A lot of my job is actually really fun. Learning new things about the business, meeting new people from all over the planet (litterally all over the planet like Japan, Australia, Kuwait, Korea, the UK), developing relationships with returning guests. It's all great. Except when a parent isn't behaving like a parent.
I am 28 years old, I am not married, I have no children, not even a dog or a cat, and I am that way by choice. I don't want to be a parent just yet. And I especially don't want to be a parent to a child that doesn't even belong to me! However, simply standing in my lobby everyday, I find myself coaching grown ass men and women on how to control their children, and how to keep their children safe! It's absolutely rediculous! I mean really, is it rocket science?
I have a 7 year old nephew, and a 5 year old niece, and that's the closest to having children that I'm going to be for a while. But even then sometimes I wonder if I have more maternal instincts than some of these people that have already been procreating!!! I mean, common sense would tell you that you don't allow a toddler (maybe a year old) to climb all over and walk on top of a concrete table and bench in the pool area. As I said, I'm not a parent, and this gave myself and my housekeeper Rebecca a freaking heartattack! Mind you, this same family had 2 adults, and 8 (yes EIGHT) children, and did I mention that the wife/mom/baby factory was currrently expecting in the VERY near future?! Okay, 9 children is a bit much, hell, 4 or 5 would be more than plenty for any sane human being!
I remember when I was little, anytime we went somewhere that had a pool, or something public and fun, the rule was you had to have mom or dad, or a parental type person with you at all times. Not just to keep you from wondering off and getting lost, but to keep you safe from other people, and from your own actions as a kid! How many times were we all told "Don't do that!" as a kid? countless right? No running around the pool! No diving in the shallow end! Stop holding your sibling under the water! Maybe things were just much different when I was growing up. But as a parent, wouldn't you want to be near your children when they were in a prospectively dangerous situation, one that could (in an extreme circumstance) cause death? Wouldn't you want to be near your child while they were at the pool, making sure that they weren't diving inthe shallows or running around the pool?! Most people would say yes. So tell me why, on a relatively regular basis I have to kick kids out of my pool because they don't have a parent with them. And I mean KIDS, like 7-13 years old. Jeez, even when I went to my grandparent's house during summer, one of them always sat with me when I was in the water! Any number of things could have happened, could have hit my head and drowned, could have slipped and fallen, could have had a number of horrific things happen to me. Why do parents think that it is okay to just let their children roam free in a foreign place without the protection of an adult!?! I honestly can say I don't understand.
And I understand that some parents only have their children's best interest at heart, but why would you force your OBVIOUSLY incredibly shy teenager to speak to a complete and total stranger when it was totally aparent that she was beyond uncomfortable? Uncomfortable almost to the point of tears! I know that perhaps you may be trying to encourage your child to "break out of their shell" and what not, but really, you are a grown ass person, what ever happend to lead by example? If you need more towels or have a question about the pool hours, ask, don't force your child to ask. If they wanted to, they would have! Maybe I just don't understand this because I was never a shy child and my parents were never in that situation. As a teenager, you already feel awkward and odd, lets not make it worse. I feel so bad when I have to try to talk to these kids that come up to me because their parents are forcing them. I have to try to figure out what this kids wants from the six words they managed to mumble to me across the desk. "Mmmmfnngnhdhnd pool, asnnnnnggrrrrmmmm close tnnnbbtl." WTF? "I'm sorry, what was that? You needed to know what time the pool closes?" Really, sometimes its as difficult for me as it is for the kid! A smile and a friendly voice can only do so much to make them feel more comfortable. If you teach your child to be confident in life, things will be so much easier for them. I'm grateful that's what my parents did for me, and that is what I will do for my kids (when or if I eventually have them).
Then again, teaching your child to be overconfident, and independent is not always the best thing for them. No matter how independent and smart your child is, you just don't send your 14 year old away with a wad of cash in his pocket, to a very large city, with no adults, and no supervision! (yes I have had this happen to me! I swear!) I think it is fantastic that you trust your child that much, and that he/she is that self sufficient, however, ARE YOU NUTS? Do you not realize how many weirdos, pervs and freaks are out there in this world? Your child could have been kidnapped, or gotten lost and ended up in TJ or something!!! Isn't this considered child endangerment?! Ugh, the sheer stupidity of it just boggles my mind, it truely does!
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