Pathetic Adult Displays in Front of Kids

[Hamish McBagpipe]

I was at a Christmas party on the weekend at a friend of my gf's. Most of those attending were married and half a dozen kids were there in and out of the host's son's room and basement TV room. Everything was fine, drinking happily away, when some guy I didn't know calls for his son out of the basement. He was about 10 or 11. The Dad tells us the boy sings in a church choir and then tells junior to sing us a song/hymn/whatever. The mortified kid starts to sing, but he can't get through the whole song. He stops, on the verge of tears, and his Dad says, "Don't you ever embarass me like that again." I would have said something but it all happened pretty fast and I could only bitch about it later. Anyway, I think this kind of stuff really [censored] kids up worse, in some cases, than physical abuse.

I remember playing hockey at about the same age. The coach's kid was our best player. There was an ongoing argument about ice time. Finally, during a game, a parent takes the coach to the bathroom and beats him up. The coach comes back, glasses broken and a bloody nose,
and takes his kid away. The guy who beat him up becomes our coach for the rest of the game. As a kid, I didn't really know wtf was going on, but I'm sure it screwed up those kids pretty bad. I know this is pretty common stuff amongst rabid sports parents.

As for me, I remember when my Dad showed up drunk to parent/teacher night when I was in about grade 5. Jesus Christ, what an [censored]. And he's acting like they are not going to know. That was about the time me and him parted ways.

Every time I recall an instance like this I usually laugh but mostly in amazement that the grownups could have been such dinks. I'm pretty sure most of us had similiar experiences and I'm flabbergasted that we come out of them relatively unscathed and not gibbering wrecks. Any stories?

[miajag81]

There was a kid on my peewee basketball team whose dad was an a-hole like that. Everytime the kid missed a shot or messed up somehow he would instantly look over to his dad on the sidelines who would be scowling and shaking his head at him. He would be on the verge of tears for most of the game. A few years later, the dad shot himself in their garage. Good riddance.

[swede123]

I must have lived a fairly normal childhood, 'cause I can't think of anything a tenth as bad as either of the situations you described. Sure, I've been embarassed by my parents' lack of style or "cool" a few times but really nothing traumatic like you described. It appears you were both brought up in a [censored] environment and are now surrounded by a [censored] environment. Sorry man. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

Swede

[eviljeff]

Joe Pesci was pretty immature during that scene in Goodfellas when he caps the kid for not getting him a drink.

pwn3d!!!!11oneone

[PoBoy321]

Thankfully I've never experienced anything similar firsthand, but I've heard 2nd hand of a lot of similar situations. Now I'm generally a pretty big advocate of allowing parents to raise their children however they want, but when parents act more immature than their children, it really disgusts me. You're supposed to be a role model, not some jackass who's still upset about the fact that he missed the final shot of his peewee championships and has to live vicariously through his kid.

I just hope they aren't surprised when their kids grow up to be just as [censored] up as they are.

Also Hamish, I'm really sorry to hear about your father. Alcoholism runs rampant in my family and I've known a lot of people with drinking problems and I just can't imagine how anyone would want to put their kid through that.

My dad used to (actually, he still might) cover up the cash register at various places, (grocery store, gas station) so the community college kid has to do the math in his head. Not psychologically damaging, just a dad being an [censored].

[Hamish McBagpipe]

Um, it wasn't that bad. I don't think my Dad was an alcoholic, just an ass. And I'm definitely not surrounded by people who do this type of thing, it was a rare event that I was even at a house party of this sort. I'm not sure how you would come to these conclusions from two short anecdotes, but thanks for the input. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[asofel]

ego,

that's pretty dick. by habit i do it myself, but what right does he have to do that...at least you fell far from the tree and can appreciate a great avatar...

[PoBoy321]

Yeah, that's kind of a dick thing to do, but I suppose it could at least be construed as mildly funny. Showing up to parent/teacher night drunk is just awful.

[asofel]

poboy,

very true. not nearly in the same league as the other stuff of course...personally i'd laugh if someone tried that on me and ask them something harder back....then it'd be go time...

[shant]

Me and my buddy went to Shakey's Pizza the other day to eat and drink some pitchers before heading to the bar. We made a prop bet on those ticket games they have there, and he hit a huge jackpot of 396 tickets like 3 games into the bet. I said, "AW [F-WORD]!" kinda loud and all the kids in the room froze and stared at me. I felt bad.

/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[miajag81]

haha, awesome

[PoBoy321]

I always feel bad when I inadvertently drop the F-bomb in front of kids. The thing is, when I was 7 or 8, I knew the F word and I knew not to use it, so it's probably not that big of a deal.

[ddubois]

This one time I went to taco bell and paid for my $2.06 with three one-dollar bills. As the girl punched it in, I fished through my pocket and reazlied: "Oh, I have a dime". Girl shouts into the back: "Anyone got a calculator?!"

Your dad is cool in my book.

[JihadOnTheRiver]

sup yo

[youtalkfunny]

I hand the check and a $20 bill to the cashier at Friendly's. She starts hitting buttons, then calls the manager over.

MANAGER: What's wrong?

CASHIER: His total was $5.64. He gave me a $20. Instead of entering $20 for Cash Tendered, I accidentally entered $5.64.

MANAGER: That's no problem, just give him back his change.

CASHIER: Yeah, but how much is that?

OLD LADY BEHIND ME IN LINE: Oh, my God!

Sorry for the hi-jack, back to the topic:

My son started playing football this year (he's 6). My wife suggested that I help coach the team. I asked her, "Are you CRAZY?"

