Please stop taking chances w/ my kids...

[jen276here]

I am getting so flustered. Usually when my kids go out w/ friends one parent drives to and one drives home. Having 3 kids, that only leaves room for one more in my car. My kids know this and understand sometimes that means telling their friends they have to get their own rides.

My problem comes when my kids get home and they tell me that so-and-so's parent drove Kid A, Kid B, Kid C, Kid D, and my two home - in a car mean for 5 tops. This means that plus the driver their are 7 people in the car. Why are we piling kids on top of each other, w/ no seat belts? Even for a short distance this is not safe. There are no guarantees that an accident won't happen, kwim? And it really irks me to high heavens that people are taking these chances w/ my kids. They shouldn't be doing it w/ their own more or less another person's child.

So I am officially at the point where I am just going to drive my kids to and from for now on to be sure they are not in an overcrowded vehicle. It is the only way to be sure.

What's bad too is that one of the parents guilty of this is a friend of mine and I have told her to knock it off and just call me if needed. Her answer was that her kid doesn't tell her there are all these kids and what is she supposed to do…. CALL ME!!! I won't like it, but I'll do it to help keep these kids safe...

[jen276here]

You know now that I'm thinking of this, there are a couple things I'd like to add:

Don't give my kid Monster/Red Bull/Etc. and then tell him not to tell me. My kid will never be allowed back at your house - EVER. Parents should not encourage other kids to lie to their own parents

Do not hand my kid a soft air gun and for heaven's sake not a rifle or pistol and tell them it is okay because they said so. NO! IT IS NOT OKAY!

Do not take my kid somewhere w/o having them call and see if it is okay FIRST. Maybe there is a legitimate reason I don't want them going to the theater w/ all the gang fights and shootings on a Saturday @ 10pm…

I'm sure there are a few others, but these are others that have somewhat recently happened that still irk me...

[lessthangraceful]

I agree with everything you just said. I've annoyed my own parents by telling them my kids can't ride with them if they don't have the proper restraints in their car.

They didn't like it but tough noogies.

[3timesoccermom]

Geez, what a lax group. I'm thinking your kid(s) kids are 10ish so apologies if I'm wrong, but when they're older, but still not old enough to drive themselves places, it'll be even worse because those parents are going to be letting their kids do just about anything and your kid(s) will want to participate so there is likely to be some head-butting while you try to stick to your values, morals and the law!

Last year my girls went to Atlanta to visit my brother and SIL. They jammed all 3 girls, aged (at the time) 20, 17 and 15 into the back of a mini-Cooper to go out for dinner! I don't know what they were thinking (or not thinking would be more like it).

[jen276here]

Geez, what a lax group. I'm thinking your kid(s) kids are 10ish so apologies if I'm wrong, but when they're older, but still not old enough to drive themselves places, it'll be even worse because those parents are going to be letting their kids do just about anything and your kid(s) will want to participate so there is likely to be some head-butting while you try to stick to your values, morals and the law!

Last year my girls went to Atlanta to visit my brother and SIL. They jammed all 3 girls, aged (at the time) 20, 17 and 15 into the back of a mini-Cooper to go out for dinner! I don't know what they were thinking (or not thinking would be more like it).

I have 13yr old twin boys and a 2 year old boy

[shashabell]

Don't even get me started about car safety and car seats. My son is 8 years old and I still make him sit in a Britax car seat. I don't care if people think it's weird. I believe in safety first.

[oceanbreeze]

Sounds like you are making the best move to keep the kids safe since what you ask of the other parents falls on deaf ears. I'd be really annoyed as well if that were me in the situation.

[CLN123]

What's wrong with having a Red Bull, it's not like it's alcohol or anything. Ok, yeah, lots of caffeine yeah, but . You can't always control what they eat/drink at friends houses. If you don't want them drinking it, just tell your kid and then trust that he won't drink any.

[meggers]

What's wrong with having a Red Bull, it's not like it's alcohol or anything. Ok, yeah, lots of caffeine yeah, but . You can't always control what they eat/drink at friends houses. If you don't want them drinking it, just tell your kid and then trust that he won't drink any.

Many parents don't want their kids getting addicted to energy drinks. I think the problem here is the parents encouraged them to be dishonest, so that tells me they knew it would be frowned upon. I would be up in arms too.

[CLN123]

^ Now that I think about it, those drinks are loaded with sugar. That's one of the reasons I don't drink them. You're right, I think it was the dishonesty part that she was more upset about.