This weekend I surprised my husband with a trip to New Orleans. I combined fathers day and his birthday present, booked us a room on Bourbon street, and managed to get someone to watch the kids this weekend. Two someones actually, thanks to my babysitter and my mother in law. If you know how hard it is to get someone to watch your kids that you trust, I am sure you can totally appreciate how hard it was to get set up. I am an awesomesauce wife.
My spouse took a half a day on Friday and we headed out to New Orleans for a ‘parents only’ trip. A much needed parents only trip I might add. I swear we only go out of town so we can sleep in. I have decided that all future presents in this house will consist of a hotel room gift to one another.
“Here honey, I booked you the Holiday Inn. See you in the morning.”
Brilliant, right?
We stayed at Royal Sonesta and our room faced Bourbon street. The room was quaint, although I could have dealt without the freaking small full sized bed in there. By 4am and the screaming and hollering had not died down yet outside our window (which was right outside Ricks Cabaret), I asked to be moved to a quieter location the next night. Thankfully there was a room open then and we were moved to a King sized, court facing room. Soooooooooo much better.
New Orleans lived up to its insanity hype as usual. We watched a ton of people dance like crap, lots of strippers on the street, people doing things they would never want to be seen doing, drunks, crack cocaine, lots and lots of marijuana, and police trying to run you down with massive horses…we even saw a guy die outside one of the clubs.
EMT was trying their best, but ugg…it was awful.
No place for kids, right?
Um. Apparently wrong.
We saw a TON of kids, all hours of the night and day on Bourbon. Kids that were of an age to understand nudity, debauchery, and sex shows. Kids that were also so young, in STROLLERS, with moms and dads drinking alcoholic beverages while little ones rubbed their eyes and cried. Kids at midnight hanging on the streets. I saw two kids around the ages of 2 and 3, sitting on the street against the wall of a club while what I presume to be their parents stood there drinking.
I guess I don’t get it.
I don’t get the need to head out so badly to have a drink and party and think its OK to bring your kids along. To have the need and desire so badly that your 9 and 10 year old sons hanging out in front of strip joints becomes acceptable, where pictures of sex acts on the walls are commonplace and where the mere name “Bourbon street” defines blocks and blocks of an adult only venue. Had I not found a sitter for my husband and I, I would have not planned a weekend. Or rather, I would have planned a family friendly place that we could all enjoy together and the kids could go to bed on time.
I saw one kid, he had to be about 9-11 range, being drug away by his mom down the street while his head was craned backwards looking at women in thongs up on the Hustler balcony.
Am I looking at this wrong?
Are parents entitled to fun and the kids just have to come along or are the parents wrong in going without thinking about the well being of their children?
Do you drag your kids to places like this?
~Trisha
My kids would never be there!
I don’t even like hanging out on Bourbon Street until all ours of the night. I prefer it during the day when there are fewer people and not as many nekked people.
I think it is despicable for parents to do this to their children. They ought to be ashamed of themselves, it is borderline child abuse.
I agree with Kim lol. Oj’s going to be 8 this Nov and I can’t even IMAGINE bringing him down there. Shoot I STILL hate to even drink alcohol in front of him or let alone buy it in front of him. That’s all a shame really. Some people I’ll never understand.
I would NEVER take my children to Bourbon Street. I would like to take a trip there maybe with the hubby one weekend to see what it is like, but I wouldn’t bring the kids.
I’m an AVID, scratch that, HABITUAL Bourbon Street Patron …. along with my husband. However our children have never been to Bourbon Street, let alone New Orleans, save for my soon to be 6th grader because he went on a 5th Grade Field Trip with his entire 5th grade to the Zoo and Aquarium. I would NEVER bring my children to bourbon street, not even during the daylight hours. It’s just NOT the place for kids. IMHO of course. My husband and I hit NOLA typically 2-3 times per year for anywhere from an overnight to a 3-4 day stay. Maybe one of these days we will make a family trip out of it, but we’ll steer far clear of Bourbon Street and much of the rest of what makes NOLA …. well …. like a southern sin city, so long as we have our kids in tow.
