always be careful at whom you flap your gums!

So, today, a friend and I took our kids to Cracker Barrel for lunch. It's very family-friendly and the food is always good. Our waiter was totally amazing! Such a nice man, and so attentive and great with the boys. My friend's son is 2, by the way. Anywho, when we get our sons together, the particular chemistry between them sometimes causes them to be very rambunctious, loud, and generally crazy. Both boys were being pretty disruptive, and we were horrified and doing our best to control them. My friend's son just so happens to have this incredibly high, piercing shriek, which he let rip a few times, much to his mom's utter mortification. (As an aside, I am so thankful that Nick never developed such a shriek. I really feel for anyone whose child can do that.) We figured that the people around us weren't thrilled with us, but we were doing the best we could, and we have a right to eat out, too, dammit!

After we paid, we looked around the gift shop a bit, and then my friend left a little before me. After his little friend left, my son calmed down a bit and was actually being pretty decent in the gift shop. We were standing there, and this older lady came up to me and said "He's such a well-behaved boy!" I said "Well, sometimes." (I was thinking "If only she had seen him a few minutes ago!") She then said "A little while ago, there was a child in the restaurant who had the most piercing shriek - he did it 3 or 4 times! It was awful." I looked her in the eye and said (go, me!) "Yes, that was my friend's son. She was doing her best to keep him quiet, but he's 2, so it doesn't always work." She just looked mortified and walked away. Just goes to show that you should always be careful what you say and to whom.

Now, don't get me wrong - I am the first to admit that when I was younger, I was easily annoyed by kids in public places. That was before I understood. :) Surely, given this woman's generation, though, she has her own kids, or at least nieces and nephews. Shame on her! It really bothers me that when people hear a kid being loud or disruptive in a restaurant, the first thought that enters their minds is "What an awful child, and why can't his parents control him?" Obviously, sometimes the problem IS negligent or overly permissive parents. But more often than not, it's a case of good parents who are horrified at the child's behavior and are doing their best to control it. The child is probably a pretty good child who is just acting out because he's in public. Anyone who has a small child knows that control is not always possible. I just wonder why people can't instead think "Those poor parents. They're probably embarrassed that their child is being so disruptive, and probably aren't enjoying their meal at all." I mean, come on, people - give us a break!

OK - I'll just hop down from my soapbox now. :) That was my rant for the day.