I decided early on that my main goal in this blog was to be funny. Tonight I am veering away from that.
I have noticed more and more signs like the one copied above. At the nail salon ('Please watch your children due to the chemicals we use'), antique store ('Unattended children will be sold as slaves'), clothing store ('Unattended children will be given an espresso and a free puppy')
, etc.This bothers me on two totally different fronts. Believe it or not, one of the annoyances is the fact that shopkeepers have to use such rude signage. Why have we allowed the business who are counting on us for their cash inflow to become so crass? When did our civility fly out the window?
Of course, the answer to that is when we quit watching our own children and expected everyone around us to be their babysitter. Which is my other point. When did we give up on the notion that raising children is our job, our work? Being a babysitter is easy, just watch the little ones and keep them out of traffic. Being a parent is hard. Not only must you keep them alive but you also have to teach them. About traffic and manners and kindness and empathy. And if you choose not to do so, well then you deserve the caffeine laden child dragging the free puppy.
5 comments:
the ad for the local babysitters was interesting. it also has tabs for pet-sitters...etc. find by zip code.
maybe steve should have it.
I worked in a quirky little gift shop up here in Maine for a couple of years, and one of the wooden signs we sold was the "puppy & espresso" one. It cracked me up, but your point is valid.
As a shopkeeper, seeing an out of control child wreaking havoc on your hard work and precious goods in one eyeball, and parents who are so tired, or self-absorbed to "over-look" a child's bad behavior in another eyeball, is infuriating.
I've never had a kidlit, but I'm SURE my child wouldn't act like that! Ha.
I try to give the benefit of the doubt most of the time, however, and I sympathize with parents who are stressed and tired and freaking out. I can imagine needing to just "let them go" for awhile.
To be fair, I've seen some really great parent/child behaviors in shops, too. Even in the precious toy shop I worked in for five years. There are some real good ones out there, too.
Happy New Year Paradise!
Thank you!
If a parent needs to let them go well, isn't that why the great outdoors was invented? Its tough for me to see such behavior when my neighbors children, of which there are 8, are all so well behaved.
Happy New Year to you too and best of luck at the gig.
Happy New Year!
You still managed to make me smile at the end of this post, even if it was a rant. I guess these stores have had one experience too many about kids damaging goods and parents not wanting to pay up.
huh, I am not aware of seeing signs like these, but then, I do not have children.
Post a Comment