Dear C.N.T. (Clueless Neuro Typical) Parents,
I hate to admit it, but I agree with you. This Disney thing about the lines and the waiting? Yup, we are on the same page. I agree that the issue is bratty, ill-behaved kids and their lazy parents. I’m with you that it’s about people who feel like they are entitled to go right to the front of the line. I agree that it’s about parents who have no control over their children and take advantage of a system to cut in line in front of everyone who is patiently waiting for their turn to ride It’s A Small World or my personal favorite, the Haunted House. The parents don’t want to do the work necessary to teach their kids the lessons of patience and expected public behavior. The kids are fidgety and noisy and have an absolute lack of self-control. Your kids push and shove. They cut people off, pushing others out of the way and you just smile or shrug your shoulders as if to say, “what are ya gonna do?”
Oh, wait, what? You thought I was talking about parents of Special Needs kids?
Um, no.
This debate about special lines for Special Needs families is actually not all about those families. This debate is about you, the C.N.T. Parent. Why is there a special line for Special Needs families? In part, it’s because of your clueless looks of disdain and horror when our kids flap or squeal in line. It’s because you jump to the conclusion that if our child is flapping their arms or screaming in response to every time your child says, “Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama,” while you ignore your child, my child must be a brat or misbehaving. It’s because your child will walk up to our child and say, “what the hell is wrong with you?” and you do nothing. It’s the complete lack of empathy on your part and your inability to teach it to your own misbehaving, bratty children.
So when a place like Disney makes an effort to ease the discomfort for everyone (you included) by giving us our own line, you decide, “well, I deserve that too.” So you actually go to guest services and game the system. You actually go to guest services and say, “my child has a disability, give me my fucking guest pass.” This, despite that fact that your child is completely typical.
This debate is not about letting Special Needs families “cut” in line. It’s about giving them their own line because C.N.T. Parents like you didn’t want us in your line in the first place.
But it’s also about safety. If my kid flaps to calm down, isn’t safer to let her flap in a line populated by people who understand to give her a little space as opposed to packing her with you and your unempathetic brood?
So, you’re right – these parents have to get off their asses and actually discipline their children and teach them how to behave in society, but those parents are you, the C.N.T. Parent, and those kids are yours.
Come walk in our shoes for a week during the school year and you’ll see what hard parenting work really is.
Thanks for nothing,
Luau
Run Luau Run 