"Shut that baby up!"

Why is it that when I am out and about, I almost always come across a delusional parent?

These breeds of delusional parents have been transfixed by the miracle of reproduction, so much so that they have been mildly brainwashed. Brainwashed in to believing that their Child's bad behaviour, that annoys the entire store/cafe/library, is in fact cute.

I'm here to tell you that it isn't even remotely anywhere near as cute as you think it is. It's straight up rude. Not to mention unfair to the child. I mean, they've obviously been allowed to behave in such a way for quite sometime, why wouldn't they act up?



I think of myself as quite a child friendly person. Perhaps I should re-phrase, I think of myself as a well-behaved-Child friendly person. Over the past six months I have become more increasingly aware of bad behaved Children (or Parents?), especially in restaurants. I read this blog today, and I have to say, It ruffled my feathers.



I can hear people saying it now "You're not a Parent, you don't understand!"

You're quite right. I also don't understand how my parents didn't allow me to misbehave in public, yet so many parents do nowadays.

I have no idea how it is to be a parent. I babysat my God-Daughter last week for four hours, and found that to be hard work at times. Not hard work really, she's gorgeous and so good. I just wanted to pee at some stage during the day - that's all. I don't know how her Mother studies, runs a household, works and is able to be an amazing mother all at once, every single day.

Being a Parent is clearly hard work. But I don't think that is an excuse for the behaviour of the children I am about to tell you about.





Now I'm a reasonable person. Really, I am. I understand that children can be unpredictable, and a tad noisy at times. But here are some situations that I have been in, that I deem to be unacceptable...

• When the Fab-Four had a Birthday Brunch at an up-scale cafe on Oriental Parade, I was horrified at the in-action of a group of 10 or so parents who sat at the table behind us. There were children running everywhere, yelling and screaming, throwing food at each other, and literally using the bar stools we were seated on, as climbing frames. My girlfriend, had to physically remove a child from her leg, and another from under her seat, all the while the parents sat chatting. When my girlfriend asked one couple awkwardly, "Is this your child?", they laughed. They actually thought their bad behaviour was endearing.

• For our 4th anniversary Brad took me out to dinner at a local restaurant. Three Children used our small table as a base to play ring-around-a-rosie. Whilst running at full speed, and using our chairs as movement stabilisers, might I add. Where were their parents? Arguing over whether to get the Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Gris. Wow.

• Just recently, a girlfriend and I went to lunch in Raumati. One lady, arrived about five minutes after us, she had two children. One infant, and a boy aged about two years old. She let him run around the tables shrieking and pulling his tongue at people. This annoyed me. It annoyed another lady also, who told the lady it was inappropriate, and that she was trying to conduct a business lunch. What annoyed me even more, is that she allowed him to open the door, run out on to the footpath, and then the road - before she got up to collect him. This happened about four times. When she did eventually get up to bring him inside, she left the door wide open - every time. We were sitting right by the door. It was a freezing cold day. Every single time I had to get up to shut it. Every single time I got up, I gave her the look.

• Brad & I grabbed a late dinner one Saturday night at a casual local restaurant. Soon after we had ordered, a couple came in with their three kids, all in their pyjama's. Ten minutes later they were standing up in their chairs singing and yelling. The parents laughed. Not funny.

I'm not saying that parents shouldn't take their children out. What I am saying is, please be fair. If you are not going to do all that you can to ensure they don't disrupt other people, then perhaps you should call a babysitter. Let them play with toys, and breast feed them all you want, I just don't want to have to hear them shriek, all through my meal and have them climb on me, whilst you enjoy your meal. After all you made the decision to have a child, it's your responsibility to make sure they behave properly when in public. 

And if you can't? Then let me enjoy my meal, by staying home. They can climb on your furniture, throw food at you, jump on tables and shriek until the cows come home. I wonder if you will still find it cute then?





What do you think parents and non-parents alike? Do you think I'm being too harsh?