Walmart is not a Daycare Center

I normally try to avoid Wal-Mart unless it is before 9:00am. This weekend however I had to make an afternoon trip to the dreaded store. My husband & I were planning on doing some canning & needed more supplies, so I was a good wife & volunteered to go - Big Mistake!

Since I don't have any kids, I had totally forgotten that it is back to school season! Kids were running around everywhere. It seemed like there were 10 kids for every adult in the store! Half of the time there was a kid that seemed to be unattended. People, Wal-Mart is NOT a daycare center! It is a place of business. Kids were crying "mommy I want this, mommy I want that"! Dejected parents everywhere replied, okay sonny, I will let you have the high sugar no good for you candy, but only if you behave".

I also find it hard to believe that it is "good parenting" to allow your adorable child to scream & throw a tantrum in the middle of the store, while you are standing 10 feet away saying okay little "Billy" come to mommy (wait 10 seconds & repeat). If I decided that I really wanted some Nutterbutters, but Wal-Mart was all out of them & threw a fit, none of you would be understanding of my predicament, & let me tell you why: You would expect that as a 29 year old at some point in my life my mommy would have taken me out back & gave me a good spanking (back in the “good ole days”), then when Dad got home he would have had a talking to with me until I was so sorry for my actions that with tears streaming down my face I had promised never ever to behave like that in public again. I have kept that promise to my father ever since! The point is, you have to make your child understand consequences to their actions at some point in their life, tantrums are the perfect time to start!

Now, I don't proclaim to be an expert on any subject (mainly due to the fact that once I have proven my valid point, my husband will retort with a wittier one, or at least a louder one), however, I do have a few tips from an innocent bystander point of view. First off, you may think that you are doing your child a favor by packing their lunch for them so they don't have to eat the icky school food, but let me tell you that Lunchables are NOT a sufficient substitute for their growing bodies! Do you have any idea not only how much crap is in those prepackaged "meals", or for that matter, how much fat is in them!? Hello, there is a reason why childhood obesity has become a national security issue! Have you considered actually taking the time to make the lunch yourself? I know this is a difficult concept to the instant gratification generations that we are becoming, but you can purchase a whole chicken & slow roast it on a Saturday, or Sunday to make sandwiches with. I have a great brine recipe (thanks to my mommy) that even my husband has said is some of the best chicken he has ever had. At least include some fresh fruit, vegetables, or yogurt in their bags. I know, I know, you are thinking, if only this blogger had a clue as to how little time there is in a day when you have children. My reply to you is, have you considered how counterproductive it is to cart your kids around to their soccer, football, basketball, swimming, or even jump roping practices if you can't be bothered to provide them with wholesome nourishment for their growing bodies, & developing brains? So please people, if you can't give your children a worthy lunch, you might as well feed them on McDonald's every meal. Help me in getting Lunchables off the shelves!

At least now that school is back in session I wont have to hear the annoying chimes of the ice cream truck. I will be grateful for this until I am running late to an early meeting at work & have to stop for a school bus waiting for a child to come running out of their house. It is a good thing these kids don’t have my bus driver who would only slow down if we weren’t standing by the drive way, then assume that since we knew the bus would be there every day at 7:05am, & we weren’t waiting there for her, that we must not be going to school that day. Oh the good old days…

Until next time, please do remember to slow down in school zones (no more than 10 miles over the speed limit ), & you must stop for school busses when they are picking up or dropping off children (even if this means you start off your day cursing silently to yourself in your car). Children are our future afterall!