What’s with all the parents hating on ice cream and ice cream trucks? One of my fondest summer memories is waiting for the ice cream truck to come around our block in North Philadelphia. Us kids would sit on the steps after dinner, clutching a dollar and some change. Our parents let us get ice cream very occasionally. But when they did, it was a treat. We never dared to beg them for ice cream. Talking back or questioning your parents was unheard of. Sometimes you got ice cream, sometimes you didn’t. But some parents think ice cream vendors in parks and ice cream trucks should be done away with altogether.
Ever since Katherine had an inconsolable meltdown about not being able to have a treat, Ms. Sell has been trying to have unlicensed vendors ousted from the park. She has repeatedly called the city’s 311 complaint hot line, joining parents nationwide who can’t stand the icy man or his motorized big brother, the ice cream man.
“I fall into the camp of parents who are irate,” Ms. Sell said. She has equal disdain for Mister Softee and the ice cream pop vendor outside the park, but since they are licensed, there is not much she can do about them.
“I feel kind of bad about having developed this attitude,” she said. “I want Katherine to have the full childhood experience and all. But it’s really predatory for them — two of them — to be right inside the playground like this.”
Okay lady, I’ll give you some free advice. Listen closely. It’s not the ice cream that’s the problem, it’s you. The next time you go to the park and see Mr. Good Humor, read from the following script: No.
Yes, that’s right. Just say no. And if they whine, then you’re letting them whine. Grow a backbone, parents of America. Whining about Mr. Softy to city officials isn’t going to teach kids not to whine. And guess what, when that kid grows up and gets a job – there’ll be ice cream everywhere. And if you don’t teach them boundaries now, they’ll never learn ‘em.
Grow a backbone indeed! I have two boys who always beg for ice cream and my answer is always …drum roll please…no. Okay, maybe not always, but 99.9% of the time at least. I know they can be persistent little folks, but just who is in charge? Oh, yes, that would be me.
Soo true. Some kids are seriously spoilt. The “Mine” “I want” stage should end at two. Are they mad about electronic sections in department stores like Walmart/Kmart, because kids whine about not getting their ps2′s?
seriously. the more idiots i read about in the news, the more i realize i would be an awesome mom.
Seriously, people find the dumbest things to complain about these days! Complaining about the ice-cream truck because of your lack of parenting skills? Stupid. I love the ice-cream truck!
I’m not a parent, but I’m going to differ slightly. I think ice cream carts have no business inside the playground, as was the case in this article. There’s no way for parents to avoid them then, and quite frankly nobody should be selling things in the playground. Let them stand outside the gates if they want, but inside the stockade isn’t fair cricket.
Okay, we need some parent opinions. Anyone?
Ok, I’ll bite, Phillygrrl.
As a parent of two children (3 1/2 yrs. & 14 yrs), both my children have been raised not to be spoiled and not ask for everything little shiny thing they lay their eyes on.
That said, for instance, when we take Elliott to Clark Park on a hot summer day and the icee man is in the park, Elliott knows he’s there but that doesn’t mean he’s going to ask necessarily, from the get-go.
That’s a result of proper parenting. Things like ice cream, candy, icees, toys, treats and the like are all “specialties”. My children may ask if they can have something, but if the answer is no, that’s it.
If he throws a fit, I’ll ask him very sternly if he’d rather go home right now or stay at the park & play. In most cases, Elliott wants to stay at the park.
If he insists on whining, we will not hesitate to go straight home.
And therein lies the lesson. If kids learn, whether early on or not, that they can whine, kick, scream, pout or otherwise be a living terror and that by doing so, mom and/or dad will give in to their wants, it simply emboldens them to do it every single time because they KNOW that’s all they have to do to get what they want.
It’s certainly frustrating as a parent dealing with a little monster kid out in public and we’ve all seen it and been bothered by it. We see a kid freaking out, somehow always when eating out, and the parents are helpless to stop the kid. We get angry that the parents aren’t doing anything and we get angry at the kid for being such a little douche.
The root of this is that children require boundaries and rules and they actually behave and function better, listen better, and learn responsibility and that there are consequences for improper behaviour when boundaries and rules are clearly laid out and are enforced consistently. With little effort and time, a child will learn that when mom and dad say no, it’s no. If they choose to make it a problem, the problem will quickly be identified as the child’s problem and not the parent’s problem. And once the child realizes that their lack of reward is their own fault and that if they behave better in the future they might actually GET what they ask for, they tend to follow the rules and not misbehave as much when their parents DO say no.
It sounds like this woman, if she has had these problems with a whining kid having a meltdown, has a problem being consistent with her parenting and has no one to blame but herself, not the average joe trying to make a buck and put food on his own table.
Hope that sheds some light from a parents perspective.
Thanks for the comment, PB. Looks like Elliot is in good hands.