Dear Moms of Unsupervised Children at the Chick-Fil-A Play Area,
Your kids are being assholes.
Sure, I get it. You meet for lunch with your Mom-friends. You want some time to talk and kvetch without the kids, and hey, Chick-Fil-A is perfect because they have that indoor playground thingy and your kids are totally old enough to be in there on their own.
But here’s the thing: When your kids are old enough to play in a playground on their own, unsupervised, they are probably too old to be hanging out and playing at the Chick-Fil-A playground.
I am not sure if you noticed, but there are several signs at said indoor playground that recommend certain areas for kids 3 and under.
And while my 3 and unders were toddling around, climbing and having fun, your 3 and MUCH-overs were out of control, knocking other kids down, jumping where they shouldn’t be and being just plain mean.
I bit my tongue as it took every ounce of energy not to parent your children and tell them to stop, behave, and watch the little kids. Instead, I focused more on my kids, making sure they were safe, not being knocked down and having fun.
And when your kids were teasing my daughter, and she stood up for herself using her words to defend herself, I felt proud.
And when another watchful mom commended her for helping her son up stairs he wasn’t able to climb on his own, I felt proud.
And when it was time to leave, and my kids came to me, put on their shoes and said goodbye to their new friends without a fight, I felt proud.
So the next time you meet the girls for lunch to gossip and ignore your kids, remember this: In the time you spent ignoring your kids so they could run rampant and piss off the Moms not ignoring their kids, I learned 3 little lessons about mine that will make me feel proud for a lifetime.
Sincerely,
A Mom with a blog, an iPhone and a passive aggressive stare that will shame you
About Erica Voll
This annoys me to no end. We have a bounce house near us and they have designated bounces for the younger kids. 9 out of 10 times there are 6, 7, 8 year olds in the INFANT bounce house. Why?! Unlike you, I can’t bite my tongue and I do say something!
Maybe I would have said something if the moms were around to say something to!
For reals! I actually get in there and climb around on the equipment with my 2 year old son, because he wants to sit in that way up high truck SO BAD but he just doesn’t have the climbing skills down yet. So I gotta contort myself to fit into the climby areas and give him boosts and climbing lessons. It’s pretty fun. The gossipmoms don’t know what they’re missing.
Exactly! That’s why I play WITH my kids on the playground rather than just watch them play!
This happens at every chick fil a! What gets me are the tiny kids in the play area alone. Those mighty little demon toddlers who terrorize everyone and need a diaper change but the parents are no where! I contemplated calling the police one time when a little non English speaking terror-boy had taken over bullying other littles and there was no adult claiming him. After 20 minutes he escaped the play area and ran clear to the other side of the restaurant to a couple of adults who were leaving. It was odd.
Again, I am not a judgey person when it comes parenting. You do what you gotta do. But watch your kids, please! Because what you gotta do is parent first. And that’s not being judgey, that’s being right.
Ouch, calling a kid an asshole? That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? The parents who need to be reading this aren’t going to be, anyway. I’m the type that usually has no problem saying anything, like “hey, can you watch your kid?” Of course, I don’t go to cfa so this isn’t really a problem for us, and our McDonalds is pretty clean and most parents watch their kids.
Yes, it is probably a bit harsh! Obviously, I was going for shock value
I might have said something to the parents there… if they were actually in the same room. It’s a glass enclosure-type of thing, and parents of said kids were outside and oblivious.
Some kids are assholes. Plain and simple.
I know, right??
Maybe Chic-fil-a could put up a sign about being polite and making introductions to new friends. So often parents capitalize on the ‘stranger danger’ fears and they miss out on real potential to teach a positive lesson. I always greet kids at the playground and ask if they would like to play. And yes, I play, too.
I know, right? And I have encountered some awesome kids that totally want to play, meet other kids, etc. I LOVE playing with my kids at the playground- the dirtier we get the better!
Chick-Fil-A AND Mall Playgrounds. UGG! I hate this. And I especially get frustrated when many of us moms abide the rules (age/height limitations) and we are WATCHING our kids – but the other moms let their 10 year olds bully the small kids while they eat/shop elsewhere OR worse – sit nearby with their back turned WHILE TALKING ON THE PHONE (and their lovely TooOldForThePlaygrounds are pushing toddlers off the equipment only 5 feet away).
YES and THANK YOU!
Not too long ago, I was at Chick Fil A and my son was playing a bit rough with another girl his age. The little girl was encouraging it and was not upset, but I didn’t like my son playing on the rough side with kids he didn’t know. So I told him, “please stop touching that girl, you are being too rough…” The little girl said to me, “we are just playing…” I said, “I know honey, but I don’t want you to get hurt…” The mother of the little girl looks at me, “she’s right, you need to calm down, they are just playing,,,,” I look right back at her and said, “but you didn’t SEE them playing, and my son was being a bit rough, and I want my son to be a gentleman around women….”
GO FIGURE!
In any case, not all kids need a helicopter parent when they play. Some kids can be trusted to play nicely with other kids. Unfortunately, the ones that can’t be trusted are not reading this. At some point, you will also have a 5 or 6 year old who wants to play without your constant supervision. So teach them to play nicely.
There have been many times when I’ve been the only parent in the CFA play area. I guess I’m a helicopter parent, *shrug* but I swear, it can be like Lord of the Flies in those play areas when there are no parents to be seen. And while it’s awkward, I do sometimes “parent” other people’s kids, especially if I see them bullying my child or another. I also do plenty of passive aggressive staring.
We never ever had a pleasant experience at a fast food play place. Lost socks. Bad design. Once one of mine panicked in the top of the structure and I had to crawl to the top and help her come down. I could feel it swinging and swaying. By the time they were 8, they could ignore it.
You’re right. Why do we bother, you know??
1. Glad that we don’t have a Chick Fil A around here… that’s a lie. I wish we did just without the play area.
2. Glad that McD’s took out their play area. I hated all those kids who ran amuck with no parent paying attention.
3. Why do parents think that they can just ignore what their kids are doing?!?! What happens if their kid gets hurt?
Silly moms… they’re the ones missing out on having fun with their kids. They can have a girls night out if they want to gossip and have fun with their friends.
And this is where I judge you for eating at Chick Fil A hahaha. But seriously, this is why I never get off at these places & only eat there when there’s absolutely nothing else for me to make.
Haha! I’m guilty as charged!!!to be fair, our babe just had her tonsils out and was dying for some play time that didn’t involve the freezing cold weather!!