17 Stories About Parents Who Seemingly Skipped Etiquette Classes at School

No one would disagree that bringing up children is not easy and there are no instant results. A small child can be capricious, nasty, and cause problems to others. Some parents try hard to teach the baby to behave. But there are such moms and dads who need to take etiquette classes themselves.

“My cousin and her kid are staying with us for a while, this is what she usually gives her 5-year-old son for breakfast.”

• What’s on the iPad is unhealthier than what’s on the plate! © GaimanitePkat / Reddit

She didn’t even thank me.

A stranger's child fell asleep while sitting on my lap yesterday. It was cute, but his mom acted in a really weird way. The bus was full, so I offered the child to sit on my lap. It was a long ride, so he dozed off, and it was time for me to get off, and I lost his mom.
It turned out that she was sitting right behind me, but for some reason she didn't pick up her son. When I told her I was getting off now, she sniggered, "I see!" - and reached for the child. I was shocked. She didn't thank me, and for some reason snapped at me. © Ward 6 / VK

“The sister-in-law changes her kid on the carpet, when a table is just 6 feet away.”

When a mother thinks she's entitled:

A close friend brought me her 5-year-old and asked me to babysit him for an hour. The child is hyperactive, naughty and very spoiled. So, the friend didn't arrive after an hour or even two.
I rang her to find out when she'd pick him up. And she said that she'd come only tomorrow, because she wanted to sleep and go shopping, and I had to help her and babysit her child.
I dressed her son, took him outside and texted her that if she didn't come, I would leave him in the street. She immediately picked up her son, but took offense! © Podsushano / VK

"A woman and her 2-year-old sat next to me on a flight for 8 hours."

"Kid poked me repeatedly with their cutlery from the in-flight meal, spilled water on me, screamed and cried the entire flight. The mother made no attempts to settle her child, put her child's trash on my eating tray (before she tossed it on the ground), demanded that the staff turn the AC off for the plane as the 'AC is harmful to her and her child.'"

The morning wasn’t that nice.

On Friday night, a friend called me to visit. I decided to help her, offered to cook dinner, went to the shop, bought some groceries. We had dinner, talked, and then went to bed.
I woke up at 7 a.m. because the child was banging on my head, and his mom was standing nearby and smiling approvingly, "He wants to play with you." She and I are no longer friends. © Trubadurochka1 / Pikabu

"People were standing on the train, so her kid could nap across 2 seats and the stroller blocked the third."

And who is at fault here?

One of my friends put together a get-together at a restaurant for my birthday. The place has a bar where we’re going to be hanging out. My husband and I have a 3-year-old, but we’re hiring a babysitter for the night.
We rented out a private room with a bar. My other friend, Missy, has a 5-year-old daughter. She mentioned she was going to bring her. I offered to pay my babysitter extra to watch her daughter. Missy said no, because her daughter is in daycare all day, and she doesn’t want her to have to then be with a sitter.
I said I understand, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for her to come. Missy’s daughter is like a lot of 5-year-olds: she doesn’t sit still, wants to run over the place. Missy admits she doesn’t bring her out to restaurants much because she doesn’t know how to act. But I also know Missy will just sort of let her, as she’s very permissive.
I spoke to my friend who put it together and said I don’t want any kids there. There’s a reason I got a sitter for my own kid. That friend agreed and told Missy not to bring her daughter. Missy has now thrown a fit and said she’s not coming. © This_Value_4194 / Reddit

“Every time my roommate gives her kid a bath, she leaves the bathtub like this. We’ve discussed this multiple times.”

No need to behave.

