I'm going to fill you all in on some of the other wonders of Oregon, other than the natural ones. Let's talk for a minute about some of the child rearing we've witnessed in Portland thus far. Take friday night for example:
On a usual rip-roaring friday eve, after watching the Presidential Debate, we headed over to the local pub for a beer and a game of chess. In walks a typical Portland family with two kids under the age of 5. The eldest, a girl, begins to freak out "I WANT TO SIT AT THAT TABLE!!!! I DON'T WANT TO SIT HERE!!! WITH YOU AND MOMMY AND THEM AND....!!!" She almost begins to hyperventilate. Luckily for us, the table she so desperately wanted to sit at was right next to ours. The mother, wanting her dear daughter to be happy and comfortable, obliges and moves the entire party of 5 to a table for 2 + three extra chairs. Once everyone was in place, the same child shrieks "I WANT MY SUGAR PACKETS!!!!! I WANT THEM!!!!" Mother says "you have some sugar packets right here honey". Girl responds "I WANT THE SAME ONES FROM THE OTHER TABLE!!!!!". The mother smiles at her husband and says "can you go get the other sugar packets honey?". Not only was this child emotionally unstable at this point, but also high on refined white sugar. Oh boy. Adam and I continue to play chess. And the only reason he is beating me is because I can't take my eyes and ears off this family.
Later, the food arrives. The younger child, a walking and talking 2.5 (maybe 3 year old) is asking his mother for some "nummies". He doesn't just want his tator tots, he wants tater tots with breast milk. Mother responds "Honey, I can't give you nummies in the restaurant. We'll have to go out in the car if you want nummies". This was only after she attempted to give him "nummies" once and he just kept casually going from the boob to the tots. Unbelievable! Not many kids can say they've had that for dinner! So, they leave. And I'm not sure if I'm happy or slightly disappointed that I won't be entertained anymore.....The chess game ended, if anyone cares, as a stale mate game.
Okay, not ALL Portlanders parent this way, but stuff like that happens an awful lot more around here than anywhere else I've lived. I can say after this experience, no child of mine will be getting "nummies" in the bar while I sip on a good heifewizen. I think, as a personal rule, once the child can ask for his own breast milk is when they probably don't need to be nursing anymore.
4 comments:
ok that was gross, and as for that bratty girl...i'll tell her where she can sit and where she'll get her sugar packets. liz, let us never be those types of parents...
Tits-and-tots? Say what you want about the parent, but that kids got taste. I know what I'm getting for my birthday dinner.
Sounds like the dad had no power either....hard to imagine something like that happening at The Landing, eh??
I am constantly surprised by the number of parents who drag their children to adult restaurants (usually at about the child's bed time) and then expect them to actually behave! Where have all the babysitters gone???
Liz, my friend....this made me laugh out loud! When kiddos are old enough to verbally request it; the time has come for "nummies" to not be an option!! Also very funny is me picturing you doing a Napolean impression regarding "tots"..haha! :)
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