Conscientious Parents ....Don't fret, you aren't the ones being obnoxious!

Happy Saturday to all the classy ladies and gentlemen out there!  In Chi, it is a lovely day and my dog has had me up since 4:30 AM.  I don't know how she KNOWS when I don't have to teach or go to work early, but those are the days she wants to get up and play.  Good times, that furry alarm clock.  It is getting to FINALLY be festival season in Chicago, so I am convinced that bad fashion and bad behavior will once again be upon us.  So stay tuned and stay classy.

SO this week I had lunch with a friend.  You know my fab job lets me have one day off a week, and my friend is a stay at home mom, so we had a lovely lunch OUTSIDE of Lincoln Park Zoo (you know I don't want to go inside...animal lovers UNITE).  I have been friends with the lady since 1992...yes, that is right, back in college when I had BIG hair.  She recently had her first baby, cute little boy.  Now, for those of you who know me, I am not enamored with children.  I like them well enough, yes, I will hold your baby and talk to you about breast feeding.  My niece and nephew are awesome.  Cooper Brashaw...fantastic.  Noelle and Colin Wick...A-OK.  Erica and Ryan Epstein...YEP.  The Coughlin Clan...YEP.  So my message is not coming from a kid hater.

So while we were having lunch, my friend's baby started to get a little fussy.  You know, he is a baby and they do that sometimes.  He wasn't screaming, he was just fussing.  We were at an outside restaurant and no one could even really hear him.  But my friend was so stressed out and kept apologizing to me for it.  He was fine....I honestly felt so bad for her.

I have seen my sister and brother in law stress out because my niece or nephew are acting up in a restaurant or public place.  And every time it happens, one of them remove the child from the situation and it is fine.

So here is my classy message to all parents out there, coming from a classy single lady who will probably never be a mom to human children.  Kids cry....sometimes they scream....and sometimes they act badly in public.  I get it...that's what kids do (although I was such a perfect child, I am sure I NEVER did that!  Cue the sarcastic music)  And if I can honestly see that the parent is doing everything they can to get the kid to calm down or stop crying.  So be it, I understand.  DON'T STRESS!!  I have seen those poor parents on a plane whose child is SCREAMING because his ears hurt.  And the parents are almost as upset as the child.  Again, it stinks, but I get it.

HERE is where I have the problem....your kid is screaming, running around and being disruptive and you are on the phone, talking to someone else, ignoring your child or laughing at your child because it is funny.  That it not a classy way to be a parent.   Be aware of those around you.  Don't let your kid kick the back of my seat in an airplane and think it is just OK and not try to stop it.  Don't have your kid's DVD player playing with no headphones.

So parents, don't stress....I get it!  If your child is acting up, do what you can and move on...And how funny it is that while I was writing this post, a reminder popped up on my computer that tomorrow is Father's Day!  So this parenting message is coupled with a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to our dads out there.  And especially to mine, SDB...you are the best.

Enjoy your weekend classy parents and single people everywhere!

....keep your chins, heels and standards high....
BONSOIR, CHEERS AND CIAO BELLAS!