Other People's Kids.

I don't have a lot of faith in the future, and I'll tell you why.

Today was play-gym day. Although the weather was OK, it's just a bit cold to be playing outside, so we went to the community centre, where they have a drop-in play-gym for kids. There are toys and space to run around, and most importantly, social interaction with children in his own age group.

But some of these kids!

Oh my God.

You'd think that most parents, in a setting such as this, would be more aware of how their children present themselves and how they interact with other children. We try to teach sharing and polite conduct, but also to stand up for yourself and be able to act in a respectable manner. I think there might have been one or two other parents who thought as we do, but the other ones seem to treat it as a dumping ground for their kids, turning it into a almost surreal, Lord of the Flies - type experience. I kid you not, I think one of them growled at me.

And I know kids get dirty, but really, how messy can your kid get by 10:30 in the morning? What did you do, let them roll to the door from your car? I can tell you ate at McDonald's before you came here, your child has half a hash brown still attached to his forehead. And I must say that's the cutest mask they have on. No mask? Oh, that's just the snot running from their nose.
Thank the Lord the boys have their shots up to date, especially that shot that protects them from, oh I don't know, a possible outbreak of White Trash?

The thing that gets me is that the parents of these stinky smelly bastards and bitches seem to be some of the most stuck up people in the world. Listen Lady, I'm not hitting on you, I've seen what your loins can produce, and I'm not tempted. The only reason I'm talking to you is because I think your kid just shived the person in charge of the trampoline.

But tolerance is important to teach your child, so we just made the best of it, and told The Boy how good he was in comparison to the savage, feral-like children that were there. He does enjoy the exercise and interaction, probably even more so because he doesn't notice that shit right now. He doesn't care that the kid across from him smells like old socks and mouthwash, he's just happy there is some one on the other side of the see-saw.

And teaching him not to care about that is probably one of the best things ever.