BellaOnline Forums Relationships Married No Kids The Death of Manners

OK, a short rant . . . on a typical day I wonder a half dozen times when the people around me got so rude-no thank you for holding open a door, no wave for letting them in in crowded traffic, no excuse me when they cut in front of you. Then I had an epiphany yesterday on a trip to the local, much renowned Art Museum to see the traveling Georgia O'Keefe exhibit. I got on the elevator with a 50's something grandmother and a 2 year old. I won't go off on a "why on God's green earth would you bring a 2 year old to an Art Museum" tangent . . . from the rest of this post you'll be able to derive how much thought this grandmother put into consideration of others. Anyhow, much to my delight, the child had pushed every single button in the elevator, which Grandma pointed out and then laughed uproariously. Goodness, that is funny . . . . all the rest of us enjoyed needlessly stopping at every single floor in the building for his enjoyment. In his button pushing frenzy, the child also succeeded in pushing the Emergency button. When Security came over the loud speaker she ignored them and pretended like she had no idea what was going on, so I finally responded that there was no problem (other than we had an idiot on board). The entire time we are on the elevator starting and stopping, starting and stopping, the 2 year old stood directly in front of the requiring that everyone entering and exiting navigate around him, which was particularly enjoyable for the older folks. In addition to being obtuse, Grandma apparently had a severe vision impairment, as she made no effort to move him out of the way. And then it hit me-this is where all these people come from! They are raised by oblivious people like Grandma. I know that I am preaching to the choir, but I wish that there was far less of a focus on having children and far more focus on doing a good job of raising them. This world would be a far better place if every child was taught that they are not the only person in the universe who's needs and desires mattered.

I don't know how you managed to NOT say anything. I know I would have had to.

Good God.

I work in a museum, but we have a fair amount of child-appropriate activities. Most art museums do not. Even at my museum, 2 is pushing it a bit...

I'm all for providing culture to children. But there is an age before which they just cannot appreciate it.

As for Grandma's rudeness, it was inappropriate in any venue -- hotel, shopping mall, museum, ANYWHERE.

What is that teaching that kid? That is it is OK -- and even amusing and entertaining -- to be a brat. I shudder at the next generation of leaders. Too many people are raising children like this, and it is going to come back and bite all of us on the [censored].

Kim Kenney
MNK Editor

OH, that is SO CUTE!! (Not.)

When the lift stops on the second floor, you smile sweetly, say "Your floor?" and shove them out just as the doors close.

I would not have been able to keep my mouth shut. I would have told Grandma that her little darling was an obnoxious monster who shouldn't be allowed out in public, and then I would have found museum security (the second I could escape the elevator) to warn them that there was an unsupervised brat of the "touch and play with everything" age approaching the exhibits.

How lucky for them it wasn't me on that elevator!

*laughing*

Oh no, I couldn't have kept my mouth shut either. No way. I would have at least told Granny to keep her brat to the side out of courtesy for others.

But your point is well-received and appreciated. No wonder people are so rude, being raised without concern for others. And you're absolutely right -- if people cared more for raising their spawn rather than just popping it out, this world would be sooooo much better. But instead, what do people do? They push 'em out and hand 'em to daycare -- or an even more disgusting travesty -- to the grandparents, who should be enjoying their golden years, not babysitting. And I don't care who says, "But they love to watch our kids," it's still bad form. Obviously, as in the case of Granny and the Museum.