'American cities are booming - for rich young college grads without kids'

Well, the problem is that once we're there, we're there for the duration, because the 6-year-old has no issues sitting through a game (and eating through a game).

The last try with the little one was the ballet, which also ended in a screaming meltdown after the older one "drinked all the water."

 

Sorry, I am laughing my ass off. Lord, what children put us through!

 

I don't think you understand the popcorn meme, Baron.

 

Oh, I understand it perfectly well. I was enjoying your little back and forth.

And for the record, while yes, there are times to talk to your kid calmly, and even times when you can take them out of a situation if they are acting up, there are also times when it's just not practical.

I told this story here a few years ago. When my oldest was little, I had to take him to get bloodwork. He was too nervous, so he didn't eat breakfast. We get there, and he's bawling in the waiting room about getting a shot, he's hungry, etc.

The woman next to me grumbles some stuff, then, when she gets up,for her turn, stands in front of me and tells me that I shouldn't have brought him there and that I should have fed him breakfast. My response was to tell her to fuck off.

 

Every now and then you do hit the nail on the head, dude.

 

Our oldest was not quite 2 when we took him to a first-round NCAA basketball regional. He sat through THREE of the four games really well. We did take him out and walk around between games.

He is now a huge sports fan with ADHD. There may be a correlation.

 

My first outing with both of my cherubs by myself ended after approximately 12 minutes. We just went to the playground down the street, and my son threw an unholy shit fit because I wouldn't let him go down the slide that let out into a pool of disgusting rain water. I would only let him go down any of the six (6) other slides. My daughter, bless her little heart, decided at that exact second that she was hungry, and joined the chorus.

 

This is why you don't take the cherubs to Disney World until they are 18 or so.

 

My kids' broke into the bigs in 2003, when we first moved here to Arlington. It helped that the Rangers sucked, so the crowds, even on weekends, weren't large. My youngest (not quite two at her first game) didn't like the home run fireworks, though, so it was years before she wouldn't cover up her ears in terror if she heard the crowd starting to roar.

Since you mentioned the meltdown, that reminds me of that week of their first MLB game. That Wednesday my wife and the kids had flown in to complete the family's move, and it had been a helluva long and stressful day (with storms and delays and turbulence, etc.) for them. On the ride to our new home from the airport, I suggested that we might get Burger King (at the time my son was way in Burger King). Then we got there and the power had been knocked out. So to the grocery store we go to get some peanut butter and bread so the kids could have at least something to eat before going to bed (it was getting really late). And all the time I was in there -- you know how it is when you go into a new grocery store, you don't know where anything is -- sonny boy (then 6) was in full wail mode. It seems funny now ...

 

Mrs. Whitman was absolutely obsessed with the idea of getting to Disney World before the youngest turned 3, so that she could go for free.

She has now come around to the idea that it would be an utter fucking shitshow to try this yet.

 

Took my son to his first game when he was five. It took about $35 in food and souvenirs, but he was very well-behaved (we left in bottom of seventh). Now at 30, baseball bores him, although his younger sister is a fan.