Pushy parents

I braved the world of pushy parents this weekend while attempting to enjoy a hometown carnival with my daughter. I left stressed out and wondering what happened to common courtesy.

While waiting in line for the ball pit, one mom actually pushed my 4-year-old daughter out of the way so her son could inch closer and closer in the line. Another father shoved his daughter in the back, telling her to be more aggressive in getting into the moonbounce.

Seriously, folks? Relax. It’s a free carnival.

I can’t stand it when parents are pushy with their kids. The worst part is they never make eye contact with the other adults because they know they are being completely obnoxious. They want their kids to be first at everything, get the best of everything and they don’t care if other, less important children get trampled in the process.

And it’s not just at this weekend’s carnival; I see parents like this all the time. They pretend not to notice when their kid shoves to the front of the slide line at the park. They laugh it off when their child insists on being first or getting the biggest piece.

I hope I never become one of these parents because I don’t want my daughter to become one of those children. If we miss the moonbounce, so what? It’s not worth teaching my daughter that it’s OK to push and shove her way ahead in life.

Have you run into these pushy parents? How do you handle them, and how do you keep your kids from being pushed aside?

Erin Stewart is a regular blogger for Deseret News. From stretch marks to the latest news for moms, Stewart discusses it all while her 4-year-old daughter crams Mr. Potato Head pieces in her little sister’s nose.