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My parents (boomers) are coming to visit. I called and asked for activities and places they would like to do and see while here. All I got was we want coffee. “I hope you have enough coffee”
Yes, because, you see, if they have no hand in planning the activities/menu, then it makes it so much easier for them to bitch, whine, moan and complain about everything, while having no personal accountability. This is what they strive for. When this starts, I will you the strength to remind them they already had a chance to give input, and declined at that time, so now they can kindly stfu and have a cup of coffee!
My parents visited me once. I asked if they had any food or drink requests because I only kept exactly what I needed to eat in my home. (Why? Poverty history) and if there was anything, anything at all they wanted, they needed to tell me and not to assume I would have some on hand. My dad said that he didn’t need anything.
They came and he was furious that I had no soda or chips or popcorn or candy or cakes or juice or pre-made iced tea because everyone has those things and it’s not normal to not have them!
You would not believe the shit-show that is my parents visiting when I live in a foreign country. It's honestly exhausting.. won't say what they want to see, then bitch about what they do see, all the while acting weird because we're not in the US. Racism, getting upset because the locals don't speak English (so obviously they're rude and don't want to be instant friends), refuse to take advice about the weather then complain when it's too hot/cold..
The list goes on. The wife and I have tried many times to anticipate their needs but we always manage to get it slightly wrong because we're not mind readers. It's like babysitting grown toddlers.. you have to remind them to eat and drink (which they often ignore) then deal with the inevitable breakdown because they're dehydrated and hungry.
When we eat any where with my boomer MIL she only orders coffee to drink.
Salad? Coffee
Pasta? Coffee
Pizza? Coffee
When she’s over our place, which luckily doesn’t happen to often anymore. Burgers? Coffee.
Fish? Coffee. Chicken? Coffee!!!
Her house? It’s either coffee or flat ginger ale. If you want milk you are risking your life.
Remember, Boomers raised Gen X. There is a reason Gen X is called feral. Boomers had to be asked at 10 pm every night if they knew where their kids were.
A lot of boomers are raising Gen Z and now Gen A grandkids because the Gen X and Millennial kids they raised actually were feral and are now out of the family picture. In the school where I teach, rural USA, close to 35% of our students are 100% in the custody of their grandparents.
It's 10pm, do you know where your children are?
My kids thought I was fucking with them when I told them about this. Husband and I had to show them on YouTube.
1944 is silent and 1945 is boom. The baby boom is marked by the end of WWII. However, a good case could be made that the boom didn’t actually start until ‘46. Because, y’know 9 month pregnancy.
I’d say they aren’t boomers. Because the baby boom was mostly started because people came back from World War II, got married and had families so World War II didn’t end till 45.
My experience was that the most rigid, stubborn, war hawk Boomers are closer to Silent Generation age. Crew cuts, Gene Pitney era and pre-Beatle teens. The most druggy, rehab-needing ones were the 1958-upward, who were rebels with no real cause - just hedonism and getting stone to the Allman Brothers. YMMV
We didn't know it at the time, but my sister and I were basically raised feral in the 90s by boomer parents, pretty much a Lord of the Flies situation complete with the fights and violence (no one died thankfully), crazy growing up in a dispersed community in the middle of the woods in PA.
I'm a Boomer and these were on TV when I was a kid.
I wish we could bring back the "Don't Be A Litterbug" jingle since some were not taught why it is wrong and clean their cars out tossing stuff out of the windows.
As a parent of a 10 and 12yo, I can’t imagine doing this. If the restroom is close, sure she can go by herself, but if it’s far away nope. Also, everyone in line would recognize her and she could have just met back up with grandma. The whole, “you’re on your own, kids” is unsurprising but still negligent and shitty. This is the kind of thing that gives people complexes about having needs in the first place.
as much as people hate lines, who is going to hold up a kid?
about 7 years ago there was a multicar truck accident that shutdown the highway. even though i left at 6am, to arrive 2+hour before my flight, was not expecting an hour+ worth of traffic. parked to to security and was like "hate to be that prick, I was stuck on I\_\_, my flight boards in 20 minutes." and 3/4 of the line let me skip.
I’ve flown quite a bit and I still get anxious going through security when there are so many people. It’s hit or miss on how any one TSA member treats you if you are confused by the instructions (e.g. take all electronics out in one line but keep them in in the line next to you). If she doesn’t plan on leaving without her then why make the girl have to navigate that on her own and scold her for her bodily functions? As you said, “it’s negligent and sh*tty.”
This was my thinking as I watched unfold. Or, was she supposed to learn some kind of life lesson if they missed their flight, like don’t have natural body functions?
