where's the parenting?

So I took Henry out today to meet a friend, and we were standing outside talking and a couple came by with their son who was maybe 4 or 5 at my best guess. I was holding Henry in my arms and the kid was standing there pointing and smiling at him and then I felt him hit Henry on the stomach. And then I looked down at him and he hit him again, this time harder! And I said, "Uhhhh, don't hit the doggie, you have to be nice to him and pet him nicely." And what were the parents doing this whole time, you might ask? Standing there, watching their kid, hit my dog TWICE. That was fantastic. He's lucky I was holding him, otherwise Henry might've tried to nip at him.

I'm sure many of you have had experiences like this, or even worse. It's just pathetic sometimes how parents don't control their own children.

Alright that was my vent.

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Comment by Angela on May 31, 2009 at 7:16pm: We live in the mountains and lots of folks decide to ignore leash laws (and their dog's safety) and let them run ragged all over and they either end up almost causing an auto accident, someone to trip over them or they scare and knock over little kids. All because they think they are above the law. So in a way, pet owners, in this case, are the bad "parents" and their "kids" need better supervision. I will tell you this - more folks need to take an active part in their role as a parent than not. Take it from a teacher, you are correct in thinking that better parenting should come into play. What happened to being responsible for our actions?

Comment by Boo Buchheit on May 26, 2009 at 8:23pm: I know a number of people around here who do not "parent" their children. When I have tried to address behavioral issues with the parents of kids around my neighborhood...I get the blank stare, not my kid, blah, blah. It is very frustrating.

Comment by John Wolff on May 26, 2009 at 7:59pm: You have to watch kids with your dogs, and your dogs with kids. I observed the obverse this weekend: a young couple at the Folklife Festival had a pit bull type dog and a small border collie, on leash but they were not holding the leash. The two dogs scampered off briefly at a small boy, not attacking, more playful or inquisitive, I think, but scared the child and angered his father.
Bottom line: never be too trusting.

Comment by Susan Stanton on May 26, 2009 at 7:59pm: Isn't that awful? I was waiting for the elevator in my apartment building one day with a mother and her child. The child was sitting in the only lobby chair, and climbing around it, when an elderly man came in with his canes and joined us. I could not believe that the mother didn't ask her child to move, she just kept vaguely saying, come on honey, be still. So I said, in a loud voice, Sir, would you like to sit down? and sort of shamed the mother (who glared at me) into getting the kid off the chair, and the man sat down rather gratefully. Sigh. What a world.

But sometimes, I do see parents who try. Kids always come running up to my dogs, and the parents will tell them to ask me if it's okay to pet them, and show them how to approach a new dog nicely. So there's hope! I hope!

Comment by Henrys Person on May 26, 2009 at 7:26pm: I really should have, but I think I was just so in shock I didn't think of it at the time.

Comment by Alice on May 26, 2009 at 7:25pm: Amen! Parents who do not supervise their children or even worse, watch them get into trouble and do nothing to stop them drive me insane. Just because you are capable of producing a child doesn't always mean that you should.

Comment by Geri & Sidney on May 26, 2009 at 7:24pm: Poor Henry! How terrible for you too. Did you have any words with the "parents"? You can bet I would have, and I'm by nature a quiet shy person. Grr!