Last weekend I was out scrapbooking with my friend and we decided to hit Carl's Jr. for dinner. We walk inside and at the counter is a mother and two young sons. One is playing on a smart phone/Ipod thing and another had his laptop open on the counter (as his mother gave her order) and was playing some kind of game.
Oh. My. Gawd.
Are you kidding me?
Look, I get it: kids need to be active and busy and kept out of trouble and sometimes you let things go because they aren't big things and you make decisions as parents because at the moment it is just EASIER and you learn quickly that you gotta pick your battles and, and, and...
I have boys. I had two LITTLE boys. I know their energy level is daunting at times. We went out a lot because I wanted to TEACH THEM HOW TO BEHAVE WHILE OUT IN A RESTAURANT (or in public in general). I dealt with tantrums and boredom and busyness. I get it. However, if you are allowing your 8ish year old to bring his friggin laptop into a fast food restaurant and has to be playing his games on it while you order because he can't peel himself away long enough to sit down...or better: WAIT UNTIL HE GETS BACK HOME...then you are allowing the snowball to just get BIGGER.
What are these parents THINKING???
How about telling your children, NO when they ask to bring a laptop to a fast food restaurant. How about telling your children that sitting in the restaurant and eating their (crappy) dinner is all they need to be "doing" and they can resume playing games when they get home. How about having an actual conversation at the table instead of talking over the computer screen? Because then they will BEGIN to learn the art of making conversation and how to eat among people and not inanimate objects...and better: how to act while out in public.
What a sad state of affairs this country is in. Kids in high school are only required to take ONE year of physical education. The food they feed our children in those schools are over processed CRAP. We find it cheaper to feed our family fast food nastiness because it is cheaper than going to the store and buying some whole foods and cooking it at home. And, we allow our children to take an expensive laptop into a fast food restaurant for dinner because it is all just easier. Our nation is facing epidemic numbers of obesity and diabetes (to name ONLY two) and yet for some reason we all can't get off the merry-go-round thinking that if we just carry on status quo we won't have to sit long enough to notice the crumbling all around us. Even the best and "lowest" fat options at these places are still filled with extra preservatives and isn't as "great" as they claim to be...you are still better making something at home. Dear God, I digress...
The little boy with his laptop at Carl's Jr. makes me sad and angry. Sad at the boy who has no clue how to go anywhere without some sort of electronic devise hooked to his hip. And, angry at the mother who allows it because it is easier than dealing with maybe an active/bored/restless boy at a restaurant.
I refuse to admit that this is what our world is coming to.
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