After Taekwondo class this morning, I brought the girls for a haircut. We went to Suntec City where there is a kids section featuring kids related retail shops including a kids hairdresser. We had to wait quite a bit at the hairdresser because the salon was having a very difficult customer - a little boy, maybe 2 years old, screaming like a pig being slaughtered while the hairdresser took a little snip here and a little snip there. The little boy was being held by his mother, a hip stylish looking lady with blonde streaks in her hair. As I stood there waiting with Pumpkin, the lady, without looking at us, said "Can you all please stop staring." I suppose she could be referring to Pumpkin and I although I wasn't quite looking her way. I wanted to say to her "OK, we'll stop staring if your son stops screaming." But I'm not so mean lah and I felt a bit sorry for her (at least up until she made that very unnecessary remark). But maybe I shouldn't feel sorry for her - maybe her son's that way because he has been over-protected like many kids in Singapore. Incidentally, later on the salon had another screaming wailing customer and it was yet another little boy - what kind of men are we breeding in Singapore?
While the girls were having their haircuts, I witnessed an argument taking place just outside a shop nearby. Now I've seen lovers quarrelling in public but here was an argument between a man and his maid. "You are lying. Where were you at 7pm?" "I was home already. sob sob"....."I know his pattern. He doesn't poo poo everyday. You're lying.".... The man had his toddler son (the one who doesn't poo poo everyday) with him and the boy seemed oblivious to what was going on; was probably used to it. If I were the shop assistant, I would have said to the man "Excuse me sir, please could you make a scene elsewhere? You're scaring away my customers."
While I was sitting there, I also saw a frumpy-looking lady walk pass me with a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other. I suppose she was feeding her child and was walking about searching for her child. I will never understand why parents allow their children to walk and run about during meal times. They are raising spoilt brats I tell you.
Now I know why the mall has a section just for kids/families - so that the rest of the shoppers would be spared these horrors!
6 comments:
Wahahaha...so many sagas. All not very joyful leh. Anyway, I also witnessed 2 scenes which raised questions for me:
1. Parents who fed their little girl (about 2 maybe) cold coke. I don't ever give my son cold stuff, not even until now. Maybe I'm over protective.
2. Another who let her rascal boy run around and bully the other kids in a playroom. My son was in there too. I was quite happy when the rascal hit his head on the glass panel. Not serious lah, but enough to keep him quiet for a while.
I must confess that my son used to get very upset when having his hair cut - the clippers used to really scare him. Maybe boys are more sensitive than girls - my daughter never had this problem.
But it wouldn't bother me if everybody in the place was staring at us - in fact, probably wouldn't even notice it. I think until one has walked a mile in someone's shoes, it is not easy to criticise. With the exception of people who let their kids bully other kids. I am not above barging in and telling the offender to back off, if their parents don't do it.
Aiyah, do as I do - cut your children's hair yourself. Not that difficult what.
Sesame:
1) I don't give my children gassy drinks either (only occasionally) but I'm definitely not the over-protective sort. It's a matter of costs & benefits. It's fine for them to play on the monkey bars (their fave playground equipment at childcare) altho' there is a good chance they would fall and break an arm but I think it is a risk worth taking and a price worth paying because they develop motor skills, a sense of daring and confidence in themselves. But what does taking a cold drink do for them?
2) You know what's worse than a kid who is a bully in a playroom? A parent who is a bully in a playroom. I've seen parents like that, who over-protective of their child, end up bullying other kids or just behaving rudely.
fbt: Yah I did wonder to myself if the boy's behaviour had little to do with his upbringing. But anyway what annoyed me wasn't so much the crying but the remark the lady made.
I'm undecided how I should react if my child is bullied by another child. If my child were very little, I suppose I would defend her but so far with my girls, I have not done that but rather I explain to them later that what the bully did was wrong and how they can do in that situation. I prefer that my children learn how to take care of themselves; I can't be there with them all the time.
tai pi's aunty: Well no wonder you are so busy! Alright, you win the Mother of the Year title.
yeah, I'm in favour of the "let them learn how to look after themselves" approach too - it's just sometimes I can't help barging in. As Hillary Clinton says, "It takes a village." It's everyone's responsibility to teach children that they shouldn't push other children over, or hit them over the head with toys, or shut their fingers in doors, if their own parents can't be bothered to do it.
joys and tribulations being a parent! and geez so much drama. i agree with you that we should not have spoilt brats for kids - makes me shudder too....
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