A boy of about 5 years old was brought to a hairdresser's shop for a haircut, sat down in a special chair in the shape of a car, and he immediately started to break something off. The hairdresser reprimanded him, asking him to behave.
And then his mom jumped up from the bench and started shouting, "No, we are not going to behave! Son, do what you want, don't listen to anyone!" And then declared to the astonished public that she was raising a leader and allowed her child to do everything. © Hyrus / Pikabu

The way to end your friendship

Sometimes I help my neighbor by caring for her 5-year-old while she works from home with a 1-year-old. I genuinely enjoy her kiddo; Jack. I also work from home and have a 3-year-old, Joe; so the boys are little buds.
When he comes over, I watch him for free, provide food and pay for any activities we do. Most recently, I took Jack with us to an indoor gym. I usually keep him 3–5 hours. I’ve never asked for money, and she’s never offered. Well, here’s the problem - almost every time Jack comes over he is sick! Coughing, dripping nose…like no possible way Jessica didn’t know. Multiple times, after watching Jack, my whole house has been sick, we’ve missed work, we’ve had to spend money on doctors and medications, and we missed Thanksgiving with my husband's family. Anyway, I’ve not said anything until today.
Me: "Hey girlie, I have to have a conversation with you, and it feels a bit awkward… 4 out of the past 5 times that we have watched Jack, our entire home has gotten sick. I know that that is not your intent, but on more than one occasion, Jack has been over when he is obviously ill… And I just have to ask that if we are to watch him again, that he is either healthy or you are upfront about anything that may be going on." My neighbor: "I honestly find this very offensive and I believe our friendship has ended." © ReserveEven684 / Reddit

“My stepsister’s Easter baskets for her kids, she’s always crying about having no money.”

Why teaching a kid to behave when you can just say, "Kids will be kids."

We recently threw my 5 year-old a birthday party. One of my cousins, a single mom, has a very unruly 6-year-old. He is loud, disobedient, and a nightmare in public. When it came time to blow out the candles and cut the birthday cake, he came and stood directly next to my son. I anticipated what was going to happen next and asked my husband to stand behind this kid in case he tried to pull anything.
After we sang, this kid kept trying to blow out the candles. My husband kept blocking him and pulling him back, and we could tell the kid was getting frustrated. Eventually my son blew out the candles and the kid absolutely lost it. He threw a tantrum and slammed his entire arm into the cake, knocking it into the table.
It was so awkward, everyone gasped and got quiet. My son looked up at us and I could tell he was about to start crying. In an effort to not cause a bigger scene, my husband picked him up and whispered to him that we had another special cake just for him (we didn’t) and he seemed to calm down.
His mom was nowhere to be seen. I spoke to my cousin after the party about what happened since she wasn’t in the room, and she brushed it off, saying “kids will be kids.” I suggested she pay for the ruined cake, and she looked at me like I was crazy. © CardNo4444 / Reddit

“Letting your kid watch a movie on full volume in a restaurant”

How to lose a childhood friend:

We have been friends since childhood, but when she got married and had a baby, we stopped seeing each other for quite some time. But then she invited me to her house for her birthday. The child was already 3 years old at that time, and she had more free time.
I was glad to finally see and talk to her. I arrived, I thought there would be people there, but it turned out she invited only me, because her son doesn't like it when there are a lot of people in the house, he gets cranky. That's okay.
Literally at the threshold, she stopped me and handed me a large toy lorry and said, "Give the toy to him as if it's a gift from you." I gave it to him, the boy looked at me suspiciously and went off to play. We sat quietly for about 20 minutes and that was it.
Her child got bored with the lorry, he came to us and began: I want this, I want that, crankiness, tears, screaming, my friend trying to calm him down with juice, sweets, games, etc. I didn't stay there for long. © Radostnya / Pikabu

"The state of my kitchen after my wife or youngest son (20 y.o.) cook dinner:"

No manners

My boyfriend and I came to my parents' country house for a barbecue. My older brother's family came too. And they took their kid with them.
They didn't even try to help us with cooking or pay their share for the meat. On the other hand, they did their best in giving unwanted advice for how to season meat or how to grill it. But that was nothing compared to what happened later.
When we finally sat down at the table, their kid suddenly yelled, "I want to go to the toilet." There are 2 toilets, one in the house, the other one outside. Instead, my brother took a potty and put his son to poop right in the middle of the room where we were eating. I just couldn't stand it, packed up and left. © Rassiel*** / Pikabu

And here are a few stories that prove children see the world differently.