Pet Peeve

Dear other moms with multiple children,

May I ask you a personal question?  Once you have pushed out more than one baby, why is it OK to leave them unsupervised in a playland at a McDonalds or Chick-fil-A?

I ask this question to moms with multiple children because I hardly ever see a mom with their firstborn leave their kid with no supervision (it's a new parent thing).  However, once they get more than one, they seem to think that playlands are these magical 'safe' areas to leave kids.

Today, Daniel, Allie, and I went to chick-fil-a for our free breakfast (Don't you just love chick-fil-a?).  I think the 'moms with a million preschoolers' meeting was being held there and at one time there were at least ten children in the playarea and I was the ONLY mom in there.  Did I mention that probably 8 of these kids had on diapers?  Meaning they were only 2-years-old?!?!

I know this is a personal pet peeve I have blogged about before, but let me just say - I do not believe playlands are safe areas to leave kids unsupervised.  There are steps to fall down, tunnels to get lost in, and most importantly other children.  I don't care how well behaved your child is, other children are sometimes not!  They will whack or bite your child and not think twice about it. 

I can't tell you how many times today I heard a kid screaming "Mommy!" up in the tubes but I was the only Mommy in there.  One girl shut her finger in the door and started screaming bloody murder.  It's so frustrating.

So moms, in the future, please note: if you feel comfortable leaving your child completely unattended in a playarea, I feel comfortable putting them in time out and bossing them around (the rules say no climbing on the exterior of the play structure!  Take that straw out of your mouth in case you fall and it goes down your throat!  Don't take food into the play area!  etc.).  In addition, if your child starts crying and asking for Mommy, I will parade your child into the middle of the restaurant and loudly say to the entire crowd,

"(Insert child's name here) is upset.  I know her mommy is probably *very* busy talking to other mommy's, but he/she needs some attention."

Sorry about the vent.

A little too long in the Chick-fil-A playarea today.  With no other adult supervision.  Wait, have I mentioned that already?   

**Please note: these pictures were not taken today.  There were far, far too many children for that!**