Teenager at the Kennedy Center behavior with parents

[Anonymous]

I understand that “Frozen” is very much a kids’ show, I was there with my husband and two young daughters. But still, the tickets were expensive. I am shocked that the *teenager* sitting next to me was sitting with her legs in Lotus pose, with her knee on me/my seat until I shuffled and bumped around enough for her to stop. What did she do next? She put her feet up on the seats in front of her—and yes, those seats were occupied by two women in their 60s/70s. She finally stopped that after the women shuffled/moved their heads/finally batted behind them and hit her feet with their hands.

This was all in full view of her mother and what I presume to be her grandmother, or maybe an aunt.

The teenager was also talking and singing loudly, and that, at least, the mother put a stop to. She was also constantly fidgeting and bopping around, just a total distraction.

I was surrounded by 5, 7, 9, 10-year-olds who were all better behaved than this teenager. I can’t believe the mother was right there, not saying anything about her daughter putting her knees and her feet on other people.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps the teen was special needs.

[Anonymous]

Stop being a judgmental fool

You should have complained to an usher instead of here.

Instead you did nothing to solve the problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps the teen was special needs.

+1

But the parents should have taken action nonetheless.

FWIW, I’ve gently corrected bad behavior in such situations.

“Ooh, no, no, Sweetie. We don’t put our feet on the seats at the Kennedy Center. Feet on the floor, please.” Said sweetly with a smile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps the teen was special needs.

That doesn't justify everything.

[Anonymous]

You could have asked herto stop disturbing you or spoken with her mother, but you were a passive aggressive a-hole. Sounds like you also behaved poorly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps the teen was special needs.

Then the teen should have been seated between the two adults who were with her. Full stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could have asked herto stop disturbing you or spoken with her mother, but you were a passive aggressive a-hole. Sounds like you also behaved poorly.

Parents/grandparents who are going to totally ignore bad behavior like that are not going to be open to a productive discussion.

What about the women who had to knock someone’s feet off their head? Were they behaving “badly,” too? Nope, they were protecting their space, as they had EVERY right to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could have asked herto stop disturbing you or spoken with her mother, but you were a passive aggressive a-hole. Sounds like you also behaved poorly.

Parents/grandparents who are going to totally ignore bad behavior like that are not going to be open to a productive discussion.

What about the women who had to knock someone’s feet off their head? Were they behaving “badly,” too? Nope, they were protecting their space, as they had EVERY right to do.

Not OP but agree with PP. People who ignore bad behavior become very aggressive if you try to address it. I've seen it happen on a plane. Young children kicking back of my colleague's seat and he finally asked the mother to address it and she started yelling. Ugly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop being a judgmental fool

You should have complained to an usher instead of here.

Instead you did nothing to solve the problem

I’ve always wondered how to flag down and usher during the show without making a situation worse/disturbing people more. Are you supposed to slip out and find them at the entry door or raise a secret hand signal making or what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps the teen was special needs.

This would be my assumption. No matter what she looked like or how she spoke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps the teen was special needs.

That doesn't justify everything.

No but it EXPLAINS things

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop being a judgmental fool

You should have complained to an usher instead of here.

Instead you did nothing to solve the problem

I’ve always wondered how to flag down and usher during the show without making a situation worse/disturbing people more. Are you supposed to slip out and find them at the entry door or raise a secret hand signal making or what?

Seriously, then it would have been disturbing for way more people. Sounds like OP got the behavior to stop without bothering yet more people who also paid good money for tickets and just wanted to enjoy the show.

If you have a teen or tween with you at a show who is not behaving properly, you need to address the behavior and switch seats. Seriously, someone putting their feet on the back of the seats? And of course a few token DCUMmers are here to excuse that behavior and find a way to blame the OP. How about parents should be on top of behavior in public, and tweens/teens shouldn’t be acting like that in public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps the teen was special needs.

This would be my assumption. No matter what she looked like or how she spoke.

OK? Then a child with special needs needs to be seated in between the at least two adults accompanying them. No excuse for that not to happen.

[Anonymous]

Agree that parents who don't correct this will absolutely become aggressive. I once asked a little boy to stop kicking my seat and his mother said "you go right on kicking that seat baby!" So I switched seats with a man in my party and sure enough the kicking stopped. The kids mother wasn't going to let him kick then.