I moved from the United States to Argentina, people are more patient with children

I recently met friends at the Mall Food Toutt in Salta, Argentina, to catch up after a one-month trip to the United States. While we were sitting drinking coffee, a group of four boys, aged 10 and 11, scrambled on the ground next to us. They fought, shouted and pushed themselves to the ground, where they twisted in circles.

The people in the shopping center have sailed in the boys on their way to have lunch or buy clothes. They did not beat an eye.

They were our children who played right next to us. Toto pretended to hit Astor. Felipe was sweaty and in a red face, flowing to avoid flying fists. My child, Charlie, well, I would lie if I said that he did not make as much effort as a maniac and a monkey as the rest.

It is difficult to explain the difference between the United States and Argentina

“It would never fly in the United States,” I said to my friends. They were surprised.

The children were not violent. They did not break things. There was a lot of space in the catering area for their antics. Why shouldn’t they be able to play?

When I asked some American parents what they thought of leaving the Roughhouse children in public spaces, many responded with anger. One person said to me: “Because it’s not your living room”, while another said that only negligent parents would authorize such behavior.

Children are part of life in Argentina

Maybe Argentines are more patient with children because they are more used to spending time with them. Children join their enlarged families for almost all occasions – Sunday dinners, weddings, parties and even graduates. Adults, babies, toddlers, older children and adolescents spend time together as part of regular life.

At 10, Charlie is more comfortable with babies and toddlers than the first time I was holding my Lila daughter when she was born in New York because she was much younger.

In Argentina, I ate many quiet meals in restaurants while my children played war games around tables with foreign children. On the other hand, the concern and embarrassment bordered the faces of people in restaurants when we took our daughter to eat in New York. Fortunately, my first shy and gentle child died in public, so after their initial upheaval, people congratulated us by saying how calm she was and how she did not disturb them at all.

In New York, a foreigner struck my toddler

I want to raise children who know who they are and speak for what they want.

A 3 -year -old lila, back in Brooklyn, stretched out her finger to touch a crochet bag in bright colors suspended on the woman’s shoulder in front of us. This woman felt the sweet pressure and turned around, struck Lila’s hand and shouted to both of us so as not to touch her bag.

Of course, touching the affairs of others is inappropriate, and I would have taken the time to correct Lila’s behavior if this woman had not acted so impulsive.

I guide Charlie as best as possible, but ultimately, he must decide for himself if he touches people’s bags or play war games at the shopping area of ​​the shopping center. Like most children, he will come out of his impulsive behavior. With patience, he will because he understands the good of evil, not because he fears the remuneration of adults who want to put it in his place.

I believe that patience is the path to the construction of a nicer society and the student of decent and compassionate human beings. And for me, children deserve all my patience.