Okay, okay... I don't hate kids, I just hate horrible parenting! It seems like everyone hates horrible parenting but how do they not see them doing the same thing?!A friend of mine (she's actually been really close to FI for 1/2 their lives), I got to know her sort of because she married a high school friend, anyways, she can't discipline her child. Absolutely does not discipline her child. He does it all: runs around in restaurants, runs through the clothing racks in stores, hits his 18 month old sister (on purpose! stares at her then smacks her in the head with a lightsaber... I don't even know...), doesn't understand the word no when he actually hears it. It bothers me so incredibly much! She sort of explained it before, and knowing this is her mindset makes me hate her even more. "He's only four years old... People with older kids, like 7, they always say, well my kid was never that bad but they just don't remember... and when someone with a younger kid, maybe 2-3, they will say that their kid will never act that way when they're older but they just don't know."
I want to punch her in the face.
Her kid is perfectly capable of being disciplined. We go to an adult birthday dinner, where I warn my child profusely beforehand that it is an adult dinner party. There will be children but you will be on your best behavior because this party is not for you or the other children. So, my friend's kid is running around and the birthday girl's husband (they also have a 3 year old that was there) he grabs the kid, not hard, but says, "no, we are eating dinner now" and he goes to his mom and gives her a look and she says "no, he's right." I almost flipped
So, even though I have a 6 year old, I hate kids. I hate their crummy parents and unfortunately, even though that's not their fault, I hate them too.
She constantly says that I'm so lucky to have such a "naturally" well behaved child. It takes everything in me not to say, "No, he's not naturally a good kid. I discipline the poo out of him and I make sure he's a well behaved child." I hate how all my effort in making sure my child isn't a complete nightmare is chalked up to him naturally being that way, which, he really isn't. He's normal and pushes boundaries and does things he knows he isn't supposed to do and he gets disciplined. I don't spank, I do time out and it is complete torture for him. It's the same timeout I had as a child and my mom even gets mad at me when I do it to him (go figure, right?)
I'm not saying I'm the perfect parent or that I have the perfect child, I just can't stand kids running amok and I'm sick of parents trying SOOOOOO hard to be the cool, hip parent they didn't have.
Okay, end rant and on to the wedding related part:
I'm having a very kid friendly wedding (hiring babysitters, renting a separate meeting room next to the reception area, hiring a magician or puppet show, just keeping all the kids properly entertained) but I'm worried her kid will make me lose my mind and no, I won't tell her that just her kid is not welcomed, I'm not that heartless >.>