I Get My Sanity Back, Only to Lose My Mind by Taking On Comments over at BlogHer

I don’t know why I feel the need to write about my disorder here.  After all, mental illness is still taboo and there is a certain stigma to it.  Mental illness is not sexy, and it doesn’t sell and I promise you my stats do not increase because of it.  And yet, I write about it.  So much for world domination.  Besides, I think Dooce cornered that market with her breakdown and three-day stint in the psych ward.  Depression is acceptable if it comes with a baby, not so much if it comes with mania.

So, I’m going to let it go. As if it really is that easy.  I’m just done writing about it here, for a while. So. *Ahem* moving on.

I think I put my foot in it yesterday, with a comment I left on a blog post.  If I didn’t piss of people there, I am pretty sure I will here.  That’s just how I roll.  (Does anyone use that phrase anymore?)

Yesterday, I was rolling through my Google Reader when I came across this story Liz of Maybe Baby Maybe Not posted at BlogHer.  Go read it, it’s a great story.  But for the purposes of this blog post, I’ll recap it for you. Guy goes into bagel place, young couple with young kids come in. Kids are all over the place, parents are oblivious.  Older gentleman, puts parents in their place.  It’s worth the read… honestly.

The comments that were there were in support of the parents.  *blink blink*  *scratching head looking all kinds of WTF?* Maybe I’m out of line, but one comment went so far as to say “Parenting is hard and in the end, I wouldn’t want someone embarrassing me so I wouldn’t do it them.”  Wait, WHAT?  Allow these children to assault (Ok, assault may be a bit too harsh, but the children were ‘driving’ their trucks all over the place bumping into other patrons) other patrons, because we don’t want to embarrass them? Are you kidding me?  Under absolutely ZERO circumstances is it ever acceptable for anyone, including a child, to hit another person with anything. Since these parents seem to think that that is perfectly acceptable behavior, I’m sure they wouldn’t care if I bumped into them as I walked by.

Another comment was ‘What if these were special needs children?”

Again I say, there is a certain level of respect due to everyone, and a certain level of behavior expected in public with some exceptions being made. . Children can be taught how to behave in public  If they can not sit in their seats, they sure can at least play close by the parents.  I understand that kids will be kids and that there are children with special needs, but again, the other patrons have expectations which I am sure include but are not limited to ‘enjoying a bagel without being assaulted by a child.” Seems pretty reasonable to me.

I will forgive a whole lot when it comes to kids, if the parents are attempting to be parents  and making an attempt to keep their kids from bothering other patrons.  I will excuse and ignore temper tantrums, yelling and screaming, I will even excuse running around their table.  I don’t even care if your kid comes over and says Hi to me, I’ll engage them in a conversation. But I will also be looking for you as their parent to see if you even know or care where your child is.