Wednesday, October 22, 2008

KIDSTUFF

Several posts ago, we talked about children walking on seating in public spaces. Parents don't seem to mind. It's as if they believe that the soles of their children's shoes have some sort of self-cleaning process. 

Yvette participated in a flea market at her apartment complex.  She noticed a little girl with her blanket on the ground covered with a collection of children's books - all for sale. There was a fee for each tenant's table of twenty dollars. You had to have a table. We think that the parents of this young entrepreneur should've cleared their daughter's venture with the organizer. Did the child get a free pass because she was a child? Of course. If an adult had spread out a blanket and displayed books for sale, would the organizer have said something?  Of course.  When it comes to rules, there shouldn't be a double standard. 

When kids sneeze, cough or pick their noses, they should do what an adult would do, cover up or use a tissue.  Remember, the stuff coming out of their mouths and noses is no more hygienic than what comes out of an adult's nose or mouth.  And while we're talking about gross stuff, teaching children to wash their hands after using the bathroom is important. It's a fact that kids spread germs. They also grow up. There is nothing more unsettling to see an adult skipping hand washing. 

A restaurant can be a great learning experience for children. It can also be a learning experience for those dining with children who don't belong to them. Say a kid of ten is tagging along for dinner and he orders a surf and turf special (no crumb snatcher here), usually a pricey entree. What happens when the check comes?  Should it be evenly divided or should the parents of the child offer to pay for his meal? We think it shouldn't even be a discussion. The parents should offer to pay. If the other diners insist that the check should be divided evenly, that's another story and that's fine.  

These days, it's hard to know who's the boss when it comes to children. They rule. One friend asked an adult visiting to leave because her little boy didn't feel like company. Another was offered a ride by a family. At the last minute, she had to re-arrange her trip because one of the children decided she wanted to stay home. True, she was tired but what does that teach her about commitment? Was that explained?

Growing up our parents had a mantra, "You are a reflection of us."   
No kidding. 






  

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