I so know what you mean. I am sOOOOO sick of events being ruined for others do to children who are out of control. Your right to see your kid's whatever or do whatever does NOT supercede the rights of others to do the same. I am sick of adults doing the same with their cell phone conversations as well -- it's part of the same stupid self-absorption of society in which MY wants are more important than anyone else's.
We had this happen at my dd's kindergarten graduation performance. She attended a private arts school and the kids had spent weeks writing and preparing a 30 minute musical production for their graduation. This was being filmed to make a dvd for the parents as a souvenir. Before it even started, a baby sister started to wail. The child was mind-numbingly loud to the point where you couldn't hear the music, this was in a small room, and the performers were totally distracted. This went on for 10 minutes, dirty looks etc. We also had a dad who kept talking on his cell phone. Finally, during a break between numbers, my dh spoke to the cell phone dad and I said something to the screaming baby mom. The dad put his phone away and the mom left the room. Everyone then thanked us for doing what they didn't have the guts to do -- even the teachers and principal.
And recently, our pastor was giving a brief update about a truly horrendous situation in his family. It's an unbelievable tragedy that seemingly has no end and all of us cannot believe who he has held himself together and is able to talk about it without constantly breaking down. Well, this baby starts shrieking louder and louder and louder and so the pastor has to nearly start YELLING the story of this nightmare. Finally, the assoc pastor got up and told the mom to take the baby to the cry room.
Mom: "But I want to hear!"
Assoc pastor said, "Well, so does everyone else and no one can bec your baby is shrieking."
"Pastor can just yell. I'm not leaving."
Most people, in my experiece, 'can't find' a sitter when they don't WANT a sitter...they haven't really tried.
Have you ever advertised for a sitter? Put up a flyer at church or called the local HS to see if there's an honor student they'd recommend? Called the Red Cross for a list of who has taken their babysitting course who might want a job? I just don't believe that if you felt you needed a sitter you couldn't find one...I just don't buy that.
How nice to be so self-righteous.
You must not live in an area like around here. When you have no back up (no family or friends) and live in an area where you are persona non grata bec YOU weren't born there, it's a far different matter.
Believe me, I tried all those ideas and more. No luck. Because we weren't born here, we have no friends (yes, people have been saying to our face when we'd be friendly and invite them to do things for 18 years that they dont know us and don't want to since they didn't go to kindergarten with us. Or rather, ten years of trying. We gave up after a decade of trying because at a certain point persistence=stupidity). Parents would not allow their teens to babysit our dd because they didn't go to school with
us. Especially when they heard I am originally from NYC, because 'everyone knows' New Yorkers are all mobsters. Yup. This is where I live.
Older babysitters were non-existent and sorry, I'm not hiring some stranger on Craig's List. Not gonna do it. I realize that some folks are perfectly fine having a total stranger with references from other strangers come into their home and care for their precious child -- I am not one of them.
That does not mean we imposed our child on others, however.
Our solution was that we didn't go places and if we had no choice, we immediately took our dd out at the first scene even of fussing, let alone crying. My dh and I basically never went out together to adult places except for when my mother would come to visit once a year. We survived. And frankly, the lack of back up is one reason we only have one child.
I highly doubt an infant is going to take to heart any "lesson" you may try to teach him/her.