Next time you're driving past the local sports field, and you see a game going on, pull over and watch. Don't watch the kids. Watch, and listen to, the parents. You won't believe it. It's nothing like when I was a kid.

The last game I went to featured a mother on our side threatening to hurt a kid on the other team for playing too rough. This was an adult, threatening a 6-year-old. For playing FOOTBALL too rough.

These parents scream at kids, coaches, refs, whoever. They leave their common sense behind. Stomping their feet, and throwing things, is the norm. None of these people would act like this at the grocery, or at the movie theater. But there's something about sports that makes them lose their minds.

Fortunately, I take the kid to practice on weeknights, and it's my wife who has to wake up and take him to games on Saturday morning, and put up with this nonsense.

As far as non-sports situations go, fortunately, I don't have much to add. Though I'm always shocked when I go to WalMart at 3 AM, and see people shopping with their kids.

[housenuts]

maybe you should go watch your kid's game

[baumer]

[ QUOTE ]
you should go watch your kid's games

[/ QUOTE ]

[youtalkfunny]

I work nights. The games are usually at the ridiculous hour of 8 AM.

My wife is a bank teller, and has to work every 3rd or 4th Saturday. On those days, it's on me to drag ass out of bed and get him there one hour before gametime, for reasons that defy my comprehension.

If I had to watch these pitiful displays by the so-called adults every week, I'd go nuts.

Sports teach discipline and teamwork, and offer exercise. If that wasn't the case, I wouldn't let my kids play on team sports.

Every time one of my kids tells me he/she wants to sign up for a sport, I'm shocked. I can't believe they think anything that involves so much anger, yelling, and screaming is fun.

[jba]

get your ass out of bed and go to your damn kid's games 8 AM be damned

[jba]

a few years back I was at dunkin donuts getting a coffee and this guy was in the parking lot was screaming at no one in particular because his cruller was apparently too small. 'LOOK AT THIS [censored]!!! DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A [censored] CRULLER TO YOU??' he actually asked me that personally. at the time, I didn't even know what a cruller was, and he was pretty pissed that I didn't immediately jump on his side.

wife and kid are in the car looking absolutely terrified, as if small crullers meant they were going to fall down the stairs when they got home.

[shant]

I didn't know so maybe someone else won't either. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruller)

[xLukex]

Threads like these make me want to kill. When I was younger I obviously never said anything to completely ignorant people. If I ever go to jail, it just might be because someone claimed their coffee wasn't hot enough or that it was making their nose run.

[jba]

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't know so maybe someone else won't either. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruller)

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah that's the funniest thing is I had just moved to the east coast like two weeks before this and had no clue WTF a cruller was either, and here's some dude screaming at me about how his is small...

oh and it was a chocolate cruller and he kept screaming "THIS ISN'T A CRULLER IT'S JUST A TINY PIECE OF [censored]!! DOESN'T THIS LOOK LIKE A LITTLE PIECE OF [censored]??"

oh man good times

[gamblore99]

To OP,
Wow. Those are some [censored] up stories. I am lucky to have never seen any of that stuff as it it really disgusts me. Posts like these that put things in perspective. I sometimes forget how [censored] sweet my parents are. Think I am going to email them right now and tell them how much I love them and great they are.

And I used to complain because my mom wanted my room clean...

[craig r]

[ QUOTE ]
To OP,
Wow. those are some [censored] up stories. I have never seen any of that stuff, and am very thankful. It really disgusts me that parents would be so childish. Its posts like these that put things in perspective for me. I have some [censored] sweet parents. I am going to email them right now and tell them how much I love them.

And I used to complain because my mom wanted my room clean...

[/ QUOTE ]

The dad saying that his kid embrassed him is beyond childish. Childish is going egging or TPing someone's house with your kid. Or maybe giving your kid the silent treatment, because he is giving it to you. But, this is fcked up stuff. Thats okay, though, because the dad will always be able to delude himself later when he tells his strung out son, "We take you to therapy and you still do drugs. We have done everything we can for you."

craig

[astroglide]

[ QUOTE ]
OLD LADY BEHIND ME IN LINE: Oh, my God!

[/ QUOTE ]

i think that's a funny response

what's not funny is the fact that she'll no doubt proceed to pay for her stuff with a check

[tonypaladino]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
OLD LADY BEHIND ME IN LINE: Oh, my God!

[/ QUOTE ]

i think that's a funny response

what's not funny is the fact that she'll no doubt proceed to pay for her stuff with a check

[/ QUOTE ]

I hate when people use checks in stores. WTF is up with that?

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
I must have lived a fairly normal childhood, 'cause I can't think of anything a tenth as bad as either of the situations you described.

[/ QUOTE ]

You need to get out more. You'll see parents humiliating and belittling their kids in public all the time. It is disgusting to watch and you just want ot deck these parents.

Of course, the opposite are the idiot parents who's kids can do no wrong.

b

[youtalkfunny]

[ QUOTE ]
get your ass out of bed and go to your damn kid's games 8 AM be damned

[/ QUOTE ]

Easy there, Mr Highhorse.

I'll bet I spend more quality time with my kids than any of the parents who show up on gameday.

[newhizzle]

i remember one time i was trying to buy beer with my old fake id and the cashier tried to say someone told her it was my brother's id(it wasnt), anyway, she tried to take it from me and when she gave it to her manager i grabbed it and ran cuz if i got any more charges i was going to jail, anyway, my friend was in a green jeep outside and there was another green jeep parked next to it, i opened the door and without looking at who was inside i yelled, "yo get the [censored] outta here!" at some dude and his like 4 year old daughter, i felt kinda bad about that too