Because, I think they're all super cute, with very unique personalities and adorable gap-toothed smiles and giggles.
So, as you can probably tell, I'm going on the defensive about how much I love kids, because I'm about to completely rant about how some kids are total brats. And it amazes me how terrible parenting can be. Seriously.
A couple of interviews ago, I was on my way back to Chicago, sleep-deprived and headache raging. I bought a coffee from Starbucks and some tater tots from Wendy's, and settled down into one of those really comfortable leather chairs that Southwest has. I placed my coffee and Wendy's bag on the table, and I snuggled into my chair, hoping to get in some shut-eye before boarding started. I could hear children giggling around me, but given how tired I was, it was all white noise to me, and I quickly fell asleep.
No more than ten minutes later, the flight attendant came on over the loudspeaker, announcing how the whole boarding situation would work. Preboards first but only if you had one of those blue preboard sleeves. Then the A boarding group. Then family boarding. And then the B group. So on and so forth.
I sat up to grab my coffee. That's when I saw her.
She was super cute. Huge eyes. Missing her front two teeth. Adorable pink barrettes holding up her pigtails. And her hand? In my Wendy's bag.
She had eaten my tater tots.
And her grubby little kid hands were still in my bag for more.
I just stared at her, not quite believing what I was seeing, trying to figure out how to tell a stranger's child that what she was doing was wrong, so wrong! And unsafe! Didn't her mother teach her to never take candy from strangers? Granted, in this situation, she took without asking, so maybe that wasn't part of the lesson plan. And yes, I have also been taught not to leave a drink unattended, but it was morning, and this was the airport, not the bar, but fine, I see your point about how I'm not the best at heeding lessons either.
I probably would have just fumed silently, but then her mother/aunt/caretaker looked over, and cooed, "isn't she cute?" completely oblivious to what her child was actually doing.
I sort of just snapped. "Um, she's very cute, but I would think she's cuter if her hands weren't on my food and she hadn't just eaten half of my breakfast. Shouldn't you be keeping a better eye on your kids?"
I stalked off, glad that my section was being called to board, amazed at my gumption, and feeling just a tiny bit like an ogre who hates kids. But seriously! Who does that?
No more than ten minutes later, the flight attendant came on over the loudspeaker, announcing how the whole boarding situation would work. Preboards first but only if you had one of those blue preboard sleeves. Then the A boarding group. Then family boarding. And then the B group. So on and so forth.
I sat up to grab my coffee. That's when I saw her.
She was super cute. Huge eyes. Missing her front two teeth. Adorable pink barrettes holding up her pigtails. And her hand? In my Wendy's bag.
She had eaten my tater tots.
And her grubby little kid hands were still in my bag for more.
I just stared at her, not quite believing what I was seeing, trying to figure out how to tell a stranger's child that what she was doing was wrong, so wrong! And unsafe! Didn't her mother teach her to never take candy from strangers? Granted, in this situation, she took without asking, so maybe that wasn't part of the lesson plan. And yes, I have also been taught not to leave a drink unattended, but it was morning, and this was the airport, not the bar, but fine, I see your point about how I'm not the best at heeding lessons either.
I probably would have just fumed silently, but then her mother/aunt/caretaker looked over, and cooed, "isn't she cute?" completely oblivious to what her child was actually doing.
I sort of just snapped. "Um, she's very cute, but I would think she's cuter if her hands weren't on my food and she hadn't just eaten half of my breakfast. Shouldn't you be keeping a better eye on your kids?"
I stalked off, glad that my section was being called to board, amazed at my gumption, and feeling just a tiny bit like an ogre who hates kids. But seriously! Who does that?
So I guess that means that I love kids conditionally. As long as they stay away from my tots.
