Park Rules - Elitism or Discrimination?

[smily]

Thats good,

It all leads back to parents. I agree but, it is probably a fact that kids are more prone to peer pressure than any other source of input.

Notice that kids are great when they are solo or in the presence of their authoritive figure. But when in the crowd of misfits, peer pressure raises its ugly head and behold, MISFITS.

As best we try, we teach and teach and influence our kids to be good people in society and most of us only wish that the constant flogging will learn them respect , manners, well being and success.

But the bottom line is this, THEY ARE KIDS! We take our kids camping to teach these basic elements of their character. We take them to School, we take them to Boy/Girl Scouts, Sports etc...
but you cannot change the fact THEY ARE KIDS.

I travel extensively and I cant help but wonder how many people would fly on an airline that promises NO KIDS? What do you do when you have paid for first class seats and you are faced with sitting next to the family with crying children? They paid for the first class tickets just like you. Do you ask the parent to stifle their child, do you get off the plane, do you demand a refund?
I bet if you are human, you simply remind yourself, that your kids, (if you had them), did the same thing. or maybe even reaching deeper within your human soul and finding that generosity and understanding that KIDS are KIDS and they cry. Do you find it within yourself that all of us come from kids and the truth is, as we grow up, we find ourselves deperately searching for that child within us.
Face the facts, if you were not looking for that child within yourself, you would have probably stayed at the Holiday Inn or some other form of private barrier between yourself and the human race. A barrier that you can beat on when the KIDS next door are crying and keeping you up all night or the ceiling when you hear the KIDS jumping on the bed above you.

Take a load off, tonight when you get home, pull the blinds and close the windows and jump up and down on the bed.

You will love being a kid again.

Ken Smillie

[norbert]

id rather have a liquid attitude adjustment session.....
btw...do you sell beds for a living?.....

norby

[luckydc]

This thread cracks me up. It sounds that there sure were a lot of you who were PERFECT children! As for me, well all my parents had to do was look at one of us and we knew what was up. But when left alone, I was a child.

As adults, I think the best we can do is set examples for children by not behaving like children ourselves. There will always be parents who don't know how to teach their children how to respect others. Pity that child and lend it your hand. Don't judge it!

[Silvertwinkie]

Again, I don't feel people are mostly anti kid here, nor can I find where anyone said they were the perfect child. But the bottom line is the fact that children today do not have the authority figures that some of us had. Sure we might not have been perfect kids, but we knew the limits.

Of all the talk that has been made recently on this forum, I may be one of a handful that works in an elementary school system (k-8). I travel between all buildings and other school systems as well. What I find amazing is how these kids talk to their parents. I mean, you had the look and I think most of us can relate to that. The fact is simply that you had that look as did I. Most parents today don't offer that look and if kids in the Chicago area are any test bed, I can only tell you that it's getting worse. Kids today have grown up far faster than we all did, due largely to the more laid back atmosphere that they were raised in with anything a kid could want. Video games, Internet, sex, violence, gang banger attitude on TV everywhere. I can't even begin to tell you what some principals have come across from diaries the kids make on some of the sexual ponderings that are going on as early as 5th grade!

In the end, I am not anti-kid, but I do think that a certain respect for others has over the last 30 years has gone away. It starts at home. If home does not have any structure, it's not the kids to blame. A bunch of things have become the babysitter nowadays.

Last Thursday, I saw a mother leave her kid in a locked minivan while she went to go get something to eat. The windows were slightly open, but the kid couldn't have been even a year old. If the woman was doing this now, can you even imagine what she'll do later and what kind of role model she'll make.

Now let's look at how kids are latch key and left alone for days on end. This is not as isolated or rare as one might think.

Anyway, I'm getting off my soapbox......please just consider some of what I've said... kids will be kids, but some respect for others has indeed gone away...and in some cases I agree on this forum too.

Eric

[Big Dee]

I like the happy middle. At one end of the spectrum, there are the campgrounds with kids running wild and screaming with no supervision whatsoever. At the other end is the RV park that is all 55+ and very snooty. I like the one in the middle with a nice mix of kids and seniors.

My favorite is the family campground that has good, logical rules that are enforced. If the rules on the camp maps were followed, there would be no issues, with kids, pets, neighbors, etc.

[cosmotini]

One of the restaurants in our area has a sign that says:

"Children left unattended will be sold as slaves"

It's kind of funny but also gets the point across.

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally posted by cosmotini
One of the restaurants in our area has a sign that says:

"Children left unattended will be sold as slaves"

It's kind of funny but also gets the point across.

