Disclaimer: This is merely a trend I’ve noticed with Indian parents and their kids. Obviously there will be exceptions. Keep that in mind before leaping on me!
Recently, Anupa and I decided that it’s been a long time since we had Indian food. In particular, I had a hankering for dosas. Luckily for us, there’s a place called “Dosa Hut” just a few minutes drive from our place. I thought it was okay – spacious, good dosas, and a buffet for those so inclined. But one thing ruined all of that.
Noisy, bratty, kids.
Normally in India I wouldn’t notice this, because they’re everywhere. But after staying a while in the US, it’s particularly jarring when I visit an Indian establishment. Children are everywhere in the US, but they’re hardly ever noisy. The few times when it happens, people get pissed off. Remember – your kid is not my problem. If they’re making a racket, please get them out of the restaurant by force if you have to.
There was this horror in Dosa Hut who kept running up and down the place screaming his lungs off. The parents were nowhere to be seen. Towards the end he came and lay down flat in my seat while I’d gone to get some napkins. I had to manually push him off.
What kind of parent doesn’t bother about whether or not their kid is inconveniencing others? Raising children is not some community project. There is a reason why you are parents and I’m not. Oh, you say he’s just a kid? Well he’s your kid, not mine. Ergo, your headache.
But here’s a twist and I’m not sure what to make of it. These same parents would never let their kid run wild in an American restaurant! I’ve never seen an Indian kid wreak havoc in a Chick-fil-A or a Dunkin Donuts. I wonder why? Can it be because they know it’s a wrong thing to do and that only Indian customers will “put up with it” and that they can’t be bothered to reign in the apple of their eye?
We see this same class of behavior when people return to India and start throwing rubbish on the streets. They would never do it abroad – they know it’s wrong. But they also expect other Indians to tolerate their bad behavior and this enables them. In other words, they are little more than children themselves.
So remember that while you may be immune to your little darling making a racket, the rest of don’t have to tolerate it. If you can’t control your child running wild, leave them at home and don’t spoil it for others.
Whenever I go to the library, the screamers are always the Indian kids. These kids are monsters.
These parents don’t teach their kids how to behave.
Absolutely spot on.. Indian parents just send their kids to top notch schools and think that speaking in English is the only way to show off their kids, zero manners, no civic sense, just brats running here a d there. These kids get what they want, shout if they don’t get it instantly and go on making nuisance in public places..
In reply to Vandita
I agree completely.
Amazing insight! I agree with this. It is out of control and it MUST be rectified. Hopefully the parents can learn from this.
In reply to Adrian Jellinek
I know these Indians are completely out of control. They are infesting this amazing country. I love the whites.
Spot on! We’re on a cruise, and this family was allowing their children to scream, run, and leap from couch to couch and throw toys, hitting two other people ( bystanders). I asked the parents if they were okay with this behavior, as I was not. The mother began shouting that it was a family cruise, excusing their lack of control. So I asked her if we were all going to be held hostage for the next 9 days by her poor parenting, at which she began screaming at me as I walked away. Then, the mother and the grandparents would scream and shout insults at me during cruise excursions. After seeing this woman’s mother scream and literally spit and froth at the mouth, I see where the entitled behavior began. I love children, I love to see them enjoying themselves, and have been an elementary teacher for 37 years. However, uncontrolled children, hitting strangers and jumping on furniture in an observation deck on a cruise are not okay. I think we’ll look into a child free cruise for the next vacation.
I’d love to say I agree (which I mostly do!) – however, they are AWFUL in the US. I’m from the US, I work in public health, and truly, out of all nationalities, Indian is by far the worst. I am able to work with so many amazing cultures and learn about different backgrounds. I dread the Indian culture 8 out of 10 times.