" in TFA?
That's me calling her.

brigid_fitch: We city kids had it no different.

It's the suburbanite kids that are stupid, spoiled and farked.

brigid_fitch: Chances are very good that at SOME point during the ride home, Mommy's going to put the phone down & talk to her child.

No, not really. I always see mommy driving an SUV on her cellphone with little miss snowflake in the passenger seat either on her own phone or damn near spaced out.

Something that amuses me is, to get to work in the morning I cut through a more expensive subdivision to get to a major road, even on mild fall days (45/50F) there's always kids sitting in their parents cars, idling, waiting for the bus. The subdivision isn't al that big, less than a half mile wide and quarter mile long.

naveline: pxlboy: bring on the child hate!

"Yon twat turds, crotch fruit, womb trophies, precious snowflakes and wee bairns offendeth mine eyes, ruineth the taut bellies of young slatterns, maketh visits to yon royal Chili's less than relaxing and causeth fine bosoms of the kingdom to become both saggish and foully milkened. Ban them at once!" (claps)

That was awesome.

Madame Ovary: Yeah, it is a wonder I survived my childhood on the farm. Mom would turn us out of the house in the morning. Meal time we checked in with her. We were taught to stay out of trouble and help each other out.

Maybe it is just city kids that don't have the smarts to survive with mommy's constant attention.

But I doubt you did that while your language skills were developing. That was more when you had already learned to talk back, ask annoying questions and fight with your siblings.

I suppose men could do a better job?

Where's the obvious tag?

mycathatesyou: I suppose men could do a better job?

Yes. The answer is always yes.

Now be love and go grab me a beer.

*smacks mycathatesyou on the ass*