Monday Manners: Rude Parents

I am not a parent, nor do I want to be for quite some time. I like kids, but I just feel I'm too young and irresponsible for them at this point in my life. But just because I don't have kids doesn't mean, as many parents will tell me, that I can't be annoyed with them. Actually, I'm rarely annoyed with kids. I'm just often really annoyed with their parents.

You see, parents, one of the rudest things you can do is disturb other people while they're shopping, dining, watching a movie, or even riding the bus. And one of the easiest ways to do that is to lose control of your children without making any attempt at regaining that control.

The easiest way to avoid being rude parents is simply to leave your children at home with a babysitter. Though that may not always be possible, it seems like a much better option than bringing your children to an R-rated movie, a live dance performance, or a fancy restaurant. When you do have your kids with you, please don't encourage them to misbehave. We've seen parents do everything from ignoring their screaming children to calling them "cute." Folks, when your kid is running up and down the aisles of the bus, screaming like he's being chased by Zombies (the fast-moving kind), it's not cute. It's troubling. So much so that it's actually a hazard for the others around you. If that bus crashes, guess who the driver's going to say is at fault? Your four-year-old.

Again, I'm not a parent, but I've got a lot of experience with kids. I've found that a great way to keep kids behaving is to keep them busy. To avoid being rude, parents, you could try keeping a few toys or books that interest your kids in your purse or backpack. A happy child is also a well-fed one -- lots of young'ns get cranky when they're hungry -- so you should try to keep snacks (that won't stain anything that the little hands touch afterward) in that bag, too.

Oh, and the absolute most polite thing you can do when you're out in public with your children? Make sure you change them when they need to be changed. Babies with full diapers are unhappy, and so they scream. They also stink to high heaven. Just remember: someday, they might be changing your diapers -- just use the Golden Rule on this one, and things should work out just fine.

Original photo via Flickr user antmoose