Over My DEAD BODY!!!!!!

[popcornbird]

You know what. I really HATE people like that!

A few weeks ago, this lady came to our house with her 4 kids. I was on constant stress mode the whole time, because he kids were traumatizing my birds, and their mother said NOTHING to stop them! When I tried to stop them, I got scolded by those little evil midgets who decided to call me mean! I don't care if they think I'm mean! I only told them not to bother the birds because they have feelings like we do, and instead of being good kids and listening, they decided I was mean and started bothering them even more! That mother was watching, but did not say ANYTHING the whole time! Eventually I took the birds upstairs to my room, let them perch on my desk and closed the door (which unfortunately does not have a lock). I did this while the kids were eating so I thought they wouldn't realize where the birds went. Well guess what. I went to the bathroom for a minute, silly Popcorn started singing , the kids heard him and discovered where they were, and ran up to my room while I was in the bathroom! I heard them running up the stairs so I got out of the bathroom as fast as I could, only to find them stacking chairs and trying to reach them, and my poor babies hissing their heads off! I scolded them and told them to leave my room immediately, but of course they didn't listen! So I took the birds and put them on my shoulders where they were with me and safe from those little monsters! It was a pain the whole time they were here, but when they were finally leaving, and I sighed with relief, the mother comes and says to me, "You know, My kids love your birds. When you go on a trip and need to leave them with someone, I can come by and take them. That would really make my kids happy."

You can't imagine how mad I was when she said that! Does she think I would leave my babies with such a wild, irresponsible family like her's, EVER, for a second?!?! NEVER! I frankly told her that the birds are part of our family and its our family rule that our birds stay only with those who have NO kids (which is not exactly true because the friends we normally leave them with have 2 teenage kids and one 6 year old, but its the most well behaved 6 year old you can imagine, AND they have birds of their own so she knows how to deal with them). Instead of understanding, she says, "What a discriminatory rule" and walks out. WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS TO TELL ME TO LEAVE MY BIRDS WITH HER?!?!?! They are MY pets and I leave them with who I want to leave them with.

How do people raise kids?!?! I was NOT like this as a child!

[moosmom]

Popcornbird,

If someone else's kids are in my home with their parents or parent, I give the parent a chance to discipline them when they do something wrong. If the parent's choose to ignore their kid's bad behavior, then I step in. Afterall, it's MY home and they should respect that. And if the parents are pissed about it - TOUGH!!

[Prairie Purrs]

I'm afraid I would have had much less patience than you did, Popcornbird. I would have told the woman that her children were upsetting my birds and that she'd have to leave. I can't believe she didn't get the hint after you moved them to the bedroom. But some people seem to think that the way to raise children is to let them run roughshod over everything and everybody.

[Denyce]

I don't know who this woman was to you that you restrained yourself. There is no way I would have tolerated that behavior for so long. I would have said to the mother that my upstairs is NOT an area that the children are allowed in PERIOD and if they couldn't behaive better or she couldn't control her children she would have to leave. I won't allow rude children in my home any longer.

[popcornbird]

I didn't have patience. In fact, I felt like I was going to blow up! Its just that my parents didn't raise me to be rude like those kids' parents did , so I was afraid I'd get a scolding if I said what I wanted to say. I did my best to keep the kids under control, and I was with my birds the WHOLE time, but deep down inside, I wanted to tell them to pack up and leave. I just HATE when kids under 9 come to our house. Most of them are idiots! Ugh! Kids and pets don't mix in most cases. I was just SO mad that after all that, she told me to leave the birds at her house if we ever go on vacation! What does she think my birds are?!? Toys for her kids?!? YEAH RIGHT! If she "ever" comes again, and her kids torment my pets, I'll really have to teach them a lesson. It was their first time at our house, but now I'll make sure my mom doesn't invite them again! I was NEVER like this as a child. I remember going to my friend's house to see her kittens after her cat gave birth to six little ones. I was only 6 at the time. I remember that her mom let me hold them for a minute and after that she told us to leave them because they needed rest, and we listened immediately and went to play with toys, etc. I just can't understand how some people raise their kids. THEY JUST WON'T LISTEN! And the worst part is, they won't listen AT ALL to me. If my mom or someone tells them to stop, they won't listen, but after nagging them to stop, they eventually will (for 2 minutes). Me on the other hand.............they argue that I'm not a mom and they don't have to listen to me! Well its my house and MY pets, and I sure don't have to listen to them!

