Small children, just like the rest of us, have bad days. Sadly, when you work in retail (or other places where children are permitted) you see bad days of lots of small children.

I do not make excuses for my son. He is 15 months old, and, well, let's face it, sometimes he has a 'bad' day! It is my job to circumvent these occasions as well as I can. That might mean leaving my meal on the table, or, the clothes or groceries in the cart (well, he really hasn't been that unruly YET ), but the time will come. I know it. How I deal with it is the problem. Will I immediately rush him out of the store? Probably not...why should I be any less entitled to the place as the drunk, the rude person, the smoker, whomever. But, because I am polite, well mannered, and a decent sort, I will do what I think is best (which is NOT letting Jonah ruin anyone else's meal).

When you keep in mind that he has far less of an ability to 'deal' with social settings as the adults around us, it doesn't seem as bad to me.

And, when I see adults around us smiling at his cute antics, well, it seems worth the risk of taking him out at all. Not to mention child services would be all over me leaving him at home! (JOKE ).

Really, dislike kids all you like, but, we all were ones once (some of us longer than others), and, remember that they will develop into adults, and hopefully not be scarred by all this dislike.