Are you trendy?

Trends....do you remember the "trend" of your youth? Mine was the slap bracelet.

The bracelet that is a fashion accessory and a small weapon to mildly hurt your best friends with...awesome.

Other trends have come and gone. I have learned todays' trend that's popular with the kiddos and is slightly less injury causing...Silly Bandz....if you have elementary school aged children you probably have come faced to face with these thingies.

But with the adult crowd? Whats the popular trend? No I am not talking about those faded acid washed jeans you still think are cool (psssst...they're not by the way)...Im not really even going to talk about fashion trends today....

I am talking about the trend of America being intolerant of enemy number one....

"Crybaby"

and his accomplice

"Whiny Toddler"

(notice I of course didn't post pictures of my own children, because....heh....they never cry....yeah....)

I am becoming increasingly aware of stories in the news regarding the intolerance of chidren in general. In this "Me Matters" society, those of us with children are starting to be viewed as an inconvenience to those around us. Now please dont get me wrong because I'm not out here to talk badly about people who choose not to have kids. You either want them or you dont. And hey, I respect that. I don't have the viewpoint that it is a woman's job to have kids....I also don't live in 1950 either. But I do have a problem with people who have decided to not have kids, or have forgotten how it was when their children were small, to declare children as a "problem" or "an annoyance," for doing exactly what kids do....being kids.

Kids cry, they whine, and the scream sometimes....the also have to eat, and this may or may not include breastfeeding (gasp!) These are facts of life.

Recent debates of should airlines have "kid free" sections, and the latest, The Olde Salty Restaraunt in NC has a sign displayed in their window, "Screaming children will NOT be tolerated," have parents everywhere talking.....Maybe even screaming...I guess they can't eat at Old Salty's either.

Magazines have also hopped on the bandwagon. Better Holmes and Gardens recently published an article called "10 Commandments of Dining with Little Kids." I had a hard time finding the article, after much outcry from breastfeeding mothers (and you will know why after reading the article), but here it is, I found it on another blog... www.drmomma.org/2010/05/better-holmes-and-gardens-10.html BetterHolmes and Gardens retracted the article, apologized the nursing mothers of the world and gave it a brand new title..."9 Commandments of Dining with Little Kids."

Catchy.

Hey, Better Holmes and Gardens, how about just sticking with telling me which flowers bloom best in direct sunlight and leave parenting articles to Magazines that actually know something about children? Like "Parenting Magazine".

Marie Claire also had an article out recently...and sadly I cannt find that article online....and I've thrown away my copy of the magazine....but basically another article complaining about children for doing children like things(.....P.S. I do not know why I am getting a subscription to Marie Claire...I did not subscribe nor was it a gift from someone....I think maybe I agreed to a school magazine fundraiser of some sort in my sleep deprived state. )

So here's my complaint. I just dont get the wave of child intolerance with people. I'm not talking about children, who are running wild among the restaurant and fling kethup covered french fries your way, or the child who is hysterically screaming for the past half hour straight while mom and dad tune the screamer and each other out while texting at the restaurant table. Not cool.

I'm talking about a baby who suddenly bursts out with a cry at the table because she is hungry...and the dirty looks a mom gets about it because the person at the next table over cant enjoy his Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits "in peace." The dirty look from then attempting to solve the crying by breastfeeding, no NOT in the bathroom (as Better Homes and Gardens suggests), but at the table.The dirty look to that really tired mom on the airplane because the kiddo is screaming out of being overtired.

The solution is not banning children from places. (However, I also do not think you should be bringing your kid to exclusively "grown-up" restaurants...a good rule of thumb in my opinion, if it offers a children's plate...you are good to go. And most restaurants do.)

I believe the solution is to realize kids are going to cry and its a part of life. And to realize that the crying kid isnt truly "ruining your meal," anymore than that annoying guy, who talks too loud on his cell phone the next table over...or that lady who is having a way too loud conversation about her colonoscopy episode.

People have been traveling with kids on airlines forever...and now, suddenly, people just can't "handle" that anymore?? I got news for you....the mom over there...yeah that one... with the screaming 4 year old in the seat next to her and the crying 6 month old in her lap? Yeah she probably feels like she cant "handle it" either. NO parent, at least the parents I know of, enjoys their kids crying and enjoys the fact that the others around them are probably bothered by this.

Trends come and go. I haven't seen a slap bracelet in years. One day Silly Bandz will be a thing of the past. Hopefully this trend of Child Intolerance will be disappearing faster than Crocs and Ugg Boots.