I don't care if the mother was mad at me for protecting my babies. My feathered kids mean far more to me than her mannerless kids. I don't care for the happiness of HER kids. I care for the happiness and safety of my pets.

[moosmom]

Popcornbird says:

I don't care if the mother was mad at me for protecting my babies. My feathered kids mean far more to me than her mannerless kids. I don't care for the happiness of HER kids. I care for the happiness and safety of my pets.

Right on!!

My parents prided themselves on the fact that they could take me and my brother anywhere! I raised my daughter to respect her elders and she hasn't let me down yet.

[BastetsMum]

Some adults should take an examination before being allowed to have kids.

When kids come to my house, Bastet goes into the bedroom. I say that she is sleeping and not to disturb her. Ususally that works - closed door = no entry in my house.

I tell the parents that first, then the kids. If I catch a kid opening the door and they hear me yell, then they know the kid did the wrong thing and are happy to discipline them.

Kids and other people's pets don't mix I beleive. Kids don't have the responsibility that ALL animals be it theirs or someone elses - should be treated with the utmost respect.

I would have done my stack at all those kids marching into my house to look at kittens which they consider toys - you have immense patience!

[Barbara]

I also liked the Rent-a-kid idea. I am glad I never met people jere like this.
One time a friend of ours were here and brought her baby. He slept so we left him on a bed next door to our living room. Curious Filou came and we were so curious to watch what he would do. He went on the bed and came close to the boy's face -but veeeerrry careful. But the boy woke up and saw Filou's face one inch from his so he was scared and began to cry. It was somehow funny and I hope he has not got a shock.

[carole]

yes u are a saint, i would have been far less polite, but lets put the blame firmly where it belongs, kids are only brats, if there PARENTS let them be.
The rentakid comment was brilliant, perfect comment to make back, i am sure the child would have been dumbfounded by it.
i personally constantly supervise even my ten year old with my cats, and if i c her do anything i think my cats would not like, she will be reprimanded firmly and it WONT ever happen again.
Kids sometimes do things that are not cruel, they just need to understand what a cat enjoys and does not and read its body language, which is what i am teaching my daughter.

[IttyBittyKitty]

It's a sad state of affairs, but too few parents nowadays bother teaching their children proper respect for other people's belongings (in particular, other people's pets). When I was a child, I was very gentle with my cats and if I was visiting a pet owner (especially if they were babies) I always followed the owner's, or my mother's, instructions to the letter.

What is more saddening than the children's behaviour is the fact that their mother saw the behaviour as normal, even positive! These children simply know no better if they are following the example of an adult with values like that!

[smokey the elder]

I'm at Petsmart most Saturdays, and I see a tremendous variability in how kids behave. Usually if a kid is bothering a cat in a cage, I'll first ask him or her to stop it. If they want to pet the cat, I ask the parent, and will take the cat out so they can pet it together. If the kid is being obnoxious I'll ask the parent to please take him or her away from the cats and explain how tough it is for them to be in a cage. Usually they're pretty good. (Not bad for a bunch of New Yorkers. )

[carole]

hey glad to hear that, i was chatting to an employee in the pet store the other day, and she said u would be suprised how many people just leave their kids in here whilst they go shopping, (its in a mall) and the kids touch everything, man these IRRESPONSIBLE PARENTS bother me and give good kids a bad name.
I saw a very scared little kitten in there , while i was visiting the store, it was shaking like a leaf, it was so scared, it was a new arrival , bigger than most kitten, about 4 mths old, apparently the people had bought it from another pet store, and the kids wanted to pick it up all the time and it did not like it , so they took it back and swapped it for a more FRIENDLY one, grrr... they did not give this poor kitty even a chance, makes me so MAD yes my heart went out to it and i would have loved it but i cant afford any more cats right now, i do hope someone takes it soon and has the patience and time to give it to get used to its new surroundings.