To all you olympia baby haters!

DragonSlayBells said:
I have to say the one good thing about being a teacher has enabled me to say shut up politely, even with parents! They tend to curl their toes in embarrassment, never had one try to hit me yet, though there's always a first time ! I always end up telling people to be quiet in the cinema... :D
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And as an Infant teacher, I often just have to give the 'death stare'. I can't stand rude children or their even ruder parents.
 
I have to join in with this one as it's something I feel really strongly about. Parents - if you children play up and scream the place down whether that be at a ticket event, out for dinner, in the cinema or anywhere else other people have paid to be, then do the right thing and take them away until they've stopped.

I like kids but draw the line at listening to someone else's screaming child, even though the parent's can drown out the sound. Like many people on here, I work hard for my money and get very little time off - if I had treated myself to Olympia tickets and a child was screaming the whole way through next to me I'd be really upset and angry at the parent (although I'd be too polite to say anything). It's not the child's fault and I understand that, however any parent with a shred of decency should remove them from the situation for the sake of the 200 people within earshot who have made the decision to attend childless for the day.
 
Maybe it's just me but I don't see why people feel the need to take their children to things that are for adults?
Badminton and burghley xc days are the worst, surely taking kids to something like that actively defies common sense?!
I think if you are adamant on taking a small child it can end up being really selfish, as actually the vast majority of people don't tend to think your small child is as cute as you do and sitting next to a child who is constantly "MUMMY I NEED THE TOILET" "DADDY IM HUNGRY" etc and parents taking them out and coming back in a million times an hour so the whole row has to stand up and noone else can see. Rargh
 
I went a few years ago and a very annoying family (mum, dad and two boys, about 3 and 4) came and sat right behind me and my daughter, just as the show was starting. Daddy, who was VERY upper class, kept talking very loudly the whole way through the first jumping class, trying to get his boys interested in the finer points of showjumping (a bit lost on them!). The two boys kept whinging and kicking the back of my chair very hard, their mummy was trying to placate the boys with lots of food and snacks.

After about 45 minutes I was wondering how on earth I was going to last the rest of the evening (aaaarrrgghhhh) when, one of the boys threw up all over the floor (just behind my seat). By now the fraught parents decided this was their cue to leave so, luckily my daughter and I enjoyed the rest of the evening in peace. Apart from a slightly orangey sicky smell from behind us, we had a lovely time.

I'm sure they thought their boys would really enjoy it but they obviously were either too young or just had no interest in it, mum and dad would have done better getting a babysitter and going by themselves!
 
SNORKEY said:
Also Daytona if you do have children believe me you will change your mind
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Erm, well I have two (now grown up) and there is no way that I would have taken them at age 13 months to Olympia. I would have left them at home with OH and enjoyed the show without them! It's not fair on a baby or toddler to expect them to keep still and quiet for lengthy periods of time like that, and if they do start squawking and wriggling, then it's not fair on other spectators and I'd be taking them straight out. Not a very relaxing scenario IMHO.

There's plenty of more baby/toddler friendly activities to enjoy elsewhere without dragging them along to unsuitable events like this.
 
EmmyMD said:
Maybe it's just me but I don't see why people feel the need to take their children to things that are for adults?
Badminton and burghley xc days are the worst, surely taking kids to something like that actively defies common sense?!
I think if you are adamant on taking a small child it can end up being really selfish, as actually the vast majority of people don't tend to think your small child is as cute as you do and sitting next to a child who is constantly "MUMMY I NEED THE TOILET" "DADDY IM HUNGRY" etc and parents taking them out and coming back in a million times an hour so the whole row has to stand up and noone else can see. Rargh
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But Olympia is not just designed for adults! The whole point is there is lots of fun stuff as the OP has pointed out and little ones love all the action and lights. We took our daughter every year from the age of 5 months and she was never a problem to anyone. Have had a lot more problems from noisy teenagers! Yes you have to be prepared to take them out if they get upset but must say we never had to. Just because some babies scream doesn't mean all babies should be banned, just as because some teenagers and adult gossip loudly, kick seats and take flash photos doesn't mean adults and teens shouldn't go!
 
