Screaming children in public places

namabiru
By namabiru

Okay, so maybe it was just me, but have you noticed that there a whole lot of small children running around public places (quite literally), screaming. Not just playing, but emitting loud ear-piercing shrieks? Serious.

Thursday night I went out to the Landmark. While eating my pizza at Pizza Express, there were 3 small children playing with balloons, running around the restaurant, screaming. And if you've been in that restaurant, you *know* that sound carries easily in there. The mother-and this is what got me--, the mother actually allows her kids to run all around the restaurant, screaming.

So then I go to the Marks & Sparks, and I'm looking at jeans, and what do I hear? 3 *different* (yes, I checked) children, running around, literally shrieking (one within 3 feet of me).
I go outside the shop, and out in the mall area, more children are screaming at the top of their little lungs.

Not screaming in agony or pain, mind you, but screaming for sheer play.

Now, call me old-fashioned, but when I was young, I didn't go to a restaurant, or any public place for that matter, and act like that. I would have definitely been to the car, then a spanking.

Has anyone else encountered this behavior?

By jauntie• 7 Oct 2007 02:59
jauntie

I've now added this thread to my 'favourites' so it's bookmarked for my future reference.

DG? I need Jackie 'O' specs and nerves of steel (allegedly) :P

By butterfly• 6 Oct 2007 22:45
butterfly

Alexa, you are so right, that test about becoming a parent.

Here there is something really funny

Quite honestly, loud children don´t freak me out at all, it is rude and arrogant teenagers what really gets on my nervs. Not to mention loud adults that cannot behave in public places.

By althaf22• 6 Oct 2007 19:56
althaf22

if they are silent, they aren't kids or must be having a kind of illness then!

But it is parents responsibility too to teach them respect and not to be of disturbing to others whereever they are.

By diamond• 6 Oct 2007 19:48
diamond

lol J,...how has your weekend been?_______________________________________________________

Love is the answer...

By t_coffee_or_me• 6 Oct 2007 19:48
t_coffee_or_me

Try:

fish market

Zoo

najma market on a Friday n last but not the least

opposite national on a friday evening

If you can't change your fate, change your attitude.

By jauntie• 6 Oct 2007 19:44
Rating: 4/5
jauntie

because I just don't seem to see all this chaos that everyone else does!

OK apart from screaming children, (and I would accost the parents about if it was really bad and uncontrolled - don't mean a nappy being changed or a slit wrist or other such emergency)

I intend to do my own survey - over a week or two and not until after Eid.

I intend to:

walk the corniche, unaccompanied

wander around a souq - unaccompanied

call a cab, or hail one

I already go rounds the Malls by myself

I walk to my local supermarket

I hope to visit other areas in Qatar outside of Doha!

I can't think of anything else!

By diamond• 6 Oct 2007 19:32
diamond

Namabiru, I also detest the shrieking of children running around in restaurants. I always have a word with the manager to sort it out.

Re the poor treatment of staff it reminds me of our American neighbours in California. They treated their Mexican staff like dogs. Several times the staff came to our house and we called the police in an effort to help them. Disgusting way to treat ones employees.

_______________________________________________________

Love is the answer...

By namabiru• 6 Oct 2007 15:53
namabiru

Heh. The househelp. I witnessed the role of the househelp first-hand in the Carrefour (Qatari Walmart?) yesterday. There was a locally-dressed woman with her househelp in the shop. The locally-dressed rich woman was dictating (no, there is no other word) to the househelp which pan she wanted, but the poor househelp lady was having difficulty hearing her employer (shrieking children nearby, belonged to a different party), and wasn't being successful in her selection. The locally-dressed woman freaked out at the househelp. I was extremely embarrassed to even be standing nearby.

Meanwhile the lazy bint (the locally-dressed rich woman) was standing *right* in front of the pan. If she had half a brain as well as the initiative, she could have taken it right off the shelf. I tell you, I felt really sorry for the poor househelp woman. To have to put up with people like that...

By knoxcollege• 6 Oct 2007 15:37
knoxcollege

It is definitely not easy to raise kids rather I believe it is one of the hardest and 24/7 job. I salute all those women who look after their kids, who feed them, who wash them, educate them. I sincerely appreciate those women from the bottom of my heart who put their kids first before their own careers. Those who carry them in their hands all along the corniche, who wake in the middle of the night to tend them, (the list is long, will continue some other day)

I strongly dislike those women who leave their kids to be raised by nannies and maids

By Gypsy• 6 Oct 2007 15:34
Gypsy

The only thing I can't stand that kids do, is kick the back of my seat when I'm on a plane. I mean my Mom would've killed me if I'd kicked some random persons seat on a plane, and everytime I fly I end up in front of some kid who's practicing his kickboxing and their mother never says anything!

