Today is a pretty quiet day, which is always nice. I made the mistake yesterday of trying to work in the library. Libraries are supposed to be quiet places where people can read, study, or do work. No, not my local public library branch. It's more like an extension of the playground in the park. There were kids running around, screaming their little heads off. Where were the moms? Distract with other little monkeys. Oh and did I mention that the ladies washroom wasn't working, again. Geez. At least today I'm back in my usual home away from home, the Park La Brea Business Center. The Wi-Fi is pretty decent but at least it's quiet. Maybe I'm so used to being in institutional settings such as university and museum libraries where I'm around other adults who are engaged in the same activities as me and being very quiet or at least listening to something on their earbuds. The one really great experience I had at a public library was at the Central Branch in Downtown Los Angeles. It's a wonderful space with acres of books and assorted media. More importantly, it's a great place to work.
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| Vintage picture of the Central Branch redroom.com |
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| Los Angeles Public Library examiner.com |
I'm not suggesting that parents leave or stay with their small children at home all the time, rather, I wish they would learn to exercise better control over them. Allowing your child to run around a public space where other people are moving about or trying to work is never acceptable. I came home yesterday evening with a headache. It's not just libraries, it's restaurants, movie theaters, you get the point. Other people are trying to have an enjoyable meal or watch a movie in peace and quiet; not have it disrupted by some toddler running about screeching at the top of their little lungs while mommy runs after it or worse, the parents totally disregard the chaos. The employees of the place are not paid to be the babysitters. Parents, if you want to take your child(ren) out in public, you need to remember that you are the one in control. The ultimate responsibility for maintaining discipline falls to you. The same holds when you bring your child(ren) over to other people's houses. I begin to tell you how many many meals I've endured at sis's house where the child is being so disruptive. It isn't fair to anyone else, least of all the child, to inflict unruly behavior on other people. Children, especially small ones, have a limited attention span. So do some adults for that matter.
My point here, parents need to start acting like responsible parents.
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