By children I mean sort of pre-school age. I've seen so many very young children, who because
They are young children can't/won't sit still for 2 hours. Which obviously isn't that well received when you've spent £50 to be there
 
EmmyMD said:
By children I mean sort of pre-school age. I've seen so many very young children, who because
They are young children can't/won't sit still for 2 hours. Which obviously isn't that well received when you've spent £50 to be there
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But some preschool kids CAN sit still that long. So if you know you have a placid baby or toddler why shouldn't you take them!? Why say that no young children should go just because SOME are annoying!?
 
im not saying children should be banned, but when you have children that are incapable of sitting still and not shrieking for more than 4 seconds, then taking them to somewhere when you are in close proximity to several other people is selfish.
 
I'm going tomorrow afternoon and am aware there will be a lot of kids around. Which firstly is fine because I'm feeling like an excited 12 year old this evening having not been in years and secondly I don't mind kids of any age being there at all, it is after all a family event.

What I take issue with is the parents who refuse to acknowledge that their little darling(s) are ruining it for people paying for something that isn't cheap. You wouldn't take young children to the theatre for a serious play/musical, why is sport seen as so different, especially in such an intimate arena like Olympia? If you are going to take littlies, at least have the decency to ring the box office and book aisle/end of row seats, that way another 15 people arn't getting up and down every time you leave... if you leave.
 
EmmyMD said:
im not saying children should be banned, but when you have children that are incapable of sitting still and not shrieking for more than 4 seconds, then taking them to somewhere when you are in close proximity to several other people is selfish.
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I can assure you that I am just as intolerant of badly behaved young children as everyone else is, in fact probably more as I always worked hard to ensure my daughter wasn't a nuisance at that age. But why tar all young kids with the same brush!
 
surely Olympia is *the* family event? or do you adults just want Santa for yourselves? (they still have father xmas at Olympia right?). if we lock children up until they are teenagers they won't learn how to behave? (I have no kids, I have step kids but they were a later addition).

I went as a baby, toddler and up until 9 years old. It was mine and my dads yearly treat and I'm pretty sure I was well behaved.
 
TGM said:
I can assure you that I am just as intolerant of badly behaved young children as everyone else is, in fact probably more as I always worked hard to ensure my daughter wasn't a nuisance at that age. But why tar all young kids with the same brush!
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I think my post has been slightly misunderstood, but my general experience of children at horsey events is overwhelmingly negative. Mainly more at the fault of the parents, i was at Burgley on XC day and saw several small, tired, fed up and bored children who's parents hadn't brought a buggy or anything of the sort for small, tired, fed up, bored children to sit down and sleep. For example.
I do think that very young children (especially babies) aren't going to appreciate or have much, if any memory of the event, are likely to cry during, due to the fact they are babies! i've no real issue with children as I used to be a sole charge nanny, i have an issue with children expected to do things that are age inappropriate. Though i do conceed that XC day at a big three day event is a better example than Olympia.
 
I will be honest I am very irritated by noisy children, absolutely fine if they're quiet and well behaved but fidgety, noisey children do spoil it for miserable people such as myself :p
 
OP Im glad and pleased for you it went well and you were able to enjoy it.

Personal choice but we have never taken ours anywhere in the evenings as we value routine too much. He goes to bed at 7pm and that’s that. Id have taken him to an afternoon performance happily though, but with every intention of taking him out if he wasnt settled.
 
When my children were small they went everywhere with me, but your enjoyment has to come second. There is no point in expecting a small child to sit for hours quietly, they will get bored and fidgety. I expected mine to sit still and be quite for fairly short periods, took drinks, snacks and small games and gave them plenty of shopping and they should not spoil anyone else's entertainment. I am fed up with parents dragging their children out for the day with no regard to them and then when they get tired and naughty letting people who have paid a lot of money for seats have to put up with their behaviour, by then the parents have usually sloped off so they do not have to listen to it. Even worse is the parent who tells a child to stop doing something over and over again with no effect, take them outside, no one wants to listen to you or them.
 
Spring Feather said:
Britons are just basically intolerant of children.
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That is because there are so many disgustingly behaved ones about, with parents who can not be bothered to instil good, polite manners in their horrid little brats! There are so many that deserve a smack on their bottom and should be reminded of how to behave when in public!
I can not stand small children running around, shouting, screaming, getting in the way, putting their hands on everything....... It's your child, not mind, I want nothing to do with it and put it no where near me!

Can you tell I dislike children? And never wish to have one?
 