"I fight with love and I laugh with rage, you have to live light enough to see the humor and long enough to see some change." Ani Difranco

By namabiru• 6 Oct 2007 15:32
Rating: 5/5
namabiru

Yeah, okay. I know kids will be kids, and I certainly don't expect small children to be completely silent. That's unrealistic.

But to have two or three children playing, running at full-tilt around both a restaurant and a clothing store, emitting very, very loud bat-sounding shrieks when there are a whole lot of other people... come now. I'm serious--it wasn't the happy playing of children, it was a fricking shrieking volume contest they were holding.

So... people with small kids. Where do you take them to let them run off their energy? You're right--there aren't exactly a plethora of parks around, nor the appropriate weather. The little park near the Corniche wouldn't be so bad (near the tea kettle statue).

By Cornellian• 6 Oct 2007 15:24
Cornellian

Or send u to a mental institute!

By Cornellian• 6 Oct 2007 15:19
Cornellian

Ahhh Alexa, that was the scariest image I ever had! Shiver me timbers!

By adey• 6 Oct 2007 15:17
adey

Actually kids are great.... especially on toast!

No really they are great.

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

By jauntie• 6 Oct 2007 15:08
jauntie

I don't have children, I get my kicks bashing other people's!

By jauntie• 6 Oct 2007 15:07
jauntie

then he gets a motorbike and refuses to wear the crash helmet, cos he's big enough to argue the toss with his dad! W'hey!

By adey• 6 Oct 2007 14:55
adey

Make him wear a bicycle helmet 24hrs a day till he's 16, should do the job. :P

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

By novita77• 6 Oct 2007 14:51
novita77

Actually i hv pass that phase now ... my brat is 6yrs old. No more nappies and bottle, just visit to the hospital twice in 1 month because of his head injuries. The joy of being a mum. Should did what Knox said ... remain single... lol.

By novita77• 6 Oct 2007 14:50
novita77

knox ... what is the old fashioned ways?

By knoxcollege• 6 Oct 2007 14:47
knoxcollege

here in the middle east is that many kids are being raised by nannies and maids. What happened to the old fashioned ways? Why is it such a burden to carry your own child

By adey• 6 Oct 2007 14:46
adey

also doubles as a bottle stop! Best buy 2 but don't get them mixed up! :P

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

By novita77• 6 Oct 2007 14:43
novita77

i am off to get one now :P

By adey• 6 Oct 2007 14:38
adey

Carrefour 3QR

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

By novita77• 6 Oct 2007 14:38
novita77

adopt kid whose parents have given them up really a noble cause. Honest !!! Yes probably best for you to stay single as well :D

By knoxcollege• 6 Oct 2007 14:35
knoxcollege

No wonder I am single and intent to stay single and if the need arises I will adopt some kid whose parents have given him up for adoption.

Cheers

By novita77• 6 Oct 2007 14:35
novita77

let me know where can i buy a device for my baby bottom to tell him/her when to fill and not to fill his/her nappy. :D

By t_coffee_or_me• 6 Oct 2007 14:30
t_coffee_or_me

you took the words right out of my mouth

If you can't change your fate, change your attitude.

By adey• 6 Oct 2007 14:30
Rating: 4/5
adey

Once on a flight to or from London a mother waited till we were approaching landing, thus not allowed to leave seats, to change her baby's nappy!! The terrible smell invaded the whole cabin! Why not do it before or when we had landed.

I don't go to mythical places with strange men.

-- Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

By novita77• 6 Oct 2007 14:29
novita77

Wait until you have a children / baby of your own and have to travel half way across the globe.

By knoxcollege• 6 Oct 2007 14:24
knoxcollege

I dislike children who are screaming and yelling in public places like malls. Reminds of a subway journey where a young girl travelling with her dad started crying in the subway. The sound was deafening and many people including me got off before their destination.

Similary once when I was coming from London there was a couple travelling with their kid and she started crying during the flight and she cried the whole eight hours. and luckily I happened to be sitting behind them. You can imagine the sounds variation with which I was entertained during the whole flight. Perosnally I believe that all kids during the flight along with their parents should be seated in sound proof rooms so as to not disturb other passengers

By skdkak closed 1708224867• 6 Oct 2007 14:15
skdkak closed 1708224867

One suggession to you.

DO not ever talk or even try to put up a conversation with any local lady. You are for a real bad experience man...

By knoxcollege• 6 Oct 2007 14:12
Rating: 2/5
knoxcollege

Once when I was shopping in the Muntazah Cooperative Society, there was a kid with his veiled mother. That kid was standing on the edge of the shopping cart railing and was balancing himself on it. her mother was standing next to him and she didnt care at all. If that kid had fallen he would have probably punctured his face and and broken his jawbone and add some teeth.

I wanted to caution the mother but seeing that she was all veiled and covered and I didnt want to attract any attention from onlookers.

By novita77• 6 Oct 2007 13:55
novita77

i never blame it to the kid/s, always the parents responsible for it.

