apparently i am a babysitter

I have a new pet peeve. Well, no, let me take that back. It has always been a pet peeve but lately this minor irk has begun to appear in my daily life turning it from a simple annoyance to a full blown irritation. I have been constantly bombarded in movie theaters, grocery stores, malls, and even my place of work with this growing aggravation: the number of parents who allow their children to run wild with no regard to the other people around them have seemed to increase dramatically.

Last Friday, I was trying to enjoy a movie while four unsupervised children ran down the aisles, yelled at each other, and threw popcorn from the back of the theater. Where were the parents? Asleep in their minivan waiting for the children to appear at the end of the movie. Apparently, it has become the movie staff and other patron’s responsibility (and burden) to watch these children since the parents felt it unnecessary to hire a babysitter for a few hours of peace or to simply watch the movie with them.

Or better yet, a month ago while I am getting a manicure, a young three year old girl ran around the nail salon with her mother simply sitting in the back, getting a pedicure, and reading a magazine. This little girl actually pushed my chair away from the manicure table in the middle of my appointment and demanded the lady paint her nails immediately. The lady and I looked at each other in amazement while the little girl stamped her foot continuing her demands. The mother finally looked up from her Redbook to only say, “Stop Lisa. I am trying to read”; so the young girl continued to run amuck while jumping in the pedicure tub, knocking over a display nail polish, and rip out magazine pages. Again, the staff and other patrons have become the babysitter.

The list of examples continues. I had a young child climb on my work desk and knock over my water bottle… all while in front of his parents. Back in college when I worked at a thrift store, a young boy was climbing up the clothing shelves. I finally picked up the young toddler off the shelves and brought him over to his mother only to have her look annoyed with me, putting the boy back on the floor, and telling him to “go explore and stay out of mommy’s way.”

It is a no-win situation for the other people. Commenting to the parents only results in indignation. “How dare you tell me how to raise my child?” “You have no idea what it is like to be a parent.” It is a vicious circle. These parents have no respect for their surroundings and in turn, teach the child the same. The world becomes their playground. Everyone else has been hired as a babysitter with no pay.

I am sure I will hear those comments on how I am not a parent, have no understanding in the process of raising a child, my expectations are unrealistic, blah blah blah. But just because I am not a parent, I am not allowed an opinion on the subject? I understand it must be stressful to have children and I am sure that I can not fathom the amount of time, energy, and patience it must take. However, that still does not allow parents to force the rest of us to bow at their nurturing feet and disregard the child five feet away knocking over store displays.

The answer is simple. Either keep your child in check or keep you child at home. If you don’t want to hear complaints, teach your child some discipline. Either that or pay me since I apparently I am your babysitter. I only accept cash.