I’ve been thinking about this – these, really – problems on and off all day. I’m not really sure if I should be saying anything about them at all – not without labeling myself as a racist, a bigot, sexist, and just about any other label that the politically correct will no doubt attempt to plaster me with.
The other day I read an article in The Age about the vilification heaped upon a Sydney cafe for daring to post an open letter – on Facebook, I think it was – about not being a “child friendly” place unless the parents (a) didn’t block the spaces between the tables with their SUV sized prams and pushers, and (b) were willing to make sure that their children behaved in a quiet and orderly manner, sitting at the tables with them. Personally, I thought that they were very reasonable requests, but apparently they were forced to remove their well written and reasonable open letter due to the number of parental screams of outrage at the cafe for daring to criticize the way they dealt with their children, from the bleated “But they’re only little children, they’re not doing any harm” to the more amazingly selfish “Well, if you (the cafe!) provided a sound proofed, glassed in, children’s room with toys, and provided more parking spaces for our prams and strollers, you wouldn’t have a problem, would you!” – in other words, the cafe had brought all the trouble on themselves.
I snorted in disbelief.
Then today, I read another article, this time written by a mother, and I can only hope (in vain, I fear) that she was attempting to be humorous. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. I’ve put a link in to the article because if I go into it any further, either (a) this post will end up rivaling the Encyclopedia Britannica in size, or (b) I might end up having an apoplectic fit! If she’d had a bucket of “let’s all feel sorry for mothers with small children” flavoured green jelly and a large garden trowel, she couldn’t have laid it on thicker!
This time I didn’t snort in disbelief, I read it through again, trying to see if she was being sarcastically humorous… but either I’m totally devoid of a funny bone and don’t recognise humor when I see it, or she was deadly serious. I dare you to read it, and tell me that I’m wrong!
Which brings me to my second point – am I, perhaps, succumbing to my pet hate of being too easily offended? Of actually wanting to be outraged by this idiotic woman’s post? I see it all the time – it’s almost as if some people spend all their spare time (and a lot of their working time, too!) trawling busily through articles, looking for anything that they can decide is politically incorrect enough for them to label as “offensive” in some way, and then triumphantly blare to the world “look what so-and-so has said (or written, or implied)! Sexist! or Racist! or anything else that’s the flavour of the month. I said to our young visitor the other day that I’m a fairly “Live and let live” type of person – as long as you’re not hurting me and mine, I don’t really give a damn what you do (or say). But sometimes, I fear that the “me and mine”, seems to become “me and the rest of humanity” – so I do take offense at people, be they mothers or not, who wedge their SUV size prams in aisles where people have to walk, and waiters have to deliver food! I do take offense at people bringing noisy, undisciplined children into cafes and restaurants and then proceed to ignore them because “they’re not doing any harm” – except to my eardrums, and my desire for a quiet cup of coffee and a meal. When my two children were noisy toddlers, and we were out somewhere, the minute they started either running around or making loud noises, I rounded them up, told them quietly that that was not acceptable behaviour, and that I was taking them home (which I did. Always. Never threaten a small child with deprivation of a treat unless you intend to go through with it! I tell you, they learn very fast! 🙂 ) I never had to do this more than twice. Why is it, or perhaps I should say, why does it seem so very hard for parents to discipline their children these days? A few quiet words – no need to yell (Mummy is always very serious when she drops her voice, don’t-you-know! 😉 ), a few missed coffees in your favourite cafe, and… problem solved.
There’s a lot more I could say on the subject, but it’s getting late, and you’re all probably getting bored with this tirade against the slack parents of today (you may even be one yourself, and if you’re offended by what I’ve said… I’m not sorry!) 🙂
Weigh-in this morning was getting back to what I like to see. A drop down to 120.6kg, so I’m slowly getting back on track again 🙂 Unfortunately I missed out on afternoon tea again today… I’d fallen asleep reading and himself didn’t wake me up in time (let’s see if I can foist the blame onto him 😉 ), so not only did I miss my afternoon tea, I never got to fold the laundry either! 🙂 Never mind, tomorrow! 🙂
Stay tuned for all the latest, weight-wise, pet peeve, and whimsical! 🙂
My Word! 