The following is a public service announcement.
It is common courtesy to hold a door open for others. If someone else is in reasonably proximity to you when entering or exiting a room or building, the kind, mannerly thing to do is to wait a moment and hold the door open for them.
However.
This bit of etiquette does not apply to toddlers.
In the last nine months or so, I have been so surprised by how many well-meaning adults have held a door open for my toddler, allowing him to run out of an area that is obviously meant to contain him. The most frequent sites of such incidents are the Chic-fil-a play area and the enclosed toddler areas at children's museums, zoos, and playgrounds.
The scene typically goes down in one of two ways.
Scene One: An adult is entering or exiting the doorway with their own children, or is summoning their own children, and proceeds to stand in the doorway with the door wide open for a good while, with no regard for who else's children may be viewing this exchange as their own escape route.
Scene Two: My child is standing near the door, perhaps even pushing or pulling on the door, when an adult "helps" him open it, thus sending me on a wild goose chase to retrieve him from giving the cardboard Chic-fil-a mascot a hug at the opposite end of the restaurant.
Now I realize that I am ultimately responsible for my own child's safety and obedience. But I guess it just seems instinctive to me to give a quick glance around the room for a child's parent before releasing him to run free in a public place after being enclosed in a place specifically for children. We often end up dealing with a melt down because someone else has let him "go bye bye" when I had intended for us to stay inside the specific area and have to bring him back. And to clarify, I am always nearby and watching when these situations happen, it's just that they happen so fast that I end up having to react to what has already been done.
Does anyone else have an issue with this or am I just a party pooper?
5 comments:
Oh no!! A toddler on the loose is no bueno. :(
I always blockade doors if a kiddo is attempting to make a break for it. Because let's be real, it's highly unlikely a child will be chasing it's mama out the door. Unless she's trying to run away herself......
I've told children, "No, no," and physically held them back...only to have their parent be right there saying, "Oh, it's okay. We're leaving." This has happened multiple times. I'm never quite sure if it's coincidence or parents letting their children decide when it's time to go.
You're right on. Toddlers are quick, and some good old common sense needs to come into play here.
This post made me laugh and then cringe because I'm sure there have been times I've held the door open for a child and didn't think twice about it. But you're absolutely right--how silly is that? I do love the idea of Riggs giving the mascot a hug. If I knew I was giving a child the opportunity to hug a cardboard cut-out I would absolutely hold that door open so I could witness the cuteness. Just kidding--I've learned my lesson. :) Thank you for the PSA, I'm sure I'll appreciate this even more in a few years!
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