Every once in awhile, I come across a particularly poorly behaved child in a restaurant. You know the kind. The ones that make very long screams that break your face. The ones that bang things and insist on being as loud as possible.
My mother had 10 children and absolutely none of them ever behaved like this. The issue is naturally that these parents have taught their child that it is OK. They can be bothered to copulate, but can’t be bothered to take the real responsibility that goes along with it.
The other day I was eating in a restaurant when a shrill child’s shrieks nearly shattered my brain. The loud, long sound would not stop. The parents were sitting there as if nothing was happening while their child literally took command of the entire restaurant. People were staring. The parents seemed to not hear anything and were blissfully talking quietly to each other.
It is hilarious that it is OK to blame a waiter because the entree is cold, but it is a cardinal sin to inform a parent that their child needs to (please) be taken care of.
That is when it hit me. I got the best idea evar. EVAR!
Perhaps I should sit in that vacant seat on the other side of the parents just as they reach dessert. I would mirror the child in every way. How great it would be to see the looks on the entire family’s faces when I joined in the fun and shrieked for extended periods, waved my arms, and ensured that every person in the room can’t think or eat. I’ll bet you even Little Shrieky would let up for at least 4 seconds in surprise.
It would be like an old fashioned party! If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! Woo hoo!
No, if I did that, I would be deemed insane and carted off to the nearest jail cell. My desire to bring clarity to a family that clearly has none would ultimately fail because for some reason, some parents very rarely are made to shoulder the blame for teaching their children social grace. It’s just not what our society does. No one dare threaten the schizophrenic, overindulged, poorly wielded power of the uterus.
You can look a misguided uterus in the face and it will laugh at you…for it knows that it has a “Get Out of Politeness Free” card.
The thought however…is attractive.
This post is dedicated to all of the wonderful parents who DO teach your children how to behave and DO care about them. Like a rocking horse with diarrhea, I very rarely run into you, but when I do, it makes me happy.