Cute....

[norbert]

poignant....doncha know.....

[mandolindave]

I can't figure out what this thread is about but................
I think it is about neighbors, jerks and kids

I hate parking lot campgrounds. They are so crowded. But then when ever I go camping I end up parking with friends
amongst a sea of awnings and canopes, crammed together so no one is too far from the action. They are all jerks sometimes.
Me too. One time I pulled into a festival to drop off the
trailer and then was going to go pick up a daughter who was
coming in from Boston to join me. I was 20 seconds into parking when I get both trailer and tow rig stuck in mud. My mind flashed to my 19 year old daughter stuck in a Baltimore train station. I lost it, ( the sun dried the mud and I got out, and was chaffered to baltimore.....good neighbors )
About kids and camping.....that's why I go camping
.....to be a kid ..........BUT
My buddy and I decided that we were going to be good fathers
and round up the kids so we could keep an eye on them.
We looked everywhere ranting about who is the boss and putting our foot down. We got worried when we couldn't find them. We found them back at the campsite singing gospel
songs...... So I didn't holler at them. But I'll get em someday.

[smily]

Thats exactly what I am talking about.

Its all about letting your hair down and being a kid again.
I will go back to the office when I am ready for protocol, man I get enough of that, enough that I need to camp at least once a month if not more to bring me back to a tolerable state of mind. And I really love coming back to eat up all of the twinkies I can get my hands on, (snack machine )

Matter of fact, my protocol peak is nearing and I think I am going to Myrtle Beach today and spend the weekend acting like a child

They do have a swing set and a pool, hmmmmmmmmmmmm


Smily

[Big Dee]

[i]My buddy and I decided that we were going to be good fathers
and round up the kids so we could keep an eye on them.
We looked everywhere ranting about who is the boss and putting our foot down. We got worried when we couldn't find them. We found them back at the campsite singing gospel
songs...... So I didn't holler at them. But I'll get em someday. [/B]

That is a great story! Like I have said...."it all goes back to the parents" . good parents = good kids

[Stefrobrts]

I think originally this thread was about campground rules to keep out the riff-raff by restricting the age of coach. We still haven't encountered any of these rules. So far our money has been good enough to get us in everywhere we've tried.

We've only ever stayed in one 'parking lot' campground. It was like staying in the city - all concrete and skyscrapers.

[smily]

thats good

Smily

[mandolindave]

I think I spotted an Airstream in your picture!!!!!!!!

[85MH325]

Originally posted by Stefrobrts
We've only ever stayed in one 'parking lot' campground. It was like staying in the city - all concrete and skyscrapers.

Steph... excellent observation!

I have been asked repeatedly why I think I'm camping in the Behemoth... when camping is being outdoors and doing all of the outdoorsy stuff.

My standard response is that I stopped 'camping' years ago. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. When it's cold, I want to be warm. When it's hot, I want to be cool. When it's wet, I want to be dry. I LIKE my shower in the the morning. I LIKE having my microwave when I want it! I LIKE having satellite TV if I want to watch it!

I tell them that I'm now merely 'Travelling through in Comfort and Style!!!!

Roger

[Stefrobrts]

I'm SO with you on that one, Rog! There were several trips last year where we were surrounded by people in tents, and we were lounging on the couch, in our HEATED airstream, cooking dinner on the stove and eating at a table on real plates - civilized camping

[Big Dee]

Who says camping is only in tents? That's crap. Here is the dictionary definition: "to live temporarily in a camp or outdoors ". That's what I do, yup. Don't kid yourself, the dissing tenters are just jealous.

[Porky Pig]

The last time we tent camped was at Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah.

While we're out hiking a badger sliced open our tent and made a mess of things ... we ended up sleeping in the truck.

During the clean up process ... in the wind driven sandstorm ... a couple pulled up in a motorhome ... got out in their matching jackets and said hello. We were miserable. Petunia said .. "That's it ... no more tent camping ... next time we're travelling in an RV."

[Big Dee]

OBTW, I, too was one of those jealous tenters. I will never forget the feeling of watching a nice man who I just had a conversation with, climb into his warm, cozy RV with candles and I was left sitting in the cold drizzle. That was it for tents.

[RoadKingMoe]

"Camping" is when you can carry your shelter and gear in on your back, your motorcycle or ATV, or your small boat or canoe.

"RVing" is dragging a house around. When there's a motorcycle in the truck bed, it's called "WHOREing" (we haul our ride everywhere).

I still do it all these days.