Bowling group scolds group of 4 to 6-year-old children who refuse to bowl safely, parents step in: 'My friends called me a Karen and said kids will be kids'

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Nov 15, 2024 11:00 AM EST

Parents can be awfully sensitive to hearing criticisms about their kids. They can sometimes take it personally, even if the other person didn't mean anything by it. 

They say it takes a village to raise a child: it's much more comfortable for parents if they allow their friends and family around them to help out with the kids. But in emergencies, sometimes a stranger will have to say something to prevent a dangerous situation. Like if you see a toddler running towards a busy road, you might grab their arm out of instinct to prevent them from harm. Or if you notice an infant crawling close to a coin on the ground, you should probably grab that loose change before it ends up in their mouth. Of course, parenting someone else's kid isn't always such a black-and-white issue, as u/jesscubby shared to r/AmItheA******. 

In their case, this person and their friends went bowling on a weekend day, so naturally the bowling alley was bustling. This person was alarmed to find that a group of kids were just running around the lanes. Of course that's dangerous! But the kid's parents didn't think so, causing an issue between the two parties. 

Up next, read about the things that had people rolling their eyes at the movie theater, like one person who was dismayed that someone in front of them "used a laptop throughout a movie last night." 

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    MALL SALE
    via Daniel Álvasd on Unsplash+

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    r/AmItheA Posted by u/jesscubby AITA or a Karen for complaining about children in my bowling lane?
    via u/jesscubby
  • 03
    I went bowling with some friends on the weekend so there were a lot of children's birthday parties there. Unfortunately, our group was placed in a lane next to one of the parties. The children looked about 4-6 years old with some related toddlers mixed in.
    via u/jesscubby
  • 04
    I know children don't follow bowling etiquette, but these little ones were running out in front of us in our lane. Parents gave zero fus even though I told them to be careful before someone got hurt. After it was apparent we packed up and left.
    via u/jesscubby
  • 05
    While checking out I was asked if we had a good time and I said "no, there were children in our lane the whole time that's why we were leaving." My friends called me a Karen and said kids will be kids and if you go to a bowling alley on the weekend you should expect to be around a few kids and parties. Am I the as ole here?!
    via u/jesscubby
  • 06
    fyrdude58 I'm gonna be an iconoclast here. NTA. Once you asked the parents to keep their kids under control, you did your bit. The people running the place should be keeping an eye out, and if the parents can't control the kids, they should be asked to leave. If a kid got bowled over when they ran onto your lane, that's on the parents and the bowling alley.
    via u/fyrdude58
  • 07
    FrederickChase NTA. Kids will be kids, but parents need to watch their kids. It's not the other bowlers' responsibility to do so. You couldn't do what you paid to do because the parents didn't watch their kids. Now, if you blamed the bowling alley employees, that would be different since most probably can't tell parents to watch their kids. But just answering honestly isn't wrong.
    via u/FrederickChase
  • 08
    LlamaMamaMandi NTA - you didn't throw a fit, or berate anyone. The feedback to the bowling alley employee was valid, perhaps they will consider lane placement differently in the future, or maybe they won't care. You mentioned it, and left. As a parent, I have the responsibility for my child's safety, and I wouldn't have allowed that with my kid. The parents are the a s, the bowling alley employee probably doesn't get paid enough to care.
    via u/LlamaMamaMandi
  • 09
    efultz76 You didn't complain about the kids while it was happening, you answered honestly when asked if you had a good time (which should be one of the alley's main goals). NTA, but those parents certainly are
    via u/efultz76
  • 10
    SavagePancakess Actually she says she did talk to the parents, they just did nothing.
    via u/SavagePancakess
  • 11
    SavagePancakess NTA. Probably an unpopular opinion. But it's tiring to constantly have to be the one that has to make concessions because you are the one without kids. Why does it always have to be the child-free people that have to move because parents can't control their kids, even after being asked to? Why do they have to be the ones to go bowling at special times or places?
    via u/SavagePancakess
  • 12
    LovelyRita999 Gonna go with NTA. You were asked a question and answered honestly. And true, kids will be kids and if you go to a family-friendly place on a weekend you should expect to be around them. But they weren't just "around", they were actively interfering with the thing you paid for while their parents did fi about it. -all
    via u/LovelyRita999
  • 13
    [deleted] As someone who bowls on a league it is extremely dangerous to let children run in front of people swinging a heavy ball at the same height a child's head would be. I've had to jump on parents for this very reason when I've bowled for fun during open bowl times. Luckily when league is going on the alley doesn't allow open bowlers within several lanes of league bowlers because bowling etiquette is always ignored.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 14
    FrumpyHedgehog "Kids will be kids" is an excuse used by lazy/bad parents in an attempt to justify not parenting. ΝΤΑ
    via u/FrumpyHedgehog
  • 15
    Old TiredAnnoyed Oh h no. I'd pack my kids up & leave if they started ruining other peoples enjoyment by being little I'm not a strict parent but one of my firm rules is good behaviour in public. They can be feral at home but when we go out they will be respectful of other peoples space & enjoyment.
    via u/Old TiredAnnoyed
  • 16
    janiemackxxx I'm going to get slack for this but I have to say YTA. You went at a time when you knew it was going to be packed to the brim with kids. If you didn't want to deal with that, you should have gone at a less child friendly time, or an adults only session. Sure. The parents need to control their kids better, but kids at parties are going to wander off occasionally. It's like going to a Pixar movie at 11 am on a Saturday and complaining the theater wasn't completely silent.
    via u/janiemackxxx
  • 17
    Holmes221bBSt ESH. It's true kids will be kids & you have to expect some rowdy kids to get in your way every now & then, especially at a busy bowling alley during a birthday party. The parents should've done something though. I'm sure they were distracted since there was a lot going on, but the very young ones should be watched. I always make sure my 4 yr old stays in our lane & if he drifts away, I'll give him to the count if 3 to get back.
    via u/Holmes221bBSt
  • 18
    Skyyywalker215 ESH. Parents should control their kids, but kids will be kids especially at young ages. If you want a kid free environment, find one of those adult bowling alleys.
    via u/Skyyywalker215
  • 19
    DarkStar0915 Kids will be kids is a bs excuse. Parent your kid so they don't bother others and don't endanger themselves.
    via u/DarkStar0915
  • 20
    Klutzy_Degree Complaining about 4 year olds at a bowling ally. No wonder you deleted -43 RealSteelKnight Lol she didn't delete.
    via u/Klutzy_Degree

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karens aita kids demanding bowling Party karens in the wild entitled family karen story karen children entitled people
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