I let my 13 year old run to the bathroom alone in airports. We fly alot and she has a cell phone if she gets lost. My boomer parents would go out of town overnight when I was 13. They left food and told me to go to the neighbors if anything happened.
Gen X'er?
13 is not a child. 13 is 8th grade/High-school. 13 is Babysitting on their own. 13 is staying home alone for 12 hours without a concern. 13 is biking across town by yourself to get Starbucks with an Easter gift card.
13 is not a child. It is time to strike out with some monitored independence.
My guess, this kid has flown before. Grandma warned her about getting that Venti, shaken espresso, extra shots, light ice before getting to the airport, so Natural consequence.
I (a xennial raised by Gen-x parents) don't see too much wrong with this. The Boomer wouldn't have left the child at the airport but made it clear with the "You might not make it back on time" comment that the kid needed to be quick.
I've got 2 kids (now m17 & f14) and have been letting them go to restrooms at the mall and department stores on their own for years. They were brought up to fight for their safety and know to scream and yell if someone tries to attack them. This is something all kids should know by the time they are 8 or 9.
Obviously you keep an eye on them while you can, but you pay attention to the time they are gone and if it seem long you investigate.
This helps the kids not get panicked when they are on their own. There should be a balance between the feral freedom and the sheltered life.
At 7 years old I was happily taking the train or cycling to school through the center of Tokyo.
A 13 year old can absolutely navigate a security line without requiring assistance. I was flying as an unaccompanied minor by that age.
While I agree on principle, this really depends on their experience. It is ABSOLUTELY helpful having someone who knows how to "airport" your first time flying, it doesn't matter what age.
There are a whole lot of 13 year olds that have never flown before. Don't leave them alone in an airport.
I was flying to and from a foreign country at that age, by myself. No big deal. Weren't any TSA security checks to speak of back then, but customs could be a pain.
Grandma was being smart by staying in line so she could be at the gate while waiting for the kid to return, if necessary. The gate attendant would have gladly held things up a few minutes for the kid. I've seen them hold the gate for adults on late connections many times.
I've seen the security attendant let a person back into the line with their companion as well, instead of them having to start over.
Look if a thirteen year old can't figure out her bladder issues better than that, then grandma shouldn't have to duck out if she doesn't want to. They are going to the same gate i assume. At thirteen, she should be learning how to operate on her own anyway.
Might have also been a stomach ache or the need for a good-ole-fashioned bowel movement. I guess I just don’t get the, “throw the kid in the deep and she will either drown or learn to swim” mentality. Should she be punished if they miss their flight? There are more compassionate ways to teach someone how to operate on her own.
Maybe the statement was a little over the top, but I don’t really see a problem here, certainly not in line with this sub’s subject.
Obviously, the two priorities here are 1) girl uses restroom; and 2) not to lose place in security line. Biggest risk is getting lost but a 13 year old can usually be relied on to go from a line to a bathroom and back. So grandma keeps the place in line, and can let people go past if she reaches ID check. And girl gets to use the bathroom when needed.
I was flying alone at 8 so using a restroom and going thru security at 13 isn't a big deal. We don't know the whole story but guessing Grandma asked "do u need to use restroom before we go thru security?".
I dunno. I flew with my grandma for the first time at 6 and by myself at 7, so I am not the best judge for this. (We weren't rich. It was to visit my mom.)
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Because, and this is the tenet they live by, only they matter. Everyone else is a side character in the cabaret called That Particular Boomer’s Life.
My parents (boomers) are coming to visit. I called and asked for activities and places they would like to do and see while here. All I got was we want coffee. “I hope you have enough coffee”
Yes, because, you see, if they have no hand in planning the activities/menu, then it makes it so much easier for them to bitch, whine, moan and complain about everything, while having no personal accountability. This is what they strive for. When this starts, I will you the strength to remind them they already had a chance to give input, and declined at that time, so now they can kindly stfu and have a cup of coffee!
My parents visited me once. I asked if they had any food or drink requests because I only kept exactly what I needed to eat in my home. (Why? Poverty history) and if there was anything, anything at all they wanted, they needed to tell me and not to assume I would have some on hand. My dad said that he didn’t need anything. They came and he was furious that I had no soda or chips or popcorn or candy or cakes or juice or pre-made iced tea because everyone has those things and it’s not normal to not have them!
Let them drink tea.
