Some People’s Children…or Parents.
So this evening we went to our local parade. We got there about 15 or so minutes before it started and found a spot on the sunny side of the road just big enough for the four of us and between two big blue awnings. It was hot as the blazes (103) but we had water and our KFC. 🙂 Anyway, when the parade got started and the candy started to fly, it quickly became apparent that our view of the parade would be blocked by school age (jr. high) kids without any awareness of their surroundings (such as moms with toddlers who are trying to see) or any desire to heed my request to move because my son couldn’t see the parade. After this went on for 15-20 mins. or so (during which time 2-3 officers asked the kids to move back because somebody had been injured by a vehicle and they STILL kept moving out into the road) I finally moved my chair and Aiden’s stroller forward to the line that we were not supposed to pass. Despite my moving forward and the kids repeatedly being asked to move back, they still continued to inch forward and a couple of times they even stood directly in front of me. HELLOOOO!?!?!?!?! We are trying to WATCH the parade please, they are capable of throwing candy to you in your SEAT. Good grief. Finally my dad asked the kids to move back. They looked at him like he spoke some foreign language and blatantly disregarded him. He asked a second time, then the parents got involved and were all huffy and in utter disbelief that their child would do anything wrong. By this time a cop had come by another 2-3 more times to push people back and still they were not doing what they were asked. Honestly. Isn’t it common courtesy to make sure the people around you can see? How about the toddler who will only be interested in the parade if they can actually see it? We asked politely, the police asked politely, we asked more assertively, we asked aggressively, and when we left what did we get? No, I’m sorry my kids were blocking your view, no, oh please don’t go I will ask my kids to move, instead we got “It’s about time you left.” What?!?!? We weren’t the ones in the wrong! Oi. What happened to respecting your elders? What happened to obedience? What happened to common courtesy? If I choose to return to this parade next year I will go early, tape off or rope off our spot on the shady side of the street and make sure that no one croads in front of us. Likely though I will just stick to the West Bountiful parade. It is much better organized and people stay seated between “candy” floats. There is my rant for the night. I am learning more and more the things I want to teach my kids. I think my guiding quote as I raise my kids will be, ” I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves.” Thanks for letting me stand on my soap box a bit…very few things get me this worked up… 🙂