What has society come too?

[ANZinSingapore]

Today must have been one of those expat days where everything just gets to you.

What am I talking about ?

Fidgets.

We took our 5yr, 3yr and 7mth old to Fidgets for a run because it was pouring with rain.

For some reason, I picked up on 70% of local women and men fiddling with their mobile
phones, rather than playing with their kids.

What is it with these people ?    I am sick of it.

I looked at one 35 year old woman. She was playing 'Angry Birds' on her iPad while the kids played.

Another 30 year old was playing 'Farmville' on his laptop.    Others we playing a variety of games on their iPhones etc.

GEEZ.  

Grow Up !!!!     You play computer games when you are 10 years old.  NOT 30 !!

----
Spend some quality time with your kids, you inept parents.   Act like adults, not children.

Put away your child toy games and be mature, responsible members of society.

If you did that in the west, you would be thought of as a very immature person.

Wake up.

[Oh dear oh dear]

Take a very big breath.  

Then ask yourself - what did they think of you?  Do you care?  Do you think they care?  Not every parent is perfect.  So some adults were having time out. I think you need to calm down and look at the bigger picture; so they like computer games.  This is asia, it's part of life here (and I didn't know there was an age limit on computer games).

Though the main question must be - did it hurt you or your children?  If not, then get over it.  

Oh, and if you are 'really' sick of it, then maybe it's time.....

[whoa]

Spend some quality time with your kids, you inept parents.   Act like adults, not children.

Put away your child toy games and be mature, responsible members of society.

You are so revolting and judgmental I hardly know what to say.  Some of us spend all day every day caring for and entertaining our children and also (gasp) enjoy having time out and playing games while the kids enjoy a treat out at an indoor play centre.  Sometimes we also like to read a book while they play, would that be ok with you, oh mother of the year candidate?

[To ANZ]

Well you are better than me. You even know how to recognize the games that people are playing.

Anyway, since you are so sick of people who do you no harm, why not  do some volunteer work at the SAVH, Red Cross Home for the Disabled etc and you will find that there are more important things in life to get upset about?

For some reason, I picked up on 70% of local women and men fiddling with their mobile
phones, rather than playing with their kids.

What is it with these people ?    I am sick of it.

I looked at one 35 year old woman. She was playing 'Angry Birds' on her iPad while the kids played.

Another 30 year old was playing 'Farmville' on his laptop.    Others we playing a variety of games on their iPhones etc.

GEEZ.  

Grow Up !!!!     You play computer games when you are 10 years old.  NOT 30 !!

----
Spend some quality time with your kids, you inept parents.   Act like adults, not children.

Put away your child toy games and be mature, responsible members of society.

If you did that in the west, you would be thought of a a very immature person.

Wake up.

[que sera sera]

Wow, good on you. You even recognised both the games! 

We can't change the world.
Look on the upside OP, and take a chill pill. At least these parents you mentioned bothered to take their kids out to play somewhere. And kids actually sometimes prefer to play with other kids their age, then have an over-enthusiastic parent tag along acting cutesy or over protective on their playground.

It's actually easier (and cheaper and less bothersome) to sit all day at home.
Imagine a worse case scenario of parents and children, parked all day at home on their seperate laptops or electronic gadget of choice (Nintendo, Playstation, X-Box etc)  for the entire day. Parent(s) surfs and games, child surfs and games. All is peace and bliss. Cheap babysitting, past the first electronic investments.

And yes, I actually know a dad who babysits his kids like that all day, on weekends. Even meals are served and eaten in front of their computers!   

[Mature]

Take a very big breath.  

Then ask yourself - what did they think of you?  Do you care?  Do you think they care?  Not every parent is perfect.  So some adults were having time out. I think you need to calm down and look at the bigger picture; so they like computer games.  This is asia, it's part of life here (and I didn't know there was an age limit on computer games).

Though the main question must be - did it hurt you or your children?  If not, then get over it.  

Oh, and if you are 'really' sick of it, then maybe it's time.....

Yes, there is an age limit.     If you a re playing them when you are older than 20yrs, then you have not matured enough.

[Agree With OP]

OP, I totally agree with you. But, just remember that these same people probably normally leave their kids in the care of maids and probably never play with their kids the way that you or I would. As a PP noted, this is Asia and that seems to be the way they do things here. The cultural divide is vast.

[Notlimitedtolocals]

I see expat parents doing the same thing. Try going to GoGoGambini on Dempsey. Expat moms getting nails done, having coffee etc etc while their kids run rampant through the place. No idea where their kids are or what they are doing. Sadly this is the way parents are worldwide. How many times do you see people walking,eating, driving etc etc staring at phones? How do parents entertain the kids? give them the same said phones to get lost in. It's really sad

[Even]

I'd like to see any over 30's woman, local or otherwise, keep up with a 5-yr old on the monkey bars, through the tunnel, across the ball pit and rope ladder to finish with a belt down the slide.

Kids are better in a playground playing or running after kids their own age.....it's about time you act YOUR age! Hypocrite.

Keep an eye on them yes, but act 30-yrs younger, no.

I bet we never had parents look after us the way you demand we now look after our kids, every second of the day. Me and my friends would leave the house for hours (ah, happy days!) and only come back for dinner. Singapore has the benefit of being as safe as the places we grew up in 30-40yrs ago, that have now all changed to the places where we can't let the kids out safely.

[When I was a kid...]

we went outside to play.  All day.  Without phones.  And our parents had only the vaguest idea where we where unless we turned up with an ouchie or because we were hungry/thirsty. 

The biggest problem in today's society is helicopter parents - those who cannot or will not allow their children to just play but have to schedule something or be 'involved' all the time.  Good on the parents who were sat on their computer games encouraging independent play, there's no where near enough of it today.  And as a Mom of 4 kids I can tell you I go to fidgets and take a book, I'm not paying S$60 to entertain them myself when they can play well with each other and other kids and I can do that for free at home.

[Indeed]

What has society come to when Mom's criticise Mom's for letting their children play with other children in a children's soft play centre without parental interference.  Good grief, what were they thinking!!!!

[When I was a kid....]

and if my expat brat runs out of control and is pushing/hitting/bullying other kids, so what? I need a break from telling the maid/helper what to do all day.

[ripoff]

And who was watching your 3 kids whilst you were watching the other parents and what they were doing?

Glass houses stones etc.

That's the problem with expat women here. They are always looking at what everyone else is doing and making judgments, thinking that they are better than the next mum. Get a hobby.

P.s. I don't go to these dreadful kiddy zones. They are a rip off.

[Even]

and if my expat brat runs out of control and is pushing/hitting/bullying other kids, so what? I need a break from telling the maid/helper what to do all day.

Adding an extra '.' in the user name doesn't make you smart.

And if we're on about bullying there are two outcomes as a parent nearby, we either punish him/her or the victim gives precious a right royal belting he/she probably deserved in the first place. I tell mine all the time, don't be the first to hit anybody, but be the last.

[When I was a kid...]

Who said anything about my kids bullying others, I said they played nicely.  Is that a reflection on yours?  And for your info, I don't have a maid.