By skdkak closed 1708224867• 6 Oct 2007 13:43
Rating: 5/5
skdkak closed 1708224867

Kids being kids. give them a break guys.

Qatar being a hot place, not many places for them to go and play in open. Think what all of us used to do after our school time and after home-work / assignments done. we used to go out and play with other children. How ever big ur villa / apartment is - it still is indoors.

Parents need and should make kids discplined and not a roudy one on that. Most of the time kids just go around in malls and shopping complexes and try to play with other kids (human nature).

You can control them if they get some sort of playing time and interraction with other kids outside the school.

I agree there are a few that really bug u sometimes and you can surely get to know which one is playing and who all are mischeavous.

By Cornellian• 6 Oct 2007 12:42
Rating: 2/5
Cornellian

All this ties into being spoilt. Whether it was screaming in the malls, disrespecting maids, treating others badly or expecting to have everything at once, it's all because parents are too rich and kids are being raised by maids who have no authority or respect, so how would u expect them to turn out ?

I remember once in the hospital the maid was carrying the sick crying child and the mother was just standing next her all dressed up with her pretty purse and shoes. I felt pity for that child.

By novita77• 6 Oct 2007 12:30
novita77

that boy will go to the uni ... with the maid/nannies sitting next to him or probably sitting outside the classroom standby for him :D

By novita77• 6 Oct 2007 12:30
novita77

lol ... i know what you mean Alexa. But this is call luxury of having a maid. My 12 yrs old half brother back in Jakarta ... his 'nanny' still tying his shoe laces out when he go to school, and follow him around everywhere (playdate, movies, school activities).

my son always looks at his uncle with full of amusement when we go back to Jakarta for hols lmao.

i think this is not only happen in the arab family ... happened in any families when your parents is rich and can't be bother to give attention to their kid/s. Some people think the only think you need to do is work your arse off to make money, and leave the job raising kid/s to the maid or nanny.

By Hummers_rock• 6 Oct 2007 11:57
Hummers_rock

lol...wonder if she still wipes his a.. as well.

'Our freedom is but a light that breaks through from another world'

By Hummers_rock• 6 Oct 2007 11:47
Hummers_rock

What do you mean by here we go again?

The problem is, EVERYWHERE you go there are screaming kids and you can't escape it. Too bad if you don't like kids, you just have to put up with it right?

'Our freedom is but a light that breaks through from another world'

By butterfly• 6 Oct 2007 10:58
Rating: 5/5
butterfly

I think the problem is that the children in Doha get little chance to play outdoors, especially during the warmer months and have way too much energy and frustration to release.

It doesn´t disturb me at all, but it would have been nice for their parents to realise that there is a nice kiddies area in Landmark where they can take their children to play and scream their lugs out. Surely the kids would have appreciate that, instead being confined to a restaurant or a shop...

I also agree that parents in Qatar tend to give junk to their children and this is extremely worrying. I had the chance to see that when I worked in the nursery and saw most two years old were fed with chicken nuggets, fries and sugary desserts. Parents often don´t realise that this is making their child hyperactive, unhealthy and fat and it sets a very bad eating pattern for the rest of their lifes

By Amigo66• 6 Oct 2007 10:00
Amigo66

I guess all the spanking by your parents have gone in vain:D

geez!! u just sound like my wife:(

I believe in freedom of speech.

By Stork• 6 Oct 2007 09:50
Stork

Lack of discipline is certainly part of the problem. The other root cause of a lot of this behaviour is the food that many kids eat these days.

Processed junk, rammed with sugar, salt and chemical additives sends little bodies and minds totally crazy.

I have very close involvement with my daughter's upbringing (I'm one of the few men here who works part-time so I can look after my child). But I have had to be very strict with my maid to stop her shovelling sweets into my daughter when I can't be around.

You only have to notice the appalling level of childhood obesity here to realise that a lots of kids are eating very bad food and not getting any excercise. Hence the screaming madness before bedtime.

Shame on the parents - pity the poor children.

Stork.

By alicat• 6 Oct 2007 09:34
Rating: 3/5
alicat

The main problem here namabiru is that many of the children here are not given any boundaries, and when they cross those lines there is not appropriate reprimands.

Now I am just generalising here I know and there is some really good parenting going on in this country, but there is not enough of it.

Another problem is that in many families here, the parents have very little contact with their own children - its nannies and maids that bring them up. The children have no respect for the nannies as they just follow their parents example as they too generally have little respect for them.

I too was brought up where I knew the line and never dared to cross it.

By novita77• 6 Oct 2007 09:24
Rating: 5/5
novita77

must be honest with you ... when my son around 2 or 3 yrs old ... in the summer months we normally take him to the shopping centre so he can ran around and release his energy. But surely we not letting our kid ran around between tables in restaurant / eateries.

i agree with Alicat ... alot of kids here being brought up by maids or nanny.

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