Sometimes I’m a patient person, sometimes I’m not. There are certain things I let slide and there are certain things I don’t. Nothing will annoy me faster than two little kids running through a restaurant who are jumping up and down on the benches, screaming (playfully), and dodging in an out of the crowd of people either eating or waiting to eat.
All of this is happening while the solo parent just sits there with a glazed look on their face. Granted, the parent is doing a half-assed job of telling the kids to be quiet and behave themselves, but it lasts for about 2.5 seconds before the kids forget and start the cycle all over again.
As the two little kids are tearing through the crowd and are about to run by me, I think to myself “Self, would it be wrong for me to”:
- Trip the the little turds -or-
- Gently body check them to get their attention -or-
- Say something to the parent about how rude their children are being -or-
- Just let it slide
I decided to let it slide. The little hellions weren’t interrupting my meal because I hadn’t been seated yet. If anyone else around me was feeling put out, it’s up to them to say something.
There are a couple of morals to this story. The first moral is that birth control is a beautiful thing. The second moral is when I’m a parent I will do my darndest to make sure my kids act appropriately in public (damn, that means I have to set the example).
Well, I feel better now.
