When Parents Ignore Kids at Old Faithful

At the risk of sounding like that crotchety old RVer, what is with kids today?

In my day… (there I go again) If my parents took us anywhere, we were expected to pay close attention to whatever experience they had planned for us. Granted, we didn’t have the constant distraction of connected devices, but if we did there would have been a time and a place for gluing our face to the screen. And that would not be when standing yards away from one of the most popular natural wonder tourist attractions in the world. Like this kid…

What happens when parents ignore kids at Old Faithful?

I’m not exactly sure who is more ignorant here, the young kid with his face buried in his device while Old Faithful erupts behind him? Or are his parents ignorant for allowing him to do so? I can only imagine what they spent on their family vacation, to expose their child to the natural beauty Yellowstone National park has to offer–only to ignore him while he ignores main event.

 </rant>
Old Faithful
Crowd gathers to watch Old Faithful

The first comment we received for this video on the LiveWorkDream Youtube Channel recommended I look in the mirror–suggesting I was no different than the kid–apparently because I was focusing on him, rather than the amazing geyser spouting primordial snot from hundreds of feet below. For the record: I had no idea the kid was even there, or what he was doing, until the eruption was almost over when I noticed him and his dad walking away from the geyser while it was still winding down. Only when producing the short video to share with our readers, did I notice him engrossed in the device rather than watching the awesome event before me.

More Idiots at Old Faithful

Just a few days before publishing this, a video went viral on social media of some guy arrested for walking on the Old Faithful cone and–in case you haven’t heard–urinating into the cavern before lying down and peeing over the edge.

<sigh>

Which is worse?

A total lack of engagement in these natural wonders? Or getting a little too close and personal?

2 thoughts on “When Parents Ignore Kids at Old Faithful”

  1. One of the high points of Canadian history is when the ‘Fathers of Confederation’ got together and put it down on paper in Charlottetown Prince Edward Island. Several years ago we took our two youngest kids, then about 10 and 12 years old, on a trip down east from Ontario and the government building where the ‘Fathers’ met was on our list of places to visit. When we arrived the kids showed no interest in going inside, and in spite of our trying to convince them it would be worth the effort, they stayed in the truck and listened to an iPod.

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  2. I will never understand those who don’t respect our national parks and are not in awe of the treasures they hold. They are truly missing the point of the parks. Just stay home!
    I don’t know the answer but

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