Teenager at the Kennedy Center behavior with parents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps the teen was special needs.

What are you trying to say?

A person is not "needs". Speak properly about human beings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Thanks for the report. Next time use your words in the moment like a big girl.

[Anonymous]

You were so passive-aggressive. Why not just say to her "Please get off my body." Say it as a statement or a directive, not a plea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you know the mother didn't say or do anything? If it were my kid I would whisper to them or quietly write them a note.

Because the teenager kept doing it! Write them a note? It's the middle of a show at the Kennedy Center!

Yes you lean over and talk to the mom. Or the usher.

[Anonymous]

So there's no rude kids anymore, just kids with mental problems?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you know the mother didn't say or do anything? If it were my kid I would whisper to them or quietly write them a note.

Because the teenager kept doing it! Write them a note? It's the middle of a show at the Kennedy Center!

Yes you lean over and talk to the mom. Or the usher.

Nope, not these days. It has been proven, time and again, that if you try to talk reasonably with a defensive, checked-out parent in public, it’s going to end in a scene. And getting an usher—especially if you are in the middle of the row—is going to be disruptive. OP and the ladies in front of her solved it silently. Getting an usher involved was going to disrupt probably a dozen people at least. And nope, parents are unhinged about their precious babies these days, and there’s no way that a lazy parent who is letting their child PUT THEIR FEET ON THE SEAT IN FRONT OF THEM is going to suddenly be reasonable. Nope.

[Anonymous]

She was probably special needs, it yeah the adult in charge of her needs to control her better.

[Anonymous]

We live in a combative world where people are recorded, cancelled, and harassed every day — sometimes for perfectly reasonable behavior. You couldn’t pay me enough to speak up in this situation. I’ll grumble about it to myself, but I’m not sticking my neck out to correct a stranger’s child in public. Not a chance in hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in a combative world where people are recorded, cancelled, and harassed every day — sometimes for perfectly reasonable behavior. You couldn’t pay me enough to speak up in this situation. I’ll grumble about it to myself, but I’m not sticking my neck out to correct a stranger’s child in public. Not a chance in hell.

Seriously. You would be branded a Karen, the parent would seethe at you, multiple people would be disturbed, and your own kids would get upset. No thanks. We’re past that, as a society, and all because parents won’t take charge of their kids behavior, put a kid with special needs *in between two supervising adults as was totally possible here,* and will let them put their feet on the back of patrons’ seats at the Kennedy Center. It’s not like they didn’t see that. And if they saw that and did nothing about it, ZERO percent chance they would take kindly to a quiet word from a fellow patron or even an usher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You were so passive-aggressive. Why not just say to her "Please get off my body." Say it as a statement or a directive, not a plea.

But OP got the kid off her body without making a huge scene. Why is being loud better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+1. It’s not acceptable behavior. Unbelievable that people are excusing it here. Our society has lost all civility and manners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Clearly someone with autism, OP, but I agree that this does not make it right. I'm assuming the parents are just glad to get their teen engrossed in something wholesome and not acting out too much - ie, this teen is capable of behaving much worse in other situations.

I have a teen with autism. He's high-functioning and quiet. This teen sounds more affected. I have a neighbor with a non-verbal autistic teen, one that is liable to elope, scream and hit. It's so, so, so difficult.

I'm sorry you were bothered in your enjoyment of the show. I can also guess at this family's daily challenges. There are no right answers, sometimes.

There is a right answer. That family doesn’t have a right to ruin the experience of others. If they can’t manage her behaviors, they need to find a different show (many venues offer special performances for patrons with special needs).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+1. It’s not acceptable behavior. Unbelievable that people are excusing it here. Our society has lost all civility and manners.

+100. And you cannot tell me the adults accompanying the teen didn’t notice that the kid was sitting Lotus-style with knees touching other people. And you cannot tell me that the adults accompanying the teen didn’t notice her putting her feet on the back of occupied seats. And yeah, any parent or guardian who sees that behavior and does nothing about it is not suddenly going to be respectful and solicitous if a patron or an usher speaks to them about the kid. No way.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like an annoying night out. Sorry that happened to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perhaps the teen was special needs.

Who gives a $h!t? Based on her behavior, regardless of the reasons, she has no business being there.