All of the things that are wrong with this situation…well, they are far too many to list. Then again, as sad as this is and as horrible as this is going to sound and no doubt come across, it doesn’t surprise me all that much. The things that kids do these days, the things that parents ALLOW kids to do these days just astounds and horrifies me more and more all the time. I have the same parenting style my parents had when I was growing up. The difference? They were viewed as “good parents who were involved in their daughter’s life”. I am viewed as a “helicopter parent who is overly involved and does not allow my sons room to grow”. Nevermind the fact that all three of my sons each has his own form of Autism, which makes parenting a whole different game to start with…I’m STILL a helicopter mother. I’ve decided that’s okay if that’s what it takes to protect my sons from situations they aren’t ready for…like those shown above.
Heck NO!!! That is not only wrong but sooo bad for those babies
Shame on those parents! I am glad that you and your hubs had a good time though! So sad to hear about that guy that died though,ugh!
That is just so wrong. I wouldn’t even go there. No judgment there, but I can’t imagine a child being in that environment. So sad. What were these parents thinking? Selfish as someone else mentioned before and also a reflection of parents that have no solid value system in place. If they allow their kids to view this kind of debauchery in public what in the world are they experiencing in their homes where no one can see?
I’ve never been there, but it seems to me that there should be some kid of laws in place to prevent this from happening in that particular area. I’m sure someone would complain that that would take away from a person’s freedom and rights, but what about those kids? They didn’t choose to be there. What about their rights to be protected? Aren’t we as parents required by law to provide our kids a safe environment? My goodness, you said you even saw someone die. In my opinion, that’s not a safe environment. Shame on those parents!
There is no way I would visit Bourban Street with kids. I feel so bad for kids that have to experience this
I would never think “Yeah, take the kids with me while I get drunk. Great idea!”
Oh, wow. Yeah, you’re not seeing this wrong. Bourbon Street is not a place for children.
You are not looking at this wrong!!! I don’t understand these choices either and think they are wrong, some places are just not for the kids and parents shouldn’t drag their little ones just because they need a drink, party or what ever else…
I live in Louisiana and everyone knows what Bourbon Street is about and I would never, never, never take my kids there. The strip club’s doors are wide open and you can see everything. People are doing all kids of drugs and drinking everywhere. New Orleans police really aren’t going to do much about things that go on there because it is such a big tourist destination. They usually just turn their heads because honestly if the police cracked down the city would loose alot of the tourism. The last time I visited Bourbon Street was about 2 years ago and it smelled like pee so I left.
Pee would have been an upgrade. Imagine the smell of bourbon street and the HEAT. Ugg.
I could not imagine dragging either of my children around so that I could go out and have a good time. In fact, I can honestly say that neither of my children have seen me drink. If I cannot find a babysitter for my children, I don’t go out. Simple as that!
That is just so wrong. I have been to Bourbon Street, and it is definitely not a place for children. I can not believe parents with children as young as 2-3 out that late. If they HAVE to drink, they could do it in their hotel room, with the children sleeping.
That’s disgusting. I guess I’m just small town by why does the city allow any of this to happen on the streets at all?
I don’t even go to places like this, so I would never take my children.
Selfishness that’s all.
I would not.
My daughter-in-law and her parents went to NOLA a few months ago with the kids in tow. When they were walking about asking where Bourbon Street was they were warned not to take the kids there. This was during the day! They followed the warnings and didn’t go.
Kim we all saw you “earning” beads at Bloggers on Bourbon! Dont deny it!
I think it is child abuse. I get so appalled at the parents who keep their kids out on Pensacola Beach till all hours of the night – much less Bourbon Street. Its sickening. These are the parents who will be SURPRISED when their kid grows up to be a COMPLETE screw up.
NO WAY!!! I don’t take my kids ANYWHERE that isn’t kid friendly. (I don’t even like to take my kids to visit my sister – she works nights so her routine is WACKY.) And those parents need to take a parenting class, not that it would help them much. Sometimes I wish there was a test “Should I have kids?” for people ….
I’m barely old enough for Bourbon Street.