I'm not talking about chattng, I'm talking about literally taking my kids over. Sometimes the kids misbehave, but is it appropriate behavior for a waitress to take a child out of his highchair, for a couple to play peek-a-boo with a child from across a restaurant to the point where he doesn't eat and his food gets cold, or to go on and on about various activities in a store for kids when I've said we're not intererested? I've often wondered how people would react if I tried to take their kids over. I mean, its like I don't even exist! Oh, and I suppose I was just supposed to stand there while the nice ladies at the hospital information desk cooed over my kids--to Hell with my sick husband? Most of the public meltdowns my kids have had have been started by someone giving then excessive, unwanted (on my part) attention, thus hyping them up so they expect the whole store to do likewise. Here's another "cutie pie" story--several years ago, when my kids were about 2.5 years (they're twins) we were in a busy parking lot. DS was out of the van and I was busy unhooking dd from her car seat. I had my eye on ds, until he toddled out of my line of sight. I looked and saw him toddling right across the parking lot, in the path of an oncoming car, who , fortunately, saw him in time and stopped. He was going towards an elderly couple two lanes over who were waving to him and coaxing him towards them. I was caught in the middle--run after ds and leave dd unattended? My first thought was they were trying to kidnap ds. I slammed the van door shut with dd locked inside and ran off screaming towards ds, making all the commotion I could. I shouted at that dear, sweet couple that what were they trying to do, kidnap my child? Or get him killed wandering around in a parking lot? To which they replied from their scantamoius high-horse "We're grandparents. We love children. We just wanted to play with him". You don't play with other peoples children, I don't car who's grandma you are! But, to this day, I can't be sure they're weren't trying to kidnap ds. Dressed like grandparents they wouldn't arouse suspicion. But be that as it may, ds screamed the entire shopping trip because he wanted to "play' with the nice "grandmas". Like I said, you don't entertain yourselves with other peoples kids--or mind your own business!