Hippona said:
Good job your parents never thought the same.
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Not everyone wants or likes children though and it really gets on my nerves when other people who do have kids are horrified that some people don't like or want them. It's a personal choice - just in the same way some people think horses are smelly, horrible and dangerous creatures, whereas people like us love them. I do like children but don't want any of my own, neither does my OH. We are both in our late 20's and early 30's and have known this for years. (I just want loads of horses and cats ;) )

Like I said, I do like kids (I have 8 neices and nephews) but I HATE the way other people and stangers think you'll think their child is adoreable and ignores their irritating behaviour towards other people who are clearly there child free out of choice.

Kids behave or the stay at home - that's how I was brought up and it never did me any harm.
 
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Cheshire Chestnut said:
Not everyone wants or likes children though and it really gets on my nerves when other people who do have kids are horrified that some people don't like or want them. It's a personal choice - just in the same way some people think horses are smelly, horrible and dangerous creatures, whereas people like us love them. I do like children but don't want any of my own, neither does my OH. We are both in our late 20's and early 30's and have known this for years. (I just want loads of horses and cats ;) )

Like I said, I do like kids (I have 8 neices and nephews) but I HATE the way other people and stangers think you'll think their child is adoreable and ignores their irritating behaviour towards other people who are clearly there child free out of choice.

Kids behave or the stay at home - that's how I was brought up and it never did me any harm.
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Well we're on the same page there :)
 
I just find it bewildering that children are regarded as almost a different species as the young adults they will become. To me that's like disliking youngstock in a way, eventually they both grow up. When we first moved over to Ireland (with a 5 year old) it was so very refreshing how children were regarded. I found it surprising that we could go into a restaurant with a young child and not get disapproving looks. How can you not like a child? Dislike the behavior certainly, but not the child that 'you' once were.

ETA - and yes my children are well behaved (well one is 21 now and the other is 8)
 
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doriangrey said:
I just find it bewildering that children are regarded as almost a different species as the young adults they will become. To me that's like disliking youngstock in a way, eventually they both grow up. When we first moved over to Ireland (with a 5 year old) it was so very refreshing how children were regarded. I found it surprising that we could go into a restaurant with a young child and not get disapproving looks. How can you not like a child? Dislike the behavior certainly, but not the child that 'you' once were.

ETA - and yes my children are well behaved (well one is 21 now and the other is 8)
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Like them (as in nephews, nieces, friend's kids etc), don't want them myself so don't like them as much as other people. As much as I get what you're saying, not everyone likes them and not everyone wants to have them - it's a personal choice.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
And as an Infant teacher, I often just have to give the 'death stare'. I can't stand rude children or their even ruder parents.
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Yes I find myself doing it on trains ..... Problem is I don't realise I am doing it!

Children are fine but the good ones are because their parents have bags of stuff to entertain them. My friends two are super well behaved but she brings the kitchen sink, glad you enjoyed it.
 
doriangrey said:
When we first moved over to Ireland (with a 5 year old) it was so very refreshing how children were regarded. I found it surprising that we could go into a restaurant with a young child and not get disapproving looks.
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It's exactly like this where I live too. And the same in the European countries I've lived (excl UK). Britain is the only country I've found people to be so intolerant of children and I do often wonder how in the world these Brits manage to enjoy holidays in all the other countries where children are embraced as part of the family unit, both in the home and outside. And why would anyone go on holiday to places that have this type of culture if they dislike children being out and about in social public places?
 
Cheshire Chestnut said:
Like them (as in nephews, nieces, friend's kids etc), don't want them myself so don't like them as much as other people. As much as I get what you're saying, not everyone likes them and not everyone wants to have them - it's a personal choice.
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I get what you are saying, of course nobody should be expected to have children or even want them. I just don't think it's a matter of liking them or not if you get me :)
 
I don't think anyone on here has said they don't like children? Just that if theyve paid £50 for some entertainment they'd prefer to not have it ruined by a screaming under 12 month baby?! How is that so unreasonable
 
doriangrey said:
I get what you are saying, of course nobody should be expected to have children or even want them. I just don't think it's a matter of liking them or not if you get me :)
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I do understand. I sound really awful but with me I don't think it's a dislike, more a non interest in them. It doesn't melt my heart when kids are being 'cute' but a fluffy kitten gets me every time! With regards to holidays as mentioned above by Spring Feather - my OH and I tend to pick places that are 'child free', such as an island in Croatia for example - somewhere without any kids clubs or not aimed at families. That way, families with children have places to go where they don't get moaned at by grumpy people like us ;)

We did go to Disney this year but we went in Sept when the least amount of kids were there and it was good - just the right amount of kids for my liking :)
 
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