Scenario 1 - Beautiful wedding, and there is a toddler running around who can't sit still.

Scenario 2 - Wedding reception with kindergartners playing with the balloons hung in back of their chair.

Scenario 3 - Choir Concert and an approximately 4 year old sitting in different seats, putting his feet up on the pews in front of him, and earlier being very loud with a crinkly bag as he ate something with his sister.

Who's fault? My view is blaming the kids is wrong because that is at this age they are easily distracted and have short attention spans. The root cause is the parent is not recognizing the potential issue and being prepared by having something to them to do. I suggest bringing a picture book, coloring book, or some other type of silent activity they can do during events they would be bored by.

All three scenarios I have seen. I appreciated the mother on a plane trip I took who had a portable DVD player to keep her son's attention who I was sitting next to me. I wished she had turned it on earlier because it was not my responsibilty to keep her son entertained (he was bouncing around on the seat). Scenario 3 happened tonight where it was nice the Father took his kids to this type of wonderful performance which my daughter was in, but it was not fair to the audience around them.

Labels: Manners