Take care of your children, I beg you!

Something I see constantly is parents not taking care of their kids. I get that you're a parent. I get that you have to bring you children with you to my office. I'm more than ok with that. For the most part, my office is pretty kid-proof. I have treats for the little ones to keep them occupied while I help their parents and coloring stuff for if the visit ends up going longer than usual. I admit, its no fun house or play-place with built in slides and a ball pit, but for what are supposed to be 5-10 minute appointments, it'll do. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting these kids to sit in a chair in the corner and stay dead silent the whole time… I've been a nanny, I know that's not how things work. What I'm talking about is the parents who bring in their kids and one of the following situations occur:

a) The parents try to shut the door and lock the kids out of my office, leaving them in our lobby to un-pot the plants, turn the chairs upside down and use them as push-cars for races down the hallway, rip apart phone books, etc. (none of which is then cleaned up by said parents or children)

b) They shut the door and lock them in my office with us and then refuse to tell them "No" when they try to do things like get into my desk drawers, unplug the back of my computer, type on my keyboard as I'm getting things off the printer, color on the back of my desk in the permanent marker they dug out of mommy's purse, etc., and then get mad at me when I let the child know (gently, mind you) that behavior is not ok, OR

c) They bring in their six to eight children that they started having at age 14 or 15, the oldest of which can't be older than MAYBE ten, then proceed to have their maybe ten year old translate for them (with occasional assistance from the maybe nine year old). They then get offended when I call our in-house service to get a certified interpreter's help when inevitably we run into words the kids don't know and "get back" at me by encouraging their kids to wreak havoc on my office. I don't speak 100% fluent Spanish, but don't assume that just because I used an interpreter I can't understand what you're saying.


To be completely honest, I love kids. Not wanting my own currently, but as long as they aren't mine… they're great! I just wish the parents took more control of their offspring so my office didn't look like a bomb went off every time certain families show their faces.


On the other hand… PLEASE, don't beat your children in front of me.


I appreciate that you're trying to make your children behave, but there is a point where it gets taken too far. Don't drag your poor bruised up little sweeties in here and expect me not to say a thing as they cower at every slight move of your hand. The candy on my desk is there for a reason. They asked, I said yes, DON'T knock them upside the back of the head when they take a piece. Even more so, don't do it hard enough that the momentum forces them forward so they in turn hit the front of their head on my desk. Yes, I know, each parent has their own method of discipline… HOWEVER, you are in my office and I am not one to just sit back and watch when things like this occur. Don't act upset when I ask you not to beat your child in my presence. And, really, don't act surprised when DCFS come knocking at your door for a welfare check on your children.