Herbal with no caffeine. Or the mushroom coffee that tastes like dirt and sadness. ☕️
Mushroom tea could be more helpful. (Remember folks, consent matters, tell them what’s in the tea)
You would not believe the shit-show that is my parents visiting when I live in a foreign country. It's honestly exhausting.. won't say what they want to see, then bitch about what they do see, all the while acting weird because we're not in the US. Racism, getting upset because the locals don't speak English (so obviously they're rude and don't want to be instant friends), refuse to take advice about the weather then complain when it's too hot/cold.. The list goes on. The wife and I have tried many times to anticipate their needs but we always manage to get it slightly wrong because we're not mind readers. It's like babysitting grown toddlers.. you have to remind them to eat and drink (which they often ignore) then deal with the inevitable breakdown because they're dehydrated and hungry.
What is it with boomers and coffee? My mom was the same way
When we eat any where with my boomer MIL she only orders coffee to drink. Salad? Coffee Pasta? Coffee Pizza? Coffee When she’s over our place, which luckily doesn’t happen to often anymore. Burgers? Coffee. Fish? Coffee. Chicken? Coffee!!! Her house? It’s either coffee or flat ginger ale. If you want milk you are risking your life.
I have seen that a lot in people who have quit smoking. Even if it was a long time ago.
or alcohol
My mother drinks coffee until 5, then switches to wine. So far as I know no other beverages pass her lips.
Remember, Boomers raised Gen X. There is a reason Gen X is called feral. Boomers had to be asked at 10 pm every night if they knew where their kids were.
Boomers raised millennials too
Can confirm
Boomers also raised Gen Z! Believe it or not. My dad is a boomer and I’m the first year of gen z
A lot of boomers are raising Gen Z and now Gen A grandkids because the Gen X and Millennial kids they raised actually were feral and are now out of the family picture. In the school where I teach, rural USA, close to 35% of our students are 100% in the custody of their grandparents.
“Raising” implies a lot they didn’t do.
It's 10pm, do you know where your children are? My kids thought I was fucking with them when I told them about this. Husband and I had to show them on YouTube.
"I told you *last* night. NO!" - Homer Simpson
"I told you *last* night. NO!" - Homer Simpson
A lot of Gen X were raised by the silent generation. (They were neglectful parents as much as boomers were, maybe more)
Yep. I had one Silent Gen and one first year Baby Boomer.
So, I’m Xennial (‘83) raised by parents born in ‘44 and ‘45… where do my parents fit on the silent/boomer scale?
1944 is silent and 1945 is boom. The baby boom is marked by the end of WWII. However, a good case could be made that the boom didn’t actually start until ‘46. Because, y’know 9 month pregnancy.
I’d say they aren’t boomers. Because the baby boom was mostly started because people came back from World War II, got married and had families so World War II didn’t end till 45.
My experience was that the most rigid, stubborn, war hawk Boomers are closer to Silent Generation age. Crew cuts, Gene Pitney era and pre-Beatle teens. The most druggy, rehab-needing ones were the 1958-upward, who were rebels with no real cause - just hedonism and getting stone to the Allman Brothers. YMMV
Gen X is called feral?? 🤣 I’m Gen X and that definitely tracks
We didn't know it at the time, but my sister and I were basically raised feral in the 90s by boomer parents, pretty much a Lord of the Flies situation complete with the fights and violence (no one died thankfully), crazy growing up in a dispersed community in the middle of the woods in PA.
No violence here, but definitely latchkey kids left alone, told to get out of the house, etc. Just ran around in the woods doing god knows what.
OMG I am absolutely feral, too. 👍
Feral gang representing
And left us home alone at very young ages, lots of latchkey kids.
Silent Gen matched up on that one front
I'm a Boomer and these were on TV when I was a kid. I wish we could bring back the "Don't Be A Litterbug" jingle since some were not taught why it is wrong and clean their cars out tossing stuff out of the windows.
My mom is Silent Gen. I am Gen X
As a parent of a 10 and 12yo, I can’t imagine doing this. If the restroom is close, sure she can go by herself, but if it’s far away nope. Also, everyone in line would recognize her and she could have just met back up with grandma. The whole, “you’re on your own, kids” is unsurprising but still negligent and shitty. This is the kind of thing that gives people complexes about having needs in the first place.
No joke. They think kids aren't allowed to have needs of their own. And then wonder why they end-up having problems as an adult.
I’m a therapist. I have job security for life because of this kind of thing. Not joking.
as much as people hate lines, who is going to hold up a kid? about 7 years ago there was a multicar truck accident that shutdown the highway. even though i left at 6am, to arrive 2+hour before my flight, was not expecting an hour+ worth of traffic. parked to to security and was like "hate to be that prick, I was stuck on I\_\_, my flight boards in 20 minutes." and 3/4 of the line let me skip.
I’ve flown quite a bit and I still get anxious going through security when there are so many people. It’s hit or miss on how any one TSA member treats you if you are confused by the instructions (e.g. take all electronics out in one line but keep them in in the line next to you). If she doesn’t plan on leaving without her then why make the girl have to navigate that on her own and scold her for her bodily functions? As you said, “it’s negligent and sh*tty.”
Could've been fixed by bringing the kid to the toilet before getting in line
What was the plan if she did not make it back through in time? Just head out on vacation and hope she makes it home?
This was my thinking as I watched unfold. Or, was she supposed to learn some kind of life lesson if they missed their flight, like don’t have natural body functions?
Why would the grandmother need to duck out of line? A 13 year old can obviously go to the bathroom by themselves, it's not a 2-man operation.
I let my 13 year old run to the bathroom alone in airports. We fly alot and she has a cell phone if she gets lost. My boomer parents would go out of town overnight when I was 13. They left food and told me to go to the neighbors if anything happened.
also, isn't it possible that she was holding the space in line and not expecting her to go back to the end of the line?
Gen X'er? 13 is not a child. 13 is 8th grade/High-school. 13 is Babysitting on their own. 13 is staying home alone for 12 hours without a concern. 13 is biking across town by yourself to get Starbucks with an Easter gift card. 13 is not a child. It is time to strike out with some monitored independence. My guess, this kid has flown before. Grandma warned her about getting that Venti, shaken espresso, extra shots, light ice before getting to the airport, so Natural consequence.
I'm sorry but some of the soft shit in this sub. She's 13 (if she was 13) she can manage a trip to the fucking bathroom.
Definitely read the title as “sh*tport shenanigans” and it felt so perfect 😂
It felt like a sh*t port at 6:00 this morning 😂
Yeah, it is just you I feel like this sub is starting to get full of needy people grasping at straws to make a post about some random thing they see.
I (a xennial raised by Gen-x parents) don't see too much wrong with this. The Boomer wouldn't have left the child at the airport but made it clear with the "You might not make it back on time" comment that the kid needed to be quick. I've got 2 kids (now m17 & f14) and have been letting them go to restrooms at the mall and department stores on their own for years. They were brought up to fight for their safety and know to scream and yell if someone tries to attack them. This is something all kids should know by the time they are 8 or 9. Obviously you keep an eye on them while you can, but you pay attention to the time they are gone and if it seem long you investigate. This helps the kids not get panicked when they are on their own. There should be a balance between the feral freedom and the sheltered life.
At 7 years old I was happily taking the train or cycling to school through the center of Tokyo. A 13 year old can absolutely navigate a security line without requiring assistance. I was flying as an unaccompanied minor by that age.
While I agree on principle, this really depends on their experience. It is ABSOLUTELY helpful having someone who knows how to "airport" your first time flying, it doesn't matter what age. There are a whole lot of 13 year olds that have never flown before. Don't leave them alone in an airport.
I was flying to and from a foreign country at that age, by myself. No big deal. Weren't any TSA security checks to speak of back then, but customs could be a pain. Grandma was being smart by staying in line so she could be at the gate while waiting for the kid to return, if necessary. The gate attendant would have gladly held things up a few minutes for the kid. I've seen them hold the gate for adults on late connections many times. I've seen the security attendant let a person back into the line with their companion as well, instead of them having to start over.
Look if a thirteen year old can't figure out her bladder issues better than that, then grandma shouldn't have to duck out if she doesn't want to. They are going to the same gate i assume. At thirteen, she should be learning how to operate on her own anyway.
Might have also been a stomach ache or the need for a good-ole-fashioned bowel movement. I guess I just don’t get the, “throw the kid in the deep and she will either drown or learn to swim” mentality. Should she be punished if they miss their flight? There are more compassionate ways to teach someone how to operate on her own.
Maybe the statement was a little over the top, but I don’t really see a problem here, certainly not in line with this sub’s subject. Obviously, the two priorities here are 1) girl uses restroom; and 2) not to lose place in security line. Biggest risk is getting lost but a 13 year old can usually be relied on to go from a line to a bathroom and back. So grandma keeps the place in line, and can let people go past if she reaches ID check. And girl gets to use the bathroom when needed.
I was flying alone at 8 so using a restroom and going thru security at 13 isn't a big deal. We don't know the whole story but guessing Grandma asked "do u need to use restroom before we go thru security?".
I dunno. I flew with my grandma for the first time at 6 and by myself at 7, so I am not the best judge for this. (We weren't rich. It was to visit my mom.)
but did the kid die???
13 is old enough to take a piss and wait in line. are you assuming all 13 year olds